Field Feeding Company Activates

By Sgt. Elizabeth WhiteMarch 6, 2019

The 287th Quartermaster Company, Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division Sustainment Brigade activated during a ceremony Feb. 20, 2019 at Ft. Stewart, Ga. The company is the fourth one to activate as part of a new Army initiative to consolidate field feeding assets for ease of garrison, field and deployed culinary support.

The 287th QM, also known as the Field Feeding Co., is responsible for manning the dining facilities (DFACs) on Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., the Culinary Outpost Kiosk, food trucks and providing teams of culinary specialists for training exercises or deployments. It consists of approximately 140 culinary specialists (92Gs) that make up eight field feeding teams that rotate between garrison DFACs and field training operations.

"[The Army] consolidated 92Gs from units across 3rd Inf. Div. and anytime units want to go out to the field and have a hot meal versus a Meal, Ready-to-Eat, they'll request support," said Capt. Simon Johnstone, the commander of 287th QMC. "From a command and control perspective it makes it a lot easier to have one commander and first sergeant overseeing the 92G population, both in the dining facilities and for field feeding."

By having all of the 92Gs under one roof, unit leadership can create training that caters specifically to their Soldiers' needs.

"We still have our basic Soldier skills that we continue to work on so Soldiers can continue to grow," said Staff Sgt. Warren Dudley, a noncommissioned officer in charge of a field feeding team with the 287th QM. "We also have field feeding and 92G tasks that we have to accomplish and a lot of that entails being able to set up and tear down a field site, making sure that Soldiers know standard operating procedures and regulations and making sure they are trained and proficient to be able to provide quality meals."

With the creation of the field feeding company, cooks in the division are organized and trained feed dog face Soldiers whether they are in garrison, field or deployed environments.