Military Cooks

The Military cook is one of the most important military jobs for a lot of reasons. Military cooks are some of the hardest working people, and they work some of the longest hours in the military. I spent five years in the Navy and have spent many more than that in the Army. The cooks have always seemed to me to work the longest hours, and they have to put up with a whole lot more negativity than a soldier in combat. If it was not for them, no soldier in combat or any MOS would be able to perform their duties in any capacity. I learned a long time ago that there are two people in the military you don’t want to make mad—finance and cooks!

Military Cooks Don’t Just Flip Burgers

If you think a cook just flips a burger or microwaves some bacon, you’re wrong. They’re up long before reveille preparing meals for hundreds and sometimes even thousands. They’re constantly on the go with very little rest or down time. These dedicated military members are committed to provide us all with the proper nutrition to perform our duties at a high level. It’s either that or try eating (or should I say force feeding yourself) an MRE. If you ask anybody, unless they have some real issues, they’ll tell you the DFAC meals are way better than a cold chili mac.

Who Has the Best Cooks?

Well it may be wrong of me to pick who the best cooks in the military are. But since I have served in the Navy and Army and eaten in DFACs in the Air Force, Army, and Navy, I must say the Navy has them all beat. In my time in the Navy, I ate well on a ship and in the chow hall on base. The Navy really does a fantastic job of feeding the military! The mess specialist job may not be glorious, but their importance is the same as a soldier serving in combat. Sure, they may stay on base and never fire their weapon. However, they make sure you can by giving you proper nutrition and hydration. If you want to talk about long hours, when I was in the Navy, a mess specialist typically worked about 14 to 16 hours a day and sometimes longer.

Thank Them All

I would like to say thank you to all the cooks and mess specialists that are serving in the military. Your job is seldom appreciated, and you sometimes deal with a lot of whining soldiers that don’t show you the gratitude you deserve. I for one am very thankful for the job you do and for the dedication and commitment you have. You all have earned and deserve more than a thank you. Without you no battle or war would be won, and no soldier or sailor or military member would be successful without you. You feed the military, and you win battles without ever stepping foot on the battlefield. We succeed because you feed.