CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE HUNTER, Iraq—A little bit of home made its way to a remote base in southern Maysan Province Nov. 1 as Soldiers tested their skills with a barbecue competition.
Despite unexpected downpours, violent wind gusts and hail, a Sunday afternoon that might have otherwise been lost to inclement weather served instead as a cloudy backdrop for a delicious contest at Task Force Saber.
“‘If it ain’t rainin’ we ain’t trainin,’ said Capt. Rick Cook, attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment, “but seriously, the competitors really came through and cooked up some scrumptious dishes under less than favorable conditions.
“The rain was just a challenge they needed to overcome to win,” said the operations officer from Chicago. “Once they got on a cooking glide path, everything really fell into place.”
Soldiers used closely-guarded spice and sauce combinations from their home towns, some getting their secret ingredients from as far as Washington and Georgia. They hovered over charcoal and flames as they turned otherwise average ribs, steaks and chicken into personalized, mouth-watering, culinary creations.
The competition’s judges, spearheaded by Squadron Operations Sergeant Major, Sgt. Maj. Steve Lewis, from Brooklyn, based their appraisal of quality on factors including taste, texture and presentation.
“The seasonings used by Battle (“B” Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment) were probably the best,” said Lewis. “They weren’t planning on sharing their secret recipe though,” he added after a pause.
Teams spent the final minutes of the competition perfecting their presentations, using each second to make memorable first impressions. Leading the way in overall presentation, “B” Troop pulled out all the stops: silver plates with matching cutlery created a sight no judge could ignore. “We certainly took presentation into account while assessing the entries,” said Lewis.
Experience paid off as the overall winner, Border Transition Team Tribal – led by the team Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, Master Sgt. Michael Grimes, from Kennewick, Wash. – used just the right blend of seasoning, mixed with a little personal touch and a dash of experience, to push its dishes into victory lane.
By the end of the competition, a broad representation of victors emerged, including “D” Troop, 2nd Squadron, 13th Cavalry Regiment for best ribs, “B” Troop for best chicken, and “B” Company, 4th Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment for the best steak.
From soup to nuts, what would have otherwise been simply the first rainy day of the year was instead a day filled with great food and music, friendly competition and team-building. With founded bragging rights in hand, barbecues on Contingency Operating Site Hunter will never be the same.
