Marines enjoy fine dining in the desert
May 2, 2007; Submitted on: 05/02/2007 06:38:43 AM By Staff Sgt. Stephen L. Traynham, 2nd Marine Division
Staff Sgt. Francisco A. Santiago, mess chief and logistics chief for Task Force Tarawa, and his Marines prepare two hot meals a
day for more than 750 members of the task force.
“We support all Task Force Tarawa elements with food service,” said Santiago, a 28-year-old, Camuy, Puerto Rico, native.
On some of the major military bases, the job of a mess Marine is more curtailed toward quality assurance and control, said
Santiago.
“Being out here we do all the cooking,” said Cpl. Algie D. Facen-Vaughn, assistant mess chief with TFT. “In the rear, we have
contractors that do the cooking. We just check up behind them to make sure the food is good to go for the Marines.”
“Out here, we are field mess,” said Lance Cpl. Rene M. Cruzhernandez, food service specialist with TFT.
Keeping in tradition with all Marines serving in the field, the ability to adapt to their surroundings played a major role in completing
their mission.
“When we got out here, all of the equipment in the kitchen was Army specific,” said Santiago. “We had to make it work, and that
was a challenge at first. Once we incorporated it with our gear, we were cooking bacon.”
Bacon isn’t the only thing cooking nowadays at the COP.
“We make our own menus here,” said Facen-Vaughn, a 25 year-old, Washington, D.C., native. “We are on a 15 day cycle, so on
day 16 they will get the same meal they had on day one.”
Though the menu may seem short with only 15 different breakfast and dinner meals, the spread they put out makes up for it.
“We make chicken parmesan, shrimp scampi, chicken alfredo, and even fried chicken,” said Cruzhernandez, a 21 year-old,
Winston- Salem, N.C., native. “We even provide them with stuff like salad and ice cream, stuff that is hard to come by in the desert.”
“Once a week we give them steak and lobster,” added Santiago. “It helps boost morale.”
According to the Marines here, the chow supersedes their expectations of the food they would receive while in the field.
“The spaghetti is awesome, but I prefer the shrimp scampi and the pot roast,” said Master Sgt. Andreas J. Starling, operations
chief for TFT. “I’m used to getting tray rats and MREs. That’s what the companies operating in the city wanted, until we introduced
them to our field mess.”
The units within the city receive the same chow as the Marines and Sailors at the COP, explained Santiago.
“We make sure the Marines at the [forward operating bases] eat as well as we do,” said Facen-Vaughn.
“There’s not a whole lot to look forward to out here,” said Santiago. “When the Marines come from out the wire or come back from
a patrol, they can expect a good hot meal. That’s the least we can do.”
Task Force Tarawa is part of Regimental Combat Team 2, a Marine Corps command responsible for more than 30,000 square
miles and 5,500 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province.Aug 3, 2007; Submitted on: 08/03/2007 02:18:37 PM By
Lance Cpl. Katie Mathison, II Marine Expeditionary Force
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Aug 3, 2007) -- The scent of pork chops smothered in brown gravy, potatoes au
gratin, warm apple crisp and other home-style favorites fill the air. The dining area is dimly lit with candles on every table.
However, this is not a romantic restaurant. It is a field chow hall and the grounds of a heated competition.
Marines from 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, competed in a field mess competition here, July 31, against
2nd Marine Logistics Group, who were judged earlier. This was the first leg of the annual Maj. Gen. W. P. T. Hill Memorial Award
for Food Service competition.
The wait for the results was agonizing but well worth it. The division was notified they had won the competition, Aug. 3.
The road to winning was long and arduous but worth the time and effort put into the competition.
Gunnery Sgt. Jeffery Chenault, the field mess staff noncommissioned officer in charge with 2nd Bn., 9th Marines, said the division
team headed to the field, July 16, to set up the mess hall. The entire area had to be prepared by a handful of food service
Marines. The Marines had to clear the area, set up the tents and equipment and fill every sandbag that lined the site. It took nearly
two weeks to fully set up the site, but it was operational in three days.
After the area was prepared, the Marines continued to work hard to impress the judges from the second they arrived at the site of
the competition.
“Everything is graded from the time I step foot in the warehouse,” Chenault said.
Chenault also said the judging encompassed every area of food preparation. Administrative aspects, location and security are all
weighed heavily. The Marines were also judged on the sanitation, maintenance, operation and knowledge of their equipment.
The win meant much more to the Marines than simply an award or title.
“Winning is rewarding for the troops who put in long hours,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Carol Ottley, a 2nd Marine Division food
service technician. “They kept a positive attitude and it paid off.”
Ottley also said the competition recognized the importance of food service. Normally people forget about food service until they
are hungry.
The division is now preparing for the Marine Corps-wide level of the competition, which is tentatively scheduled for October.
“The winners on a national level receive a trophy and a big ceremony put on by the National Restaurant Association,” Ottley said.
Although winning may seem like the most important aspect of this competition, it had a much deeper purpose.
“Our Marines are training and learning on new equipment and setting up things in a new environment,” Chenault said. “The most
important thing we take away from this competition is what we are teaching our Marines. After all, if it’s not training, it’s not worth
doing.”
