Photo By Staff Sgt. Tina Villalobos | Kuwaiti Land Forces and 35th Inf. Div. Soldiers gather outside after an evening of...... read more read more
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CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – Soldiers of the Kuwaiti Land Forces attended a barbecue dinner and social hosted by the 35th Infantry Division on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Nov. 1. More than 30 Soldiers attended the event, which served as an opportunity for the KLF and the 35th Inf. Div. to enjoy one another’s company in a social setting and become better acquainted in a relaxed atmosphere.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to build camaraderie between our two militaries,” said Col. Kevin Fujimoto, operations officer in charge, 35th Inf. Div. “We’re all warriors, and kindred spirits. We all serve for the same selfless reasons, and it’s a great opportunity for us to come together and share that bond of fellowship.”
A month’s worth of planning and preparation, and a great deal of work went into the dinner, according to Staff Sgt. Paul Brillinger, civil affairs non-commissioned officer, 35th Inf. Div.
“We started at 8 o’clock this morning,” said Brillinger. “We went and got the food yesterday. We bought all the food fresh, chicken and everything. We bought whole chickens and cut up the chicken ourselves. We got the ribs and cooked the ribs all day today and let them smoke on the grill for the last two and a half hours.”
As the sun went down, the barbecue chefs of the 35th Inf. Div. continued to show their Army spirit by finishing up their cooking using only the headlights of a vehicle.
“The sun went down before we could finish,” said Brillinger. “It is kind of hard to grill out there, once the sun goes down—but we tried our best.”
The team of four 35th Inf. Div. Soldiers, including, Maj. Erik Fedak, civil affairs planner, Capt. Kendall McDaniel, information environment operations security, Sgt. Maj. Kenneth Olds, senior psychological operations Sgt. Maj., and Staff Sgt. Paul Brillinger, civil affairs support detachment 60, prepared and cooked everything from barbecued chicken and ribs to corn on the cob, two types of corn bread, desert, and other items. Their efforts did not go unnoticed.
“I feel like events like these are really important because of the relationship that Kuwait and America has enjoyed over the past 25 years,” said Maj. Sabah Al-Sabah, headquarters, Kuwaiti Land Forces. “The U.S. was the leader in the liberation of Kuwait. And ever since then, our relationship has grown stronger and stronger. I think the more events like this we have, the closer our relationship gets and the more we understand each other.”
Sabah had some lighthearted advice for the barbecue chefs as well, “I think the chefs should start a restaurant in Kuwait! This barbeque is excellent!” said Sabah.
It helps to engage in teambuilding during social moments, so that battle-field partners know one another before working together operationally, according to Col. Fujimoto.
After their dinner and conversation, the Kuwaiti Land Forces and 35th Inf. Div. exchanged gifts of appreciation.
“I appreciate everyone’s support in coming out here and helping us,” said Fujimoto. “This is a great opportunity to meet our brothers and sisters in arms.”
| Date Taken: | 11.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2017 03:25 |
| Story ID: | 254557 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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