Combat Cooks Keep Marines Energized, Happy

Defend America News ^ | Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis

[SandRat]

Combat Cooks Keep Marines Energized, Happy
Food Service specialists make sure everyone at Observation Post Falcons and other outposts have hot chow in their bellies.
By Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis 1st Marine Division OBSERVATION POST FALCONS, Iraq, Sept. 29, 2006 -- If the Marines can’t come to the mess hall, then the mess hall will have to come to the Marines. Food service specialists assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment set up a field-food facility so Marines can have a daily hot meal here. “If Marines don’t get a good meal, they don’t have the energy to complete their tasks,” said Cpl. Melvin D. Carson, Jr., a food service specialist with Headquarters and Service Company. The 26-year-old from Virginia Beach, Va., is one of three self-proclaimed “combat cooks” who serve with the battalion under Regimental Combat Team 5. Carson is the leader of the bunch. He and his men make sure everyone at Observation Post (OP) Falcons and other outposts have hot chow in their bellies. Carson and his cooks wake up every morning to prepare food like steak, eggs and hash browns for hundreds of Marines and sailors. It’s not so much a duty as it is a chance to help out those Marines facing hostile fire every day. The self-proclaimed 'combat cooks' look into a cooking pot at Observation Post Falcons, Iraq, Sept. 23, 2006. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis “It’s our honor to cook for Marines, whether they’re in the rear or in the front lines,” Carson said. He said the honor doesn’t come without a little sweating though. It’s a daily test of skill and leadership for Carson. “I had to prove that I can run things without my staff noncommissioned officer here,” he said. “I try to teach my guys how I do things so they can learn it and pass on what I do.” “I like cooking out here,” said Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Magnuson, also a food service specialist. “This gives me a chance to apply what I learned when I was training in cooking school.”	Food service specialists with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment are self-proclaimed 'combat cooks' who brought a chow hall to the field so Marines could have a hot meal between missions. All Marines serve under Regimental Combat Team 5 and will be conducting operations in the Habbaniyah area for seven months. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ray Lewis The 20-year-old from Puyallup, Wash., said it’s a hard-working but rewarding job. “Having them come back from chow and tell you chow was good feels good,” Magnuson said, “especially when I get a compliment on a certain food that I made for a large crowd. It makes me feel like I did what I was supposed to do.” Magnuson isn’t the only one who feels that way. The cooks have been told on many occasions how much the Marines enjoy their food. “They put love into the food, good portions,” said Cpl. Nicholas J. Lindsay, a squad leader in the battalion. The 22-year-old mortarman from Paramus, N.J., knows the importance of a wholesome meal after an operation. “Its one thing coming off patrol, tired and having a No.12 Meal, Ready-to-Eat,” Lindsay said. “But tasting steak and eggs or chicken parmesan deliciously seasoned makes that much difference.” Lindsay spends more than a week at a time here. He sees the work the combat cooks accomplish. “They take care and pride into what they do even though they cook for other OPs,” he said. “I have respect for them in every aspect.” The combat cooks stay humble. They’re just glad to make their fellow Marines happy. “It feels good to know that after sweating in the kitchen making food that they appreciate our meals,” Carson said.

[Sundog]

I love your attitude.

One of the sweetest memories I have of Vietnam (2 tours of combat duty) was coming off shift at midnight after a particularly tough day, and finding the mess hall still open and the cooks putting out a tray of the sweetest, finest, best baby back ribs I have ever had. To this day, every rib I eat is compared to those master pieces cooked up on the gunline of Vietnam.

Stay sharp.

[ReignOfError]

>I've been picking them from my garden all week. Trouble is I have no use for more than about 3 of them. As much as I like spicey food 3 or 4 is about a years supply.

I once found habañero peanut brittle at a local store, and it was fantastic. You could to a little experimenting with other spicy sweets; it's a good and unusual combination.

[EricT.]

Q: Why are women's feet smaller than a man's feet?
A: So they can stand closer to the stove.

Q: How do you fix a woman's watch?
A: You don't. There is a clock on the stove.

I swear my wife thought they were funny.

[Lurker]

I fed a former SecAF with just my knife kit bundle and a light colonel and a debit card

Isn't there some kind of regulation against feeding Lt. Colonels to Secretaries of the Air Force? I figure you either got busted a pay grade or the Secretary gave you a medal.

L