May 2, 2007; Submitted on: 05/02/2007 06:38:43 AM By Staff Sgt. Stephen L. Traynham, 2nd Marine Division
Staff Sgt. Francisco A. Santiago, mess chief and logistics chief for Task Force Tarawa, and his Marines prepare two hot meals a
day for more than 750 members of the task force.
“We support all Task Force Tarawa elements with food service,” said Santiago, a 28-year-old, Camuy, Puerto Rico, native.
On some of the major military bases, the job of a mess Marine is more curtailed toward quality assurance and control, said
Santiago.
“Being out here we do all the cooking,” said Cpl. Algie D. Facen-Vaughn, assistant mess chief with TFT. “In the rear, we have
contractors that do the cooking. We just check up behind them to make sure the food is good to go for the Marines.”
“Out here, we are field mess,” said Lance Cpl. Rene M. Cruzhernandez, food service specialist with TFT.
Keeping in tradition with all Marines serving in the field, the ability to adapt to their surroundings played a major role in completing
their mission.
“When we got out here, all of the equipment in the kitchen was Army specific,” said Santiago. “We had to make it work, and that
was a challenge at first. Once we incorporated it with our gear, we were cooking bacon.”
Bacon isn’t the only thing cooking nowadays at the COP.
“We make our own menus here,” said Facen-Vaughn, a 25 year-old, Washington, D.C., native. “We are on a 15 day cycle, so on
day 16 they will get the same meal they had on day one.”
Though the menu may seem short with only 15 different breakfast and dinner meals, the spread they put out makes up for it.
“We make chicken parmesan, shrimp scampi, chicken alfredo, and even fried chicken,” said Cruzhernandez, a 21 year-old,
Winston- Salem, N.C., native. “We even provide them with stuff like salad and ice cream, stuff that is hard to come by in the desert.”
“Once a week we give them steak and lobster,” added Santiago. “It helps boost morale.”
According to the Marines here, the chow supersedes their expectations of the food they would receive while in the field.
“The spaghetti is awesome, but I prefer the shrimp scampi and the pot roast,” said Master Sgt. Andreas J. Starling, operations
chief for TFT. “I’m used to getting tray rats and MREs. That’s what the companies operating in the city wanted, until we introduced
them to our field mess.”
The units within the city receive the same chow as the Marines and Sailors at the COP, explained Santiago.
“We make sure the Marines at the [forward operating bases] eat as well as we do,” said Facen-Vaughn.
“There’s not a whole lot to look forward to out here,” said Santiago. “When the Marines come from out the wire or come back from
a patrol, they can expect a good hot meal. That’s the least we can do.”
Task Force Tarawa is part of Regimental Combat Team 2, a Marine Corps command responsible for more than 30,000 square
miles and 5,500 Marines, Sailors and Soldiers in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province.Aug 3, 2007; Submitted on: 08/03/2007 02:18:37 PM By
Lance Cpl. Katie Mathison, II Marine Expeditionary Force
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Aug 3, 2007) -- The scent of pork chops smothered in brown gravy, potatoes au
gratin, warm apple crisp and other home-style favorites fill the air. The dining area is dimly lit with candles on every table.
However, this is not a romantic restaurant. It is a field chow hall and the grounds of a heated competition.
Marines from 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, competed in a field mess competition here, July 31, against
2nd Marine Logistics Group, who were judged earlier. This was the first leg of the annual Maj. Gen. W. P. T. Hill Memorial Award
for Food Service competition.
The wait for the results was agonizing but well worth it. The division was notified they had won the competition, Aug. 3.
The road to winning was long and arduous but worth the time and effort put into the competition.
Gunnery Sgt. Jeffery Chenault, the field mess staff noncommissioned officer in charge with 2nd Bn., 9th Marines, said the division
team headed to the field, July 16, to set up the mess hall. The entire area had to be prepared by a handful of food service
Marines. The Marines had to clear the area, set up the tents and equipment and fill every sandbag that lined the site. It took nearly
two weeks to fully set up the site, but it was operational in three days.
After the area was prepared, the Marines continued to work hard to impress the judges from the second they arrived at the site of
the competition.
“Everything is graded from the time I step foot in the warehouse,” Chenault said.
Chenault also said the judging encompassed every area of food preparation. Administrative aspects, location and security are all
weighed heavily. The Marines were also judged on the sanitation, maintenance, operation and knowledge of their equipment.
The win meant much more to the Marines than simply an award or title.
“Winning is rewarding for the troops who put in long hours,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Carol Ottley, a 2nd Marine Division food
service technician. “They kept a positive attitude and it paid off.”
Ottley also said the competition recognized the importance of food service. Normally people forget about food service until they
are hungry.
The division is now preparing for the Marine Corps-wide level of the competition, which is tentatively scheduled for October.
“The winners on a national level receive a trophy and a big ceremony put on by the National Restaurant Association,” Ottley said.
Although winning may seem like the most important aspect of this competition, it had a much deeper purpose.
“Our Marines are training and learning on new equipment and setting up things in a new environment,” Chenault said. “The most
important thing we take away from this competition is what we are teaching our Marines. After all, if it’s not training, it’s not worth
doing.”
| COMMAND OUTPOST NORSEMAN, RUTBAH, Iraq – Lance Cpl. Rene M. Cruzhernandez, a food service specialist with Task Force Tarawa, empties a bag of shrimp scampi into a heated serving pan. Photo by: Staff Sgt. Stephen L. Traynham |
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