Photo By Spc. Emily Wilsoncroft | Sgt. 1st Class Lisa Howard (left), one of the board members for the 3rd Combat...... read more read more
By Spc. Emily J. Wilsoncroft
3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – With most of the cooking on U.S. bases in Iraq now being contracted out, Soldiers in food service military occupational specialties don't often get a chance to hone – or even use – their culinary skills.
Cooks in Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division got the opportunity to show what they could do in the kitchen March 26 and 27, when the 3rd CAB held its Cook of the Quarter board at Camp Striker.
The brigade has held boards for its deployed food service Soldiers before, but this was the first time that Soldiers in theater were able to participate in the hands-on portion of the event, said Master Sgt. Beverly Hamlette, 3rd CAB senior food operations management noncommissioned officer.
"Usually (during a deployment), the Cook of the Quarter board just consists of Soldiers answering board questions," Hamlette, from Danville, Va., said. "This time we introduced the cook-off."
The competition was divided into two groups – junior enlisted Soldiers in one, NCOs in the other – in order to match Soldiers of similar skill levels against each other.
Each group of Soldiers was given a set amount of time to prepare a specific meal, for which all the ingredients and facilities were supplied. A panel of judges was on hand to watch them work and, later, to test the results.
The cooks were judged on food preparation and sanitation, execution of recipe cards, appearance and presentation, taste and texture and overall appeal.
"We've been organizing this since January," Hamlette said. "We pretty much started from scratch. Everybody's been very helpful to make it happen."
Soldiers used the Falcon Café dining facility's kitchen as their workspace, concentrating on the task at hand even as Kellogg Brown and Root workers prepared the daily meal around them.
As with any new experience, Hamlette said there was some initial reluctance among the Soldiers who were invited to participate in the board.
"We had to convince them it wouldn't be as hard as they thought it would be," she said. "We set up study halls to help them, and showed them they had our full support."
After the cook-off, Soldiers went before the same panel of judges to be quizzed not only on food preparation, but also on the basic military knowledge required to compete in a promotion board.
When the time came to put their studying into practice, Hamlette said the cooks were "really motivated."
"Soldiers were actually really excited to get back in the kitchen and compete," she said. "The best part for me was when the first group got done and saw their finished product.
"I saw them stand back and smile, like they were thinking, 'I did a good job – this looks good!' I think the next time it won't be so difficult for me to get people to participate."
"It was beautiful to see the Soldiers working in the kitchen, asking the NCOs (on the judging panel) questions and the NCOs teaching them as they worked," Hamlette added. "It's building camaraderie and bringing Soldiers together to learn from each other."
The Soldiers who took home the honors were Sgt. Crystal Bryant, a Miami native with Headquarters Support Company, 603rd Aviation Support Battalion, and Spc. Keith Williams, Company E, 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, from San Angelo, Texas.
"I didn't want to do (the competition) at first," Bryant said. "I started out nervous because we don't get kitchen time over here, and everyone was watching ... but I decided to just get in there and have fun with it."
She said once she got over her initial jitters and self-consciousness, it was easier for her to focus.
"It was really good to get back in the kitchen," she said. "It's been 11 months since I cooked anything."
This was the first time both Soldiers had competed in a Cook of the Quarter board, and Williams said it wouldn't be his last.
"This is the first step for me toward furthering my career," Williams said of his win. "It sets me aside from my peers.
"I didn't think it was a big deal until I won," he added. "Now I have bragging rights for my company's cooks section."
Bryant, on the other hand, opted to sit the next one out.
"I think I'll give someone else a chance next time," she said. "Maybe if they have one when we get back (from the deployment), I'll compete against the next winner."
Bryant said her Soldiers helped inspire her hard work and, ultimately, her win.
"I have all male Soldiers, and as the only female, I have to mind my Ps and Qs," she said.
Williams said the support he received from his first sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Arthur Benefield, and his NCOs, Sgt. Rikki Lassiter, Staff Sgt. James Bakie and Staff Sgt. Torie Gatlin, helped motivate him to do his best and win.
Even though this was the first time 3rd CAB has held a cook-off during a deployment, Hamlette said she believes it was a success, and hopes it won't be the last.
"I won't be here forever," she said. "I hope (the Soldiers) will take what has happened today and improve it, and run with it."
Bryant and Williams will be rewarded with an Army Commendation Medal, a brigade coin, a four-day pass and a plaque bearing their name on display in the DFAC, among other gifts.
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2008 15:46 |
| Story ID: | 17970 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 199 |
| Downloads: | 154 |
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