JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ – The cooks revel in serving up some “alphabet soup” for breakfast to keep things interesting as fellow Soldiers get ready for another day.
Spec. Lisamarie Boudreau, a finance clerk who volunteered to work with the mess section, has challenged fellow Soldiers to come up with words beginning with specific letters - including W, R and B - during a two-week Annual Training period with the 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment.
“I’ve seen it done during prior deployments,” Boudreau said. “It seems people like it – it breaks up the (chow) line a bit.”
Boudreau, a member of Forward Support Company, G Co. 186 Brigade Support Battalion – which is based in Quincy, Mass. and supports the 1-101 FAR – said the game inspires many Soldiers and gets them motivated for another hard day of training, especially as the heat index continues to stay above 100 degrees during most of the day.
“I love customer service,” Boudreau said, adding she looks forward to challenging Soldiers to find new words – and more smiles - before the end of Annual Training.
Boudreau said the reaction of some Soldiers makes it worth it for both sides of the mobile combat kitchen - which is transported by trailer and unfolds into an area for cooking, baking and serving.
Sgt. 1st. Class James O’Donoghue - a member of C Battery in 1-101 FAR - stands out among his peers, Boudreau said.
“He does a whole sentence,” Boudreau said. “He sings it to us and everything is fun.”
Boudreau said this is one of the ways the mess section – which is comprised of seven personnel – stays upbeat during the early mornings, hot days and long hours of feeding 300 fellow Soldiers in the field.
Staff Sgt. Matthew Gately, who oversees the mess section, said he loves hearing positive feedback and seeing empty plates from satisfied customers.
“I think it’s one of the things that motivate us,” Gately said, adding “it tends to be a thankless job.”
Gately said the mess section battles bad reviews by striving to prepare good meals to good music with a “high drive and high motivation.”
As an example, Gately said they played a variety of Frank Sinatra’s best to accompany a lasagna dinner – complete with garlic bread cooked in the field Sunday. He added they try to plan special meals – like pulled pork and barbecue brisket sandwiches with cole slaw and potato salad the previous night – following long training days.
Gately said both meals were well received. He added the other big treat is the cookies which Sgt. Caitlin Amaral freshly bakes in the field every few dinners.
“Desserts are the best – they taste good,” Amaral said, adding she loves baking cookies and brownies as a treat, both at home and in the field.
Her passion can be easily seen – and tasted – in her chocolate chip or peanut butter cookies by stopping by the dessert table, which is a well-deserved reward for fellow Soldiers.
Members of the 1-101 FAR, which is composed of units from Massachusetts and Vermont, are currently in the midst of a five-day live-fire exercise with the upgraded M119A3s - which is a light towed system - will commence firing on the new M777A2 medium towed howitzers - a 155 mm towed weapon system - training on the new Q-50 Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar - which is used to protect friendly forces and civilians from a variety of indirect fires - and resupplying, repairing and supporting the new systems in the battalion.
The 1-101 FAR provides fire support for the 86th (Mountain) Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a multi-state National Guard unit which is based in Vermont.
| Date Taken: | 07.24.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.25.2016 08:40 |
| Story ID: | 204912 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Hometown: | QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Mess section offers more than just eggs and lasagna for Field Artillery, by John Quinn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
