Food is central to every successful military mission, fuelling soldiers with the energy and focus required to perform tasks.
In the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), Lt. Agnes Adite embraces the vital role of catering officer for the Ugandan contingent, ensuring every soldier is well-fed and ready for duty.
“I am the one who manages the menu concerning the feeding. And another second role – the safety and hygiene of the kitchen,” Lt. Adite said.
She also ensures every meal reaches the soldiers, delivering food right to their guard posts.
“Catering is so important. It’s like I’m the mother of this unit. Because without catering, the operations cannot continue. There is a saying that without food in the stomach, a soldier cannot do an operation,” Lt. Adite said.
With the demands of the mission, and Somalia’s unpredictable operational environment, she makes sure troops are well-fed and prepared for the day.
A typical day kicks off in a whirlwind, with breakfast preparations starting before dawn, to ensure soldiers are energised before sunrise.
The chefs strictly follow a weekly meal plan that includes a range of dishes to ensure a balanced diet.
On this day, lunch features a hearty serving of ugali, packed and delivered to every soldier in the Halane Base camp.
For operational security, soldiers cannot gather in one place to eat. Only officers have designated dining areas, while the rest of the personnel eat at their posts.
“We don’t have the main mess for all these other soldiers, because their guard duties are at different points. So, we cook food, and then they come with the containers, we load them into the vehicle, we dispatch to the places where they’re working from,” Lt. Adite said.
For Lt. Adite, deployment in Somalia is a world apart from her home country Uganda. She oversees meals for more than a thousand military personnel, a challenge far greater than anything she faced back home.
Managing such numbers has pushed Lt. Adite’s leadership abilities to new heights. Her determination and vigilance keep her going, and timeliness of meals is non-negotiable. This ensures the troops are alert and prepared, especially when danger can strike without warning.
“We issue them food at the right time. Because mostly here in the mission area, we keep timings as, being in an operation area, we can be attacked anytime,” Lt. Adite said.
She builds unity and trust through regular meetings with her team of chefs and caterers, ensuring everyone delivers meals on time.
Lt. Adite is confident that the practical skills gained in Somalia, through in-mission trainings, mastering how to prepare diverse cuisines and learning how to plan meals for large groups, will launch her military career to new heights when she returns to Uganda after her tour of duty.
“I’ve added to the knowledge. I had to polish what I came with. So, at least by now, I know how to handle things in different sections, depending on the people I’m working with, because not all of us eat the same dishes here,” said Lt. Adite.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
