Jack-of-the-dust

Jack-of-the-dust is the traditional name for the cook in charge of the storeroom and refrigerators on a naval vessel. I served as the jack-of-the-dust on the USS Stein (DE 1065) during it's second Western Pacific cruise in 1974.

We usually didn't have time to check the delivery against the invoice, especially when the ship was underway. I'd check the delivery after the fact and adjust the invoice later.

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Jan. 8, 2010) -- Culinary Specialist 1st Class Tremayne Brown, from Tulsa, Okla., receives stores for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56). John S. McCain is one of seven ships assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 and is permanently forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Mike Mulcare.