Ogden Cooks Serve Hot Meals in Iraq

Culinary specialists assigned to the amphibious transport dock USS Ogden (LPD 5) are cooking four daily meals aboard Iraq 's Al Basrah (ABOT) and Khawr Al Amaya (KAAOT) Oil Terminals for the Sailors assigned to Mobile Security Detachment (MSD) 71.

While serving as an afloat forward staging base (AFSB) for Commander, Task Group (CTG) 158.1 in the Northern Arabian Gulf, Ogden sent the cooks to live aboard the oil terminals to supplement MSD 71's previous daily routine of "meals on keels."

Previously, nearby coalition ships in CTG 158.1 would cook food aboard ship and transport the "meals on keels" to the oil terminals by small boats. Unfortunately, the food would often arrive cold and scrambled from the rough waters.

"The meals they were getting were cold and sloppy," said Cmdr. James Hruska, Ogden 's commanding officer. "So we took a look and decided we could actually cook on site. Some of our cooks volunteered, and they went over there on a seven-day rotation."

Now Ogden cooks like Culinary Specialist 1 st Class (SW) Creesencio Villanueva Jr. spend a week living and cooking on the platforms. A Navy culinary specialist for nearly 18 years, Villanueva has cooked on four ships and other shore commands before but never in a kitchen of this size.

"Cooking for 30 people instead of cooking for 700 people is a lot different. The only problem is the oven," Villanueva said. "It's a small one and it cooks so slow, so you have to start early just to get your products done on time."

Villanueva wakes up at 4:30 each morning on ABOT to start making the days' meals. There are several freezers of food to use in the creation of his daily meals, like beef and broccoli with rice.

"I volunteered for this because I want to gain experience on the platforms," he said. "To see what they do and what it is like over here."

In addition to experiencing life aboard the oil terminals, Villanueva has also greatly improved the quality of life for the MSD 71 Sailors working and living there.

"It has definitely improved morale amongst the crew members here," said Lt. Cmdr. Kenny Miller, Mobile Security Detachment 71's office in charge. "I think they like the idea of a fresh cooked meal that just came from the stove or out of the oven and hasn't been bounced around, mixed up or possibly dumped over during the course of lifting it onto the terminal. I see that as definitely a good measure of improving the quality of life on board the platforms."

"The meals are prepped a lot better," added Master-At-Arms 1 st Class (AW) Billy Carver, the leading petty officer for ABOT. "[The cook] can actually see what we need. He takes control of the stores. We have better stores than we've had since we got here. It's been more organized and the guys have gotten fed a lot better and there's not been as much waste in the process as well."

Despite cooking for a crew of thirty in a kitchen designed to cook for five, Villanueva said he's looking forward to the rest of his time here, cooking up good meals and some very content Sailors.

"They're so thankful for us being here," said Villanueva. "Compared to what they had before, it's a lot different now."

Source: U.S. Department of Defense

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