Posted on Aug 19, 2018
As a 92G, should I be wearing an NBC mask while cooking?
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I am currently in a training environment and we were ordered to don gas mask as they wear expecting a chemical attack. I was curious as to if this is a practical experience as the mask itself limits my vision which I find important in the kitchen
92G: Food Service Specialist
CBRN
Cooking
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
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I’ll take this one if I may... I crossed over from being an Infantryman to being a cook because my ears were blown out in Iraq. I was an E-6 at the time. I was put in charge of the mess section at my unit. I use to treat my Cooks like Soldiers as crazy as that sounds. Most really loved cooking and weren't use to be treated like Soldiers, and hated it too. Not only would I spot check them on their MOS but basic Soldiering skills and questions too. They use to tell me SSG Hutton, we are cooks, cooks cook. I would remind them, last I knew, we were all Soldiers. Don’t forget it. Soldiers first, then cooks. So if we have the opportunity to go train, we will...
I took them all out to the BDE hallway. With the pictures of all the fallen Soldiers from our unit. I said, you see those 4 there. Two of those were my Soldiers. Brett Michael Hershey and Norman Kyle Snyder. We were all J3 operations guys in Afghanistan. We had no business being out side the wire like you cooks. But one day I was asked to provide two extra guys for a security detail. Worst decision and day of my life. They all 4 were killed later that day by an anti tank land mine.
I went on to explain, there was one point when cooks didn’t cook much and definitely not overseas. They used the cooks to fill in for convoy security. So you see, whatever experience or training you can get. Regardless how unorthodox it may seem. Take it for what its worth. You never know when you may be asked to be a Soldier first.
http://www.rememberhersh.com
I took them all out to the BDE hallway. With the pictures of all the fallen Soldiers from our unit. I said, you see those 4 there. Two of those were my Soldiers. Brett Michael Hershey and Norman Kyle Snyder. We were all J3 operations guys in Afghanistan. We had no business being out side the wire like you cooks. But one day I was asked to provide two extra guys for a security detail. Worst decision and day of my life. They all 4 were killed later that day by an anti tank land mine.
I went on to explain, there was one point when cooks didn’t cook much and definitely not overseas. They used the cooks to fill in for convoy security. So you see, whatever experience or training you can get. Regardless how unorthodox it may seem. Take it for what its worth. You never know when you may be asked to be a Soldier first.
http://www.rememberhersh.com
Remember Hersh - Honoring the Life of Brett Hershey
Official Site honoring the life of Brett Michael Hershey
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SSG Christopher Conklin
like u SFC Hutton, i was a 19D. I went in to mess section and all my cooks what to was that "cook". They did not even to read a map. They said all need that.
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If you are cooking food, and a chemical attack occurs, should not all that food be thrown out? You would not serve, as it is now considered contaminated. Break out the MRE's.
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1SG (Join to see)
The common wisdom is after you don the mask, you complete the mission. It is even stated in the task description. That certainly applies in efforts that can still be accomplished while wearing the mask, regardless of how much more difficult it has become. Firing a weapon, driving a vehicle, tactical movements all come to mind.
But another valuable task is simply surviving. You may have to stop your cooking effort and conduct some manner of defensive activity until everything is sorted out, then it can be determined what to do with the food you were preparing. The chances are, unless the attack was dropped in top of your position (Mobile kitchen or DFAC, doesn't matter) you and your food will have escaped contamination. However, that will be up to your leadership to determine.
But another valuable task is simply surviving. You may have to stop your cooking effort and conduct some manner of defensive activity until everything is sorted out, then it can be determined what to do with the food you were preparing. The chances are, unless the attack was dropped in top of your position (Mobile kitchen or DFAC, doesn't matter) you and your food will have escaped contamination. However, that will be up to your leadership to determine.
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So by all means don't wear it, and then you can simulate the hurky-jerky om top of your stove as a Chem casualty.
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