TETERON BAY, Trinidad and Tobago – When it comes to succeeding in the field, it starts in the kitchen. At TRADEWINDS 25 (TW25), fueling the force is a mission of its own, with the culinary specialists often being the first ones up and the last to rest, delivering the energy that powers over 1,000 troops through 18 grueling days of training, partnership building, and multinational operations.
Tasked with this critical responsibility is a small but mighty team working around the clock to keep the multinational force ready for the fight: the 5001st Field Feeding Company, 167th Theater Sustainment Command, Alabama Army National Guard (ALANG).
“We have 20 personnel who feed everyone,” said Sgt.1st Class Antione Collins, the field feeding non-commissioned officer-in-charge . “So it’s definitely a tough task.”
The unit is divided into two locations that house the troops who require over 1,800 pounds of food to be prepared each day.
To make that happen, work begins long before sunrise and continues well into the night.
We start preparing breakfast at 2:30 a.m. so it’s ready to serve by 6 a.m.,” said Collins. “As soon as breakfast is over, we get right to work preparing dinner.”
In addition to meals served on-site, the team also delivers food to troops training in the field using mermite containers to ensure they have a hot meal while training.
One of the Soldiers helping meet the demands of the mission is squad leader Staff Sgt. Robriesha Moore-Jones, who has served in the unit for 12 years. She said that she enjoys the challenge of keeping the troops fed.
“This is the first time I have done something like this in this capacity,” she said. “But it went pretty well the first day with only a few hiccups.”
Prior to the exercise, a team of ALANG Soldiers set up the field kitchen, enabling arriving field culinary specialists to hit the ground running once the exercise began.
Moore-Jones said she looked forward to seeing all the different cultures come together and giving her Soldiers real-world field experience.
“For me, it is exciting seeing the different cultures work together,” said Moore-Jones. “And for my Soldiers to see what being in the field is really like because some of them haven’t been in the field since advanced individual training.”
Collins reflected that serving as a culinary specialist offers a refreshing change from his civilian job as a network administrator.
"Being a culinary specialist in the National Guard gives me a break from my day-to-day work as a network administrator. It’s a totally different pace—more hands-on,” said Collins.
“There’s something really satisfying about cooking for the team and seeing people enjoy the meal you made."
He calls TW25 an opportunity for him and his Soldiers to put their skills to work on an international stage.
“We usually feed the company during drill weekends, so for us to be able to do something during a multinational, multidomain exercise like TW25 is great,” said Collins.
“We’re not just feeding the Army, or National Guard. There are the Marines and the Coast Guard as well as other nations here. It’s a good experience.”
It has also been a morale boost for those receiving the meals, including Missouri Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Nadia Porter, with the 735th Quartermaster Company, who has spent long days setting up logistical support facilities for the entire exercise.
“We’ve been operating at the laundry and shower point since the morning, supporting the exercise’s sustainment mission,” said Porter.
"Having a hot meal at the end of the day keeps spirits high and gives us something to look forward to!”
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