Boosting morale one plate at a time
Army cook Private Aaron Blair prepared and delivered the first meal soldiers, sailors and aviators ate at Camp Clark, Solomon Islands, while the Australian contingent prepared for the Pacific Games.
CAPTION: Australian Army cook Private Aaron Blair prepares food for deployed personnel at the Camp Clark deployable kitchen at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Story by Major Roger Brennan. Photo by Leading Seaman Jarrod Mulvihill.
“The team’s been on ration packs for over a week now, so it’s time to boost morale and serve up a storm,” Private Blair said.
About 25 tonnes of food has been flown in to Honiara so the contingent can be self-sufficient and not impact food supplies to local residents, or the 10,000 tourists and athletes attending the games.
Platoon Sergeant Anthony Stotz, of 10 Force Support Battalion, said being self-sufficient was key to the operation’s success.
“We want to reduce impact to the local community at all costs,” Sergeant Stotz said.
“We’ve set up cooking facilities that expand from two shipping containers, receive food from sustainment flights, and store up to 30,000 litres of potable water that’s desalinated and delivered to us from HMAS Choules.”
The contingent is providing assistance to the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force and Australian Federal Police.
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