Quartermaster Supply Operations - US Army Combined Arms Center ...

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Theater was distinctly a success. In addition to their
normal function of instruction, mess teams took hold of
several major messing Jobs and carried them through to
success. Sone exonples are:
men supplying hot food to refnforceuonts
enroute by train became a problez, the
pilot models of the kitchen care were
designea and built by the ceasing organi-
zation, The troop train ffienu wes dcnonstrnted
in actual use by G ness team
which mde several troop train trips.
Mess tsoms did much of the pioneer work
in opening messas in the huge staging
ore23 in late Dscenber 1944, Januaryand
February 1945.
Xess tenns were called upon to solve
the almost inconceivable messing problems
encountered in receiving German
prisoners of war in temporary enclosures
with no equipment whutsoever.
After VE-Day eight teams were sent to
Germany to work with occupational force
organizatlons which hod heavy losees of
experienced Peas personnel as a result
of redeployment.
- suoaessful operation could have been improved
with more attontion devoted to straightening out
supply point operation as a part of the mess team function.
Ry the time they had worked a woak or ten days in en ares
R mess team commander should be able to form a sound
opinion as to the adouracy a4d completeness of the issues
of its supply point. The moss team commander's mission
could have been OXpmkd with benefit to inolude a bey
with the personnel of the supDly point. in oacharea covered,
amphesizing the importance of accurate issues and eapsc-
ielly instructing in the3ter issue polioy.
c. The establishment of a Catering Service along
the lines of. the Pritish Army system (See A.pDendix 15 ),
would certainly insure that n higher percentage of profossional
alvilian cooks entering the army would be directed
into messing work. Further, it would guarantee
thnt training effort would bc expended only on personnel
which would remnin in messing work. From the standpoint
gf COm"d, its implications would be that instead of
transfcrbing an unsatisfactory cook to guard duty, a
comndinig officer would request n replacsmant from the
Cntering Service pool and, upon his arrival, return the
unsatisfactory cook to the pool for retraining and renssignnont,
SECTION
CONCLUSIONS AND BECOIWNDA%IOWS
131. Conolusions.
a. The operoticg proaedure, procurecent and
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