"First Class" Food Service

Back during my shipboard years, Navy FSAs were called mess cooks, the equivalent of the Army K.P. This story is re-printed from the July/August 2006 issue of The Navy Supply Corps Newsletter.

Story and photo By Photographer's Mate Airman Paul Polach, USN

Whether it’s scrubbing pans, wiping tables, or washing dishes, food service attendants always put in a full day’s work. They spend long hours on the mess decks and in the galley feeding their
shipmates aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4), and usually, this includes advancement exam season as well.

However, Boxer’s 1st Class Petty Officer Association decided to step up and help these junior Sailors out by serving in their place the day of the exam, giving the FSAs time to relax and get a good night sleep before taking the test.

AO1 (AW/SW) Jacques Beaver, Boxer’s FCPOA President, noted, “Serving chow, washing dishes, wiping tables, and replacing trays and silverware is one of the hardest jobs in the Navy ... my hat goes off to everyone who has worked the mess deck.”