Submarine cook in Afghanistan

ZUI this article from the Northwest Navigator:

The sign above the kitchen door reads, “GALLEY.” Although it’s more than 500 miles from the nearest ocean, it’s still the closest thing to a ship that a small group of sailors have in western Afghanistan.

When CS2 (SS) Class Timothy Wright came to Forward Operating Base Maimaneh, he was the only Sailor here. He was also the only cook. So the officer in charge of the FOB, Army Lt. Col. Robert Williams, put him in charge of the dining facility.

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There are few non-contracted military dining facilities in Afghanistan, and even fewer still being run by a sailor. For a Navy petty officer to operate an Army dining facility is positively unique, and Wright has a reputation for running a good one. He’s enjoyed it so much he extended his tour in Afghanistan to almost two years.

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Wright spreads Navy influence in ways that are sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle. A Navy flag hangs on the dining facilities wall, and signs around the FOB remind “Shipmates” to replace water in the refrigerators, and call smoking areas “Smoke Decks.” It’s starting to pay off. He’s even heard soldiers refer to the latrine as the “head.”