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Tucker
a lucky
Talisman
By Cpl Andrew Hetherington
Edition 1169, June 28, 2007 |
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Kitchen whizzes: In the 10FSB kitchen Cpl Denis Walters, USN PO Dennis Lovett, Cpl Ross Angow, USN PO Edith Webster, LACW Jennifer Lavis, USMC Cpl Simeon Elum and Cpl Sandra McElroy, seen here with a display of fresh food.
Photo by Cpl Chris Moore |
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IT is said the ADF marches and works on its stomach, which means that kitchen staff at Rockhampton Force Maintenance Area (FMA) South are playing a crucial role in Exercise Talisman Saber 07 (TS07).
Viewing the eating area and the long queue for food it could be mistaken for being a mess in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere that Australians are serving with US forces.
Every meal ADF personnel are eating next to US Navy sailors and Marines, sharing stories, jokes and comparing life in the military.
WO Caterer 10FSB WO2 Kylie Crockett said the catering staff had been serving hundreds of meals a day.
“Our peak period will be in July, where we will be serving around 1500 meals, three times a day when the exercise will be over,” she said.
“The US troops will be coming back through here to have their liberty and we will stay back to feed them.”
The busy FMA kitchen has been running at a frenetic pace 24 hours, seven days a week with Air Force, Army and US catering staff.
“We have Air Force staff here from 382 ECSS Amberley, 383 ECSS Richmond, 321 ECSS Darwin and 381 ECSS at Williamtown,” WO2 Crockett said.
“We also have US Marines working with us. The Americans are the most polite people I think I have ever met, they have fitted in very well with us.”
Cpl Denis Walter, a cook from 382 ECSS at RAAF Amberley, said it was not the first time he had worked with the Americans.
“I worked with US forces in the kitchen at Tindal a few years ago,” he said.
“They are good and hard workers.”
To prepare for the exercise, a hefty amount of planning went into creating a large kitchen.
WO Steward 10FSB WO2 Stuart Thompson said the planning and kitchen set up was not an easy task.
“We got here as the advance party and weren’t sure of what equipment we would have here, as our catering platoon field equipment was being utilised on another exercise,” he said.
“So therefore we knew what we had and went through headquarters to request what we had to hire. What we could hire was in very short supply due to local mining companies, who use a lot of this equipment. We had a bit of a struggle when we got here and hit the ground running.”
To feed such a large number of US troops the perception would be to adapt a menu to serve their types of food and cook it a certain way, but WO2 Crockett said her kitchen staff had been cooking and serving Australian cuisine.
“They absolutely love our style of cooking and are really enjoying the food. The guys have heard nothing but good praise for it,” she said.
“We feed steak nearly every meal and the Americans would only receive that on a special day, such as a holiday.”
She said the Americans also couldn’t believe how well the Australian soldiers were rationed.
“The types of food we receive, what choices we have at all meals. They tell us they eat a lot of fatty foods and said they enjoy the variety of food we cook and serve,” WO2 Crockett said. Related Stories
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