Photo By Lance Cpl. Daniel Jean-Paul | Marines enjoy a meal during their lunch break, June 9 at the Camp Foster Mess Hall,...... read more read more
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CAMP FOSTER, Japan - At 3 a.m., while most Marines are still asleep in their beds, the day is just beginning for the Marines working in the Camp Foster Mess Hall.
These Marines aren’t conducting night raids or preparing to kick down doors. They work behind the scenes every day to provide their fellow warriors with the fuel they need to carry out the Marine Corps mission. They work in the mess hall’s kitchen, toiling over hefty boiling pots and sizzling grills for long hours to ensure that more than 1,200 service members receive three nutritious, enjoyable meals on a daily basis.
“Most of the people who come through the (mess) hall don’t even think about where the food is coming from,” said Gunnery Sgt. Diordane Pierre-Louis, the food-service manager for the Camp Foster Mess Hall. “Food-service specialists have one of the most important jobs on base.”
The Marines work on an alternating two-watch system, in which the staff is split into two crews, according to Cpl. Jaime Sotelo, the training noncommissioned officer at the mess hall. The first shift arrives in the early hours of the morning, long before the mess hall opens its doors for patrons.
Before they begin to work, the Marines huddle up to receive their morning brief from the assistant chief cook. It’s here they are told what the meals of the day will be and the expected number of patrons.
After the morning brief, the Marines immediately get to work, moving at a feverish pace in order to have the food made in time for breakfast. The Marines, along with master labor contractors, scatter throughout the kitchen to cut vegetables, clean meats and stir sauces in industrial sized pots.
“We never stop moving,” said Lance Cpl. Tye Ross, a food-service specialist with the mess hall. “It can get pretty hectic but we have to get the food out (in time).”
The crew is also responsible for taking inventory and portioning all of the ingredients the mess hall will need to prepare meals for the day. Every day the inventory can include up to 150 pounds of eggs, 54 pounds of sausage, 106 pounds of chicken and 27 gallons of milk.
“Keeping inventory of everything is probably the most important part of working in the kitchen,” said Ross. “It helps us keep track of what we have and don’t have so we can plan out all the meals.”
Toward the end of breakfast, the second crew arrives to relieve the first crew. The oncoming crew begins preparations for lunch and continues to work until the final meal of the day is served.
The next day, the two crews swap shifts, and the cycle starts over with the Marines receiving one weekend off every two weeks.
“Most people don’t know what really goes into working at the chow hall,” said Sotelo. “People always say, ‘All you have to do is cook,’ and, ‘You only work a couple hours a day,’ but it’s not that simple. It’s more work than people think.”
According to Sotelo, the long hours and limited time off duty eventually takes a toll on the body and the mind. Marines must have a passion and confidence in their work to combat the struggles of job. Sotelo finds that simply walking out of the kitchen and seeing his fellow service members enjoying the food he prepared is all the motivation he needs.
“I take a lot of pride in each meal I make,” said Sotelo. “It’s the best feeling in the world when I step into the dining area and see everyone enjoying something I made. Every time they take a bite of (the) food, it’s their way of saying thank you.”
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2015 20:04 |
| Story ID: | 167578 |
| Location: | CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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