Most junior Sailors stationed on a ship know at some point during their tenure aboard, they will spend time away from their work center to serve as a food service attendant.

Sailors from different departments aboard Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57) change out their normal tools and hard hats for serving utensils and gloves to serve food to the Sailors aboard the ship.

While being a food service attendant may not be something Sailors always look forward to, it is an integral part of the ship and helping the Sailors working aboard through all different hours of the day and night.

"Food service attendants can be assigned in the galley and different mess decks serving food, cleaning tables, and making sure there are enough silverware and cups for Sailors coming to eat chow," said Petty Officer 1st Class Christian Fountain, food service attendant master-at-arms aboard Lake Champlain. "They also serve in the scullery and deep sink to ensure the dishes, trays, and cookware are all properly cleaned and sanitized for their next use; we are all out here together and we don't want anyone to become ill."

Due to the limited number of Sailors a ship can safely house, up to 15 food service attendants each serve for 90 days to assist in many of the areas which do not have enough Sailors to effectively complete all of the work needed to be done in a small amount of time.

"With some Sailors working during the day and others not starting work [until] the sun has already gone down, we are a ship that runs 24 hours a day," said Master Chief Petty Officer Danielle Gunsett, command master chief of Lake Champlain. "We need to make sure everyone has the chance to eat and that we have enough trays, cups, and utensils for everyone."

Work days start before most Sailors are even awake to make sure everything is ready for breakfast, and can go late into the evening so everything is clean and ready for the following day. With the long hours, it can be difficult to find time to complete qualifications, stay up-to-date on equipment, or even watch a movie to relax.

"A lot of times, people go through their day and don't think about the hours these Sailors are putting in to make sure everyone gets fed, and the hundreds of dishes get cleaned so they can be used in a couple hours for the next meal," said Gunsett. "You are such an important part of our day-to-day operations, and we really would not be able to do what we do without all of you and your tireless effort. I can't express enough how thankful I am to all of the Sailors who help us out by serving as a food service attendant."

Lake Champlain is underway with Carrier Strike Group 1, aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), USS O'Kane (DDG 77), USS Dewey (DDG 104), USS Sterett (DDG 105), USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112), and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 78 in preparation for an upcoming deployment.

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