Operation SLIPPER: Stories from Afghanistan
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Stories from Afghanistan
A soldier's best friend
Australian Army cooks at Patrol Bases around Oruzgan Province in Afghanistan are proving to be the soldiers’ best friends.
The soldiers, part of the second rotation of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2), have been enjoying fresh food daily after an influx of Australian cooks.
One of the cooks is 34 year old Corporal Leon Brown. His cooking skills have proven a hit with the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) at Forward Operating Base Mirwais in Chora, north of Tarin Kowt.
“Here at the patrol bases we are very much appreciated due to the fact that before we got here, a lot of the members were eating ration packs, so now with us here, we can control their nutritional needs, as we cook at least on efresh meal a day,” said Leon.
“The lads go out, they patrol half the day out in the hot sun, walking around and they know when they get back they are going to get a good feed,”
“Some lads patrol a lot longer than others, so we need to take that into mind, carb load the night before, when they get back give them more carbs to replenish everything that they’ve used throughout the day.”
Leon says the cooking conditions are pretty primitive but he gets by.
“We try and get fresh fruit and veg in, but because it comes in once a week and our storage is a bit of a problem, we try and pump out the fresh fruit and veg within the first three to four days, get everyone’s vitamins and minerals up,” he said.
“Then we can start slipping in a few comfort foods, such as hamburgers, there is not a lot of nutritional value there but it’s kind of a morale boost so everyone’s pretty happy with that now and again.”
Leon and the other cooks rotate between bases around the province.
“Day to day we cook for the OMLT, but every now and again a combat team will come through doing what they do, so we try and feed them twice a week because they’re on ration packs the rest of the time,” said Leon.
This is Leon’s second military deployment. He served in Timor Leste in 2006 for four months.
“I’ve found my time on this deployment especially rewarding because it’s the first time in ten years in the Army that I’ve actually felt very appreciated and we’ve been able to really knuckle down and do our job to the best of our ability and really improve on our skills,” Leon said.
Operational Mentor and Liaison Team Officer Commanding, Major Brenton Russell, is enjoying the food on offer.
“The food has certainly come a long way since the Australians have been here, we now have a cook at every patrol base, and whilst it may not necessarily be what your mum makes you at home, it’s certainly a lot better than the past when we’ve had to eat ration packs each day,” said Major Russell.
“Last night we had a really good feed of roast pork ribs, which were fantastic and I’ve got to admit we’re pretty lucky with the cook we’ve got here at the moment,” he said.
It’s not just the soldiers at Patrol Bases who will benefit from some good Australian cooking. The ten additional ADF cooks that were deployed earlier this year will improve the menu at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ripley in Tarin Kowt. These cooks supplement the cooks supporting the Patrol Bases around Oruzgan Province.
The ADF is continuing to improve the catering facilities at FOB Ripley through the development of a new kitchen facility and enhancements to the quality and style of food on offer.
It’s expected the new kitchen, which will be operated by civilian caterers with oversight from ADF cooks, will be operating by December 2009.
“I guess we are very popular at the moment because before then the food was a bit of a drama and now that we are here, we’re kind of a morale boost,” said Leon.