Congested inside a temporary galley, constructed within two conex boxes, John Conley leaned as close as possible to the stove top, allowing his fellow chef "Panini" Pete Blohme to get by him.

Conley reached to his side, pulled out a Ziploc bag full of red spices and began pouring them into a simmering pot. "I have a suitcase full of habaneros, ghost peppers, chipotle, New Mexico chili powder," said Conley, detailing the ingredients he brought with him.

As he mixed the spices into the dish, fellow chef Pete continued to run back and forth in the kitchen, cutting and frying tortillas, chopping vegetables and jesting with Conley. Pete adds to Conley's list of ingredients they brought. "I (brought) some self-rising flour, some baking powder and baking soda. No issues though," he states referring to bringing the ingredients from the U.S. to Romania, "(Customs) even put a little sign in the suitcase." He then jokingly adds, "Those big bags of white powder, I guess they were a little concerned."

Pete and Conley are both cooking professionals. Both own restaurants and they have been featured on television networks such as Spike, Bravo and Food Network. The two came to Naval Support Facility (NSF) Deveselu, Oct. 6-7, as part Navy Entertainment's Celebrity Chef Tour, "Messlords." This is the first visit to Romania for the chef's as well as Navy Entertainment. The base was established one year ago, and construction on the installation continues to progress.

As the permanent dining facility is not yet completed, these chefs had to improvise a little, doing their best to cook in temporary facilities. Facilities much smaller than the larger, professional kitchens they are used to. "It's like a little trailer," said Pete. "I wonder if a few months ago whether there were Toyota's being shipped in this," added Conley. This joking and friendly banter between the chefs appeared as much of a part of the cooking process as the ingredients, as the chefs gave their all to prepare the meals.

Arriving in the early afternoon Oct. 6, and departing around the same time the next day, the chefs prepared a total of four meals, all in less than 24 hours. A whirlwind of cooking, chatting with Sailors and serving up dishes, the chefs said that this is all part of the service they love to bring.

"It's to just, to just be of service," said Conley. "And to be asked to take our trade on the road and be of service to the men and women who are keeping the bad guys out. That's a blessing, and I don't' ever want to take that for granted. I won't ever take that for granted."

Assisting the chefs in the kitchen were Romanian contractors, who provide daily food services at the installation, as well as a few volunteer Sailors who wanted to see these professionals work up-close; one or two also hoping to get some culinary tips.

"It was really fun. I helped them out with grilling," said Petty Officer Second Class Anna Ecalnir. "I really wanted to know what they put in the burgers that made them taste so good, but I didn't get the recipe. The guys were amazing though, and it was a great time as we haven't had any visits like this here."

As the chef's brought food from the kitchen to the dining area, NSF Sailors and civilians were already lined up for the meal--a mix of the extremely famished as well as those desiring to get the first taste of the meal prepared by these widely talked about visitors. Conley and Pete then stepped behind the serving line and served up the dishes. All the while, they spoke with NSF Sailors and civilians and thanked each person for their service.

"Fortunately, we cook well enough to be able to come out and do this," said Pete. "It's an amazing, amazing privilege for us to come out and not to just give back, but to look in, to see your lives and how hard you all work: the commitment, the dedication."

As the first Navy shore installation since Everett, Washington, in 1987, NSF Deveselu was established Oct. 10, 2014, in south-central Romania. When completed, its mission will be to provide installation facilities, resources and services to support and enable the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System (AAMDS).

AAMDS is part of Phase II of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) to ballistic-missile defense in Europe and is scheduled to become fully operational later this year. Utilizing the U.S. Navy's proven at-sea missile defense capability adapted for shore application, the plan for EPAA builds on the Standard Missile-3 now deployed around the world.

Construction on a second AAMDF in Poland is expected to begin soon, with operational status scheduled in 2018.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, visit www.navy.mil/.