p>MANDERIN, Haiti, - Normally, a hot meal for service-members working in austere conditions means warming up a Meal-Ready-to-Eat (MRE), a self-contained package that includes a dinner, dessert and a snack.
However, for the 500 troops of Task Force Kout Men currently serving in a New Horizons humanitarian exercise, chow time is a treat.
Sgt. First Class Mike Larey, a member of the Louisiana National Guard and owner of Louisiana Cooking Services in New Orleans, is serving his Cajun cuisine out of a 24-foot by 20-foot kitchen trailer.
"I look forward to seeing all the troops smiling when they come in here each night," said Larey, who trained for his third chef discipline, "Cajun and Creole," at Dragos in New Orleans. "My cooking staff takes great pride in the fact these Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen look forward to supper each night."
Larey wasn't always a cook in the Louisiana National Guard. He began his career in the military as an engineer and then became a truck driver.
He says he knows what it's like to run a shovel on a backhoe all day or drive a truck for long hours in the heat and humidity with no air-conditioning. "I also remember how nice it was to come in after a long day at work to a hot meal at night," said Larey.
He feels those memories are what drives him to continue to serve in the Louisiana Guard and to do his best to make sure every military member he feeds knows they are appreciated.
"I'm sure not doing this for the money," Larey said.