Photo By Sgt. Erin Conway | Staff Sgt. Thomas Tran, assigned as a technical engineer with the XVIII Airborne...... read more read more
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The military is a challenging career and being away from home on deployments doesn't make it any easier. Despite the sacrifices of being away from home for long periods of time, Soldiers find different ways to make the experience fulfilling.
For one non-commissioned officer, his love for cooking and culinary expertise allows him to feel more at home while connecting with his fellow Soldiers no matter where he is around the world.
Staff Sgt. Thomas Tran is assigned as a technical engineer with the XVIII Airborne Corps. He has been deployed to Germany for five months as part of Task Force Dragon supporting our NATO Allies and served in the military for 11 years.
Being away from his wife of 10 years and his two young children isn’t easy. So Tran decided early on in his deployment to Europe that he was going to be in the kitchen as much as possible for two reasons: to help cope with being away from home and to connect with those around him.
Originally from Vietnam, Tran came to the United States at nine years old. Tran said the transition was challenging, but over time he grew to appreciate the balance of both his worlds.
“In the beginning I did find it challenging to balance my Vietnamese culture and adapting to my American lifestyle,” Tran said. “Now I am proud to say I am an American citizen, but I am proud of my culture. I am proud of my upbringing and those that have taught me both good and bad lessons so I can say ‘this is who I am’ today.”
Tran has been cooking for nearly 30 years and still remembers being a kid in the kitchen with his grandma while she made Pho, a Vietnamese beef and noodle soup.
While in Germany, Tran decided cooking for others while deployed would help him experience German culture more and give his fellow Soldiers a taste of his culture. His meals often include Vietnamese style meats and experimenting with German foods that are new to him.
“For me, cooking is my stress reliever,” Tran said. “Food brings people together even if you don’t speak the same language. It’s the universal language for love and culture.”
“The best way to know a culture is through its food, at least in my opinion,” he added.
While his wife cooks during the week at home due to Tran’s busy career as a Soldier, he carves out time on the weekends to make meals for his family. The meals often consist of traditional Vietnamese food with a twist of Hispanic, Italian, or American style cooking.
“I do my best to incorporate an aspect of every culture I have been lucky enough to immerse myself in and incorporate my cooking style,” Tran said.
When he isn’t behind the grill or in the kitchen, Tran is working with the other engineers to complete their mission. Although he has experienced his fair share of long nights and early mornings while a part of Task Force Dragon, Tran knows his efforts are worth it to reassure our NATO Allies.
Tran said his career in the Army has given him the opportunity to experience many cultures from Hawaii to Alaska to Guam and knows how important a culture can be to individuals’ way of life.
“For the people we were sent out to help - their future kids and the generations to come will look back and see what we did here made an impact,” Tran said. “At the end of the day, it's not just about the preservation of life, but also the preservation of a whole culture.”
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.07.2022 07:20 |
| Story ID: | 428723 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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