The Last Journey
Article #20 “Soup’s On!”
Once in a while there are
folks that are really hidden in their professions but known on a daily basis by
everyone, usually three times a day, and often more than that. This is one of those stories that I feel I
have to do because it directly affected me, every single day I was at FOB
Boris. This is about the two folks that
served me breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday.
And they did it with a smile and they made do with what they had on
hand. There is no way I could not say
something about these folks at the DFAC at forward operating base
Boris, in Paktika province, Afghanistan.
Sgt. Skeene, from
I interviewed on audio Sgt.
Skeene and asked him many questions about his job. He was not always a cook in the Army. He’s been an infantryman prior to
this. He knows first hand how important
a well fed soldier is to a strong Army.
He told me some things about his family, his background being from
Whenever I sit down to eat, I
have always taken time to thank the Lord for having something to eat, wherever
I am. At FOB Boris, it was no
different. But there I was very thankful
to have something to eat and more than thankful for how good the food was. Asking around I found out that everyone there
pretty much felt the same way I did.
They all knew there are times that pickens are slim, but for the most part all the young soldiers I
sat with were thankful and well satisfied for a good meal and a full belly at
FOB Boris.
Right from the start, I noticed
that the one cup of coffee I started my day with each day, happened to be
basically, a perfect cup. I’ve had
many cups of coffee across the globe, but here, the coffee seemed just right. Smooth, hot, not too strong, not too weak, a
good coffee taste and always available.
I asked Sgt. Skeene what the heck the trick was to the coffee. He smiled and simply said, “you have to
keep the pot clean after each use, and you have to clean it well”. It works.
I can testify to that.
One day, we had spagetti and
had a choice of meet sauce or marinara sauce.
I chose the latter and just had to have a second helping. Now, the Italian side of me loves spagetti
and I happened to toss a little tabasco sauce on it and it hit the spot right
on target. Sgt. Skeene came up to me and
asked if I wanted to try some home made chicken Alfredo. Now I was already stuffed to the max and just
could not put another bit in. He asked
again and assured me that it was good, he had made it from scratch. I declined because I am trying hard to stick
to my diet. But the fact that he offered
and showed such a desire to prepare a fine meal unders such harsh condtions
really impressed me. I really enjoyed
eating at Skeene’s DFAC. Each time
I went in there I made it a point to thank both he and Pvt. Stone for their
efforts. A small thank you goes a long
ways in these parts.
Then there was the one day
the totally flabergasted me.
Lobster. I could not believe
it. It had been prepared just right and
not overdone like I had seen in other places in years past. It was perfect. Although I do not put the butter sauce on
anymore, the lobster I had was still perfect.
The plentiful rice and veggies that day just took my breath away. It was by far the best meal I had in
I could go on and on about
this dining facilty and its crew but like the facility itself, good things come
in small packages. What I know of this man’s
accomplishments in the food arena is that the Captain has asked that Sgt.
Skeene be taken with him if they ever get moved to another location. I’m obviously not the only one who
noticed a good thing when it’s right in front of them. I think back to the photo of the fallen
soldier, Cpl. Jeremiah Cole and his smiling face upon entering the DFAC. I’m glad it’s there. I think it is just right for that place. I always walked into that DFAC with a smile
on my face and left with a bigger smile.
I wish one day his family would know what blessing their soldier’s
photo is to visitors like me.
Jim Spiri
mailto:jimspiri@yahoo.com?subject=The
Last Journey