FORT POLK, La. -- While Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team and supported units conduct training at the Joint Readiness Training Center here, they will not have to worry about getting fed because someone has that covered.
There are more than 6,000 Soldiers at the March JRTC rotation. Soldiers of 2nd BCT are joined by members of 109th Military Intelligence Battalion from Fort Lewis, Wash.; 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, Combat Aviation Bri-gade from Fort Riley, Kan.; and 48 Security Force Assistance Teams that have Soldiers from all over the country.
"This JRTC rotation is much larger than previous rotations. Most rotations use (civilian) contracted feeding instead of (military) field feeding," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sarah E. Carter, 2nd BCT food service adviser. "We are different in the fact that we are almost 50/50 with field feeding and contracted feeding."
Food preparation has evolved since Soldiers started arriving at Fort Polk. In the beginning, all cooked food was prepared by contracted food service. Once equipment and vehicles were dis-
tributed among the companies, the mobile Containerized Kitchen was put into use.
"The first week we arrived (at) JRTC, we signed for nine dining facilities on north Fort Polk and used contracted food service to cook and distribute meals," Carter said. "As of March 11, we started field feeding, so we currently have five DFACs that are supporting three contracted forward operating bases and three FOBs have military cooks preparing food from a field kitchen."
All food arrives at the field kitchen through the Troop Issue Substance Activity warehouse, where Soldiers from A Company, 210th Brigade Support Battalion sort through the Unitized Group Rations for distribution to the FOBs with field kitchens.
"The Soldiers from Alpha Company are doing a great job counting out the correct rations for each FOB and getting it ready for transport," Carter said.
Military cooks feed the Soldiers on FOB Spirit. They set up their area so they can prepare the meals in the Containerized Kitchen and serve in the dining tent. They have a lot of experience working in the field, but this is the first time at JRTC for most.
"The majority of the food service Soldiers here have not been to JRTC," said Sgt. Damon Waters, food service noncommissioned officer assigned to E Company, 210th BSB. "They have never experienced this type of field situation, but they will get a lot of good training under different weather conditions and an ever-changing environment that JRTC provides."
Food service Soldiers may not kick in doors, conduct surveillance or blow things up, but they have their challenges and work hard to support the overall mission.
"The main challenge is dealing with time and making sure we are able to get everything done before we start serving the meals," Waters said. "We have to make sure we work cleanly, quickly and work as one so we get our side of the mission done and accomplished well."
A typical meal schedule for Soldiers in the field is a hot breakfast, Meal Ready-to-Eat for lunch and a hot dinner.
"When Soldiers are in the field, the MRE is served for lunch," Carter said. "If the cooks had to prepare three hot meals a day, they would have no down time."
Throughout the training exercise, military cooks, civilian contractors and the brigade food service adviser will make sure everyone is fed as long as they are counted.
"The greatest challenge feeding this many Soldiers is getting an accurate head count," Carter said. "Head count is the foundation of everything, because I need to know how many Soldiers are at each FOB so I can send out the correct amount of food."
Spc. Jordon Long, a multitransmission system operator and maintainer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, has been counted, and he said he appreciates the military cooks' warm food on FOB Warrior.
"I do not mind eating the military cooks' food," Long said. "I have to eat something, and it is better than eating an MRE all the time."
Social Sharing