Published: December 02, 2008
Dagger Inn Displays Pride in Serving Soldiers
By Sgt. Brian Tierce
2nd HBCT PAO, 1st Inf. Div., MND-B
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq - Celebrating Thanksgiving in a foreign country is a reality Soldiers have to face from time to time. For a group of Soldiers whose job is to feed these Soldiers, making the best of this day is what it's all about.
Food service Soldiers from the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, not only displayed a sense of pride in their dining facility, Dagger Inn, but they also received a runner-up award for best decorations for a large dining facility.
"We are happy with runner-up as our cooks took over the DFAC with just 12 days to develop a Thanksgiving theme and put together all of the display ideas," said Warrant Officer James Miles, command food technician, 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div. MND-B. "Once we developed a plan with our KBR (Kellogg, Brown and Root) counter-parts, everyone scrambled to find the necessary materials; home depot is not around the corner."
A snapshot of one of the many displays set up by food service Soldiers of the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad on Camp Liberty. The Soldiers took home a runner up trophy for the large dining facility category in Thanksgiving dining facility decorations.(U.S. Army Photo by Warrant Officer James Miles, 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div. MND-B)
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With the plan developed, the Soldiers had little time to waste to get their work space ready for the upcoming event. Even though the Soldiers were putting in a lot of hours to ready the facility for Thanksgiving, they were aware of the importance of the occasion.
"We're trying to bring up the morale of the Soldiers in 2nd Brigade and all the other brigades that are on Camp Liberty," said Sgt. 1st Class Demetrius Jackson, 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div. MND-B, Dagger Inn manager. "We're putting this together to show the Soldiers how much we appreciate them."
Once the meal was underway, it was obvious from the first Soldier through the door that the Soldiers were impressed by not only the displays set up by the staff, but also by the quality of the Thanksgiving meal they were served.
Members of the Dagger Inn staff receive their runner up certificate on Camp Liberty. The Dagger Inn took home runner up in the large dining facility category even though its Soldiers had just twelve days to plan and execute the decorations.(U.S. Army Photo by Warrant Officer James Miles, 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div. MND-B)
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"When it all came together right before the meal and everyone was buzzing around and double checking everything, I was amazed at the look on the faces of our Soldiers, who were smiling and taking pictures; they were really enjoying themselves," added Miles.
With the Thanksgiving holiday in the rear-view mirror, the runner up trophy will serve as a reminder that the food service Soldiers are accomplishing their mission. They serve to make sure the men and women of the U.S. military are taken care of and they also serve to take care of each other.
Soldiers from the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division - Baghdad, enjoy Thanksgiving in the Dagger Inn on Camp Liberty. The Dagger Inn took home a runner up certificate in the large dining facility category for Thanksgiving decorations.(U.S. Army Photo by Pfc. Jamie Mannion, 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div. MND-B)
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"Even though we're in another country we're still among friends and all the people we're close to right here, right now," said Jackson.
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