FLYING CHEFS IN GREEN

With a frying spatula in one hand and a ladle in the other, the soldiers don their aprons over their new pixelised combat uniform as they psyched themselves up for a challenge of a different kind.

Known as the "flying chefs", these men from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) help satisfy the hunger pangs of hundreds of soldiers who are away on overseas deployment.

Corporal (CPL) Muhammad Faizal Bin Abd Raman who reckons his best dish is nasi goreng kampung or fried rice in kampung style, finds that his love for cooking has served him well.

"You have to love cooking before you can cook for four to five hundred soldiers. Without the love for cooking, you can't cook well," said the supply assistant.

These trainees undergo a three-week Basic Food Handling Course where they learn to cook simple dishes in small servings. They also learn about the basics of working in the kitchen including kitchen safety, food preparation, and personal hygiene.

This is followed by a six-week Enhanced Catering Course where they are equipped with the skills of bulk cooking and are imparted the product knowledge of ingredients as well as being taught proper food storage.

However, not all supply assistants get the chance to attend the Enhanced Catering Course.

Only those who show commitment, interest, and who demonstrate exemplary performance and excellent conduct are selected to attend the course based on their superiors' recommendations.

Conducted twice a year, the Enhanced Catering Course only admits up to six candidates during each intake, with four to five vacancies already filled by the Food and Beverage managers from various SAF cookhouses each time.

For "flying chef" CPL Iman Bin Zailan, who returned from a three-week overseas deployment, he derives an immense sense of achievement from his job.

"When you cook in the jungle, you can feel that the atmosphere is something different. It's a once in a lifetime activity and even though it's quite tiring, at the end of the day, we are appreciated by the soldiers for the fresh rations," shared the supply assistant from Supply Hub (East).

"The troops were so happy, they asked for extra food!"

Once deployed overseas, the "flying chefs" have the Mobile Field Kitchen and the Mobile Field Refrigerator at their disposal when outfield.

Working in pairs, they need no more than 30 minutes to deploy and operate both equipment.

With the diesel-driven Mobile Field Kitchen, which allows for stir-frying, grilling, boiling, baking and the like, the chefs can cook simple dishes for between 250 to 300 soldiers (or the size of one company) within two hours.

The Mobile Field Kitchen is complemented by the Mobile Field Refrigerator comprising two freezers and two chillers which allow for food and rations storage of up to three days.

Indeed, the role of the "flying chefs" in ensuring that troops operate at their optimum while on overseas missions like Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations, cannot be underrated.

"When our soldiers are deployed overseas, without me and the other chefs, the soldiers would have nothing to eat so it's really important for us to be there. After their training, the soldiers are tired and hungry. The hot meals that we prepare for them will boast their morale," explained CPL Faizal, who completed his Enhanced Catering Course last month.

Currently, there are a total of 30 certified "flying chefs" in the SAF, who help ensure soldiers get served piping hot food no matter where in the world they may be.