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    Cooks weather stormy waters

    Cooks Weather Stormy Waters

    Photo By Sgt. Timothy Book | Spc. Amberlynn Walker, from Fort Carson, Colo., cook with the 308th Military Police...... read more read more

    FORT CHAFFEE, AR, UNITED STATES

    07.24.2012

    Story by Sgt. Timothy Book 

    326th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

    FORT CHAFFEE, Ark.—After only a week of Army Reserve cooks serving meals they still display plenty of motivation as they are tasked with moving to a different building during River Assault 2012, July14 – 27, 2012.

    Dealing with change is sometimes like going through rough waters, but a good crew can weather any storm.

    Just a few days into the training, the cooks had to move from one building to another just a few blocks away. Not only did they have to move, they had to move quickly as more than 900 Soldiers depend on them for their meals. “We know our mission is to feed Soldiers,” said Sgt. Adrien Bouchee, a Chicago native with the 823rd Engineer Battalion, Darien, Il “The first thing we did is we all got together and got to work,” Bouchee said. “ We worked non-stop and before we knew it, we were done!”

    They were able to transfer to the new facility and start operating quickly. “The first day, Monday, was spent getting everything dress-right-dress,” said Staff Sgt. Harvey Dillard, a shift leader at the facility with the 533rd Battalion Support Company of Queens, N.Y. “That means cleaning up, getting everything sanitized and getting the DFac ready to prepare meals.”

    This group of cooks composed from many different units throughout the country, were ready for business the next day. “Tuesday was our first dinner meal,” said Dillard. He attributed the fast turnaround to the “it has to be done” attitude that all the cooks share. “This was a, ‘have to do mission.’” He said they succeeded because of that motivation and the fact that everyone did what they knew needed to be done.

    Dillard attributes the mission success to the overall training of the cooks. “A lot of these soldiers have been in this atmosphere before,” he said. “Their experience cultivates a lot in preparing for this type of mission.” He said only a few have never worked in a DFac before and some have never worked as a cook.

    The cooks seem to be happy with the new facility. “This is so much nicer,” said Spc. Nyssa Johansen, 368th Engineer Company, Londonderry, N.H., who lives in Brunswick, Maine, “I feel bad the equipment failed, but this is a blessing.”

    Johnathan O’Neill, of the 854th Engineer Battalion, Saugerties, N.Y., says the new facility is much better than where they started, with more space and better equipment.

    “A lot more spacious and less congested,” described Spc. Andrew Cilla, with the 854th Engineer Company in Saugerties, N.Y. the new DFac. “It’s a better facility to serve the Soldiers,” said the Pine Bush, N.Y. resident.

    Bouchee expressed a similar point of view, “I was able to choose my (Extended Combat Training) this year, and I chose Arkansas. I’m glad I did.”

    “If I were to come here next year,” said Dillard. “I hope I have the same crew.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 07.24.2012
    Date Posted: 07.26.2012 18:29
    Story ID: 92217
    Location: FORT CHAFFEE, AR, US

    Web Views: 80
    Downloads: 2

    PUBLIC DOMAIN