FORT STEWART, Ga. As the trucks roll in from the field, the smell of freshly cooked prime rib greets the dusty Soldiers of the 26th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. Looking forward to a hot meal, they quickly wash up at the hand washing station and then line up for chow. The "92 Golfs" - cooks in plain Englis - are there to meet them, serving prime rib, mashed potatoes, and peas and carrots.
Sergeant First Class Michael Aten is the noncommissioned officer in charge of ensuring all the Soldiers in 26th BSB get the fuel they need to complete the mission. He works with four other Soldiers to ensure that the Soldiers get the best meal possible.
"This guy is only constrained by his imagination!" said Lt. Col. James Kazmierczak, commander of the 26th BSB.
Officially, the Army provides a rotating menu of seven breakfasts and 14 dinners, but the creativity of Aten and the other 92Gs greatly improves on the set rotation said Kazmierczak.
Food is a big part of morale out in the field, and Aten and his crew take their responsibility very seriously. They consistently go the extra mile to ensure Soldiers have the best experience possible. Their efforts include garnishing dishes, slicing meat at the serving line and providing snacks and other goodies to the Soldiers in a tent open 24 hours a day.
Sergeant Juan Palacios said that the food has enhanced his time in the field.
"My favorite was the steak and eggs for breakfast," he said. Palacios went on to explain how he had taken a piece of cheesecake and placed it a cup to create a "cup cake."
"The tacos are awesome!" said Spc. Edwin Hernandez-Gunn while lining up for dinner.
Aten enjoys his job, especially keeping Soldiers well-fed.
"There's a lot of favorite parts," he said. "When all the people say 'outstanding chow,' it really boosts the Soldiers' morale."
Their day starts at about 5 a.m. when they begin making the breakfast they laid out the night before. Soldiers begin eating at 6 a.m. and have a variety of things to choose from including fresh fruit, oatmeal and grits.
Meals are prepared in a mobile kitchen trailer. Inside the MKT are several burners running on jet propellant 8. Atop the burners that heat large rectangular pots cooking several different portions of a unitized group ration. The UGRs contain a well-balanced meal consisting of a meat, starch and vegetable.
Every MKT can serve approximately 250 meals but can more than double that when 2 MKTs work in tandem or when a company-level field feeding system is attached. The MKT also has tactical improvements that allow it to be used down range in a blackout situation.
In blackout situations, curtains are attached to keep the light needed to prepare the meal and to conceal the location of the MKT.
"It gets very, very hot, like a sauna," remarked Aten.
The 92Gs will take their MKT wherever the fight is to ensure that Soldiers get the food needed to be effective in combat. They also work hard to ensure that each Soldier is getting a good meal and a personal experience
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