Chefs nourish MAF members, boost morale

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jessica McConnell
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MISSILE COMPLEX, N.D. --  When they aren't slicing and dicing, they are stocking the shelves and placing orders for more food items. These men and women don't just cook for their fellow Airmen - they sustain missile field Airmen, create a sense of home, and promote morale through their cooking.

These men and women are chefs assigned to the 91st Missile Wing, a wing responsible for defending the United States by operating, maintaining and securing a fleet of 150 Minuteman III missiles located in underground launch facilities. These Airmen chefs are charged with the responsibility of feeding the teams living and working out at missile sites located across the North Dakota plains.

Included in these teams are security forces members, maintainers, facility managers and missile combat crew members. These teams travel out to the missile sites and stay there for days at a time, depending on their specific job.

One would be remiss to not acknowledge just how important the chefs are to these teams. While talking with the other Airmen staying out at the missile sites, it was easy to see just how much they depended on their chefs for more than just eating - but also for a sense of comfort.

These chefs take their jobs seriously. One of them, Staff Sgt. Brandon Rowe, 741st Missile Squadron missile chef, said he believes his job is important because of the people he provides services to.

"I'm feeding people who need energy to perform a hard job out here," said Rowe. "I especially like it because I know my food makes people happy."

Rowe said he usually stays pretty busy. Breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m., lunch at 11 a.m., and dinner at 5 p.m.

"I usually try and get there a half hour early to set up and get everything prepped," he said. "We are charged with conducting inventory of all items twice while on tour, which is usually done on changeover days and the day before."

Chefs must document what foods are needed on the second night of the tour, where the incoming chef will then bring in the food that was ordered.

"Once the incoming chef arrives, both of us will go through all the items together to ensure the right amount of food was delivered," Rowe continued.

Chefs also deliver food down to the underground Launch Control Center where missile combat crew members work and live, as they conduct their constant alert.

Staff Sgt. Charles Todd, 741st MS site senior missile chef, likes his job, for more reasons than one.

"I like my job because I get to interact with everyone out here," said Todd. "I also really like it because I can get creative. I have multiple specials, to include a beef philly and a quesadilla and salsa wrap."

Todd says he feels the chef position is an important one because he provides nourishment while improving and boosting morale.

Staff Sgt. Ashley Sakurai, 741st MS missile chef, especially likes to use food as a morale booster.

"Sometimes I'll buy special food to make out at the Missile Alert Facility," said Sakurai. "It's nice to just make a lot of food that usually everyone will eat. I like to sit with everyone and talk during a meal. It really does help boost morale by creating more of a home-cooked meal."

Chefs are charged with a very important responsibility while supporting the missile wing mission - to feed those MAF team members, who are responsible for maintaining this nation's ability to deter enemies. This, according to the MAF team, is a very important job, a job that the alert facility just simply could not do without.