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Smart cookies
By FLGOFF Skye Smith
Volume 49, No. 12, July 12, 2007 |
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STIR IT UP: Cooks CPL Scott Atkinson and LAC Wayne Stokes (background) from 323ECSS whisk into action at the RAAF Base Townsville’s airmen’s kitchen during Exercise Talisman Saber.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso |
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Working on the dictum that “an army marches on its stomach”, CPL Scott Atkinson and LAC Wayne Stokes from 323ECSS more than played their part in ensuring that participants on Exercise Talisman Saber put their best foot forward.
That smart saying is accredited to the immortal French military strategist, the “Little corporal” himself, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Serving up more than 34,000 meals during the three-week exercise, the two smart cookies from RAAF Base Townsville ensured that the troops got off on the right foot each day.
CPL Atkinson, 33, joined the Air Force as a cook in 1992.
It was the first time he had been involved in Talisman Saber, a biennial exercise that provided the RAAF with the opportunity to train with about 20,000 US Air Force, Navy and Marines, while focusing on the operational level planning and conduct of high-end warfighting.
About 7500 ADF personnel from around Australia also participated in the nation’s
largest exercise.
“It was interesting trying to come up with new menu ideas for the Americans who were there for the deployment,” CPL Scott said.
He helped prepare about 1800 meals each day during Talisman Saber, compared with the 300 he would cook in the normal course of his duties.
CPL Scott also prepared numerous meals for in-flight catering to feed the aircrew and passengers onboard the B707 tanker involved in the exercise.
The increased tempo in personnel and late shifts was challenging for the two cooks.
“But all the hard work paid off when you received a compliment for the meal you had just made,” CPL Scott said.
LAC Stokes, 25, grew up in Townsville and joined the Air Force as a cook in 2001.
It was also his first involvement in Talisman Saber.
“We had an American cook working with us, so it was interesting to see how they did things and to also learn about their culture,” LAC Stokes said.
“The hours can be demanding with an increased tempo and extra personnel.
“There were numerous tasks that we did everyday, such as food preparation, service and the fun stuff like making sweets,” he said. |
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