Fueling the fight day or night Published July 9, 2015 By Senior Airman Stephanie Morris Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "an Army marches on its stomach." This statement has rung true throughout the decades and is reflected in the Minot Air Force Base chef motto of "fueling the fight." The 5th Force Support Squadron missile chefs embrace this ideal by working day and night to provide nutritious and delicious foods to all site personnel, oncoming teams and distinguished visitors in the missile complex, said Senior Airman Larry Covington, 5th Force Support Squadron missile chef. The Capitol Heights, Maryland native explained, 10 hours a day for four days; is the typical schedule for chefs working in the missile field; however, they often work longer cooking and caring for the personnel at their missile alert facilities for up to 17 hours. On the first day in the field, Covington wakes up around 5:45 a.m. and reports to the main building by 7:00 a.m. After a quick meeting, he travels out to whichever site he is assigned to for that cycle. "We will do our shift change over, inventory and walk through to relieve the chef that was out here before us," Covington said. "Typically, we work 5:45 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. for breakfast, 10:45 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. for lunch then 4:45 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. for dinner." After each meal, chefs eat, clean and prepare for the next meal to be served. At the end of the day, most usually go to bed at approximately midnight and in the morning the whole process starts anew. Though the schedule and work cycle is demanding, Covington stated that there are many benefits to his job. "There are not a lot of difficult aspects of this job. It's tedious, yes, but what job isn't? If you're flexible and you can reason with your leadership, some of those stressors or difficult points in the job can be alleviated with a simple one on one conversation," Covington said. "My favorite part of the job is observing the different characters that stay on the site with you. It can get very hilarious very quickly. You can come from a bad day and find one story or thing that can turn your rough day into a good day in a single moment." In addition to their regular shifts, missile chefs are also expected to remain on standby in case they are needed to replace another chef who is unable to fulfill their duties. "Because anything can happen, such as a chef getting hurt or having a family emergency, you can get called in to fill the shift," Covington said. "Our leadership lets us know why we are pulling the shift, and 100 percent of the time it's for a valid reason. That's why it's important to be flexible, so you won't be caught off guard." When they're not busy preparing meals or policing their kitchen to ensure it is clean and in good order, chefs are able to converse with other Airmen working at the MAF or utilize amenities such as the study area or fitness room. "When I'm in the field, I often talk with the oncoming security forces team and get a feel of their personalities on my downtime," Covington said. "I also chat with the facility manager, practice boxing and kickboxing or do some exercises in Rosetta Stone for Spanish." Chefs are typically stationed in the missile field for an average of two years. They can then transfer back to the base dining facility, fitness center or lodging. Some chefs are also stationed in the missile complex before ever working on base, and it is their first experience cooking in the Air Force. "Even though you may not serve as many people as the dining facility, the situations during any meal period may change from three people for dinner to a surprising additional eight people from the tactical response force or maintenance," Covington said. "You are always on alert, ready to serve amazing food and make their rough shifts during the day or night a little bit easier on them." Missile chefs have some creative room to make the standard menu items special or even better than before, Covington said. Chefs can also bond with personnel from different career fields and gain a better understanding of others' occupations and schedules. Having spent approximately two years in the field, Covington is now a trainer and is able to pass on valuable lessons learned to new chefs such as Senior Airman Stephen Hale, 5th FSS missile chef. "As a missile chef, there is a lot more for me to learn then the dining facility, but in a smaller environment," the Sierra Vista, Arizona native remarked. "Learning all aspects of running and working in a kitchen while being away for about a week are probably the biggest differences, but so far it's not bad at all, and I like how close the personnel are out here. " Both Covington and Hale agreed that the most rewarding part of their job is hearing what their customers say about their food. "Nothing makes my day more than when someone compliments my food," Hale said. "That means I do my job and I do it well." Hale also offered advice to new chefs in the field, stating they should think of the MAF as a second home and make the best of their time in the field. His mentor Covington also echoed the sentiment that life in the MAF is what you make of it. "Be patient, and make this job your own," Covington said. "Find something that sets your mind at peace and you can go through your day to day operations like a breeze. Also, if you figure out what makes you smile, then it makes the day that much better."