Marines get messy during field mess
Submitted by: MCAS Iwakuni
Story Identification #: 200411420363
Story by Cpl. Anthony D. Pike



MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, Iwakuni (November 5, 2004) -- Food service Marines with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron took to Penny Lake in an all out cookout complete with cammie netting, service rifles and field stoves in place last week.


The Marines, about 44 in all, competing for the Major General W.P.T. Hill Memorial Award set up mess as if they were on deployment. The Hill award pits Marines from different units against each other in this annual Department of the Navy competition.


Although the results are not yet in for the competition, the leaders are proud of the Marine mess men and are sure their hard work did not go unnoticed.


“I think we did an outstanding job,” said Sgt. Benjamin Dudley, field mess noncommissioned officer in charge. “The Marines were very precise in their work and their performance was above and beyond what was asked of them.”


This was a first for some Marines. Having been assigned to a Marine Expeditionary Unit and deploying before, Lance Cpl. Fuqwa Richardson, mess man, has never set up a field mess hall.


“Setting up at Penny Lake was more of a field environment than I have had,” said Richardson, a Miami native. “Even when I was on a MEU we didn’t get off the ship. Getting a chance to do this I learned a lot more than I did on the MEU.”


Richardson also sees the training at Penny Lake as a valuable experience to have.


“You can get deployed at anytime,” he said, “you never know when you’ll need to go. Getting ‘hands on experience’ in the actual process teaches you a lot.”


Having covered many of the different aspects of setting up for a field environment such as security and setting up a mess hall, these Marines are more prepared for the future.


“You couldn’t ask for a better group of Marines,” said Dudley. “These Marines were great on the exercise and had no problem handling what we were giving them. They did everything I and the staff non commissioned officers asked of them.”




PFC John Partain checks the gauges before carrying the stove to the kitchen during the field mess, last week. Photo by: Cpl. Dave Boni

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn20...4?opendocument

Ellie