KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan– A Sailor for more than three years, Petty Officer 2nd Class Francine Henry, a Culinary Specialist from Port Orchard, Wash., is used to preparing meals for thousands of her shipmates while deployed at sea.
Today, as a member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Khowst, she brings her culinary expertise to a joint team of warriors on the ground—Airmen, Soldiers, National Guardsmen and, yes, Sailors in Afghanistan.
In her short career she has become an award winning chef. Henry began her career as an honor graduate from her “A” school, a technical school for Navy culinary specialists.
After placing first in the Navy Region Northwest cooking competition, she won first place in the Iron Chef Competition two years in a row—once in August 2009 and then again in May 2010. She was featured on a local Seattle news program, New Day Northwest in May 2010.
The skills that garnered her these awards are enjoyed every day by her teammates here in Afghanistan.
Lt. Cmdr. Jack Morris from Chesapeake, Va., PRT Khowst executive officer, said “Having a good cook is vital to the morale of the whole team. Not all PRTs are as lucky as we are to have an award winning cook.”
Her daughter Alana, who will be two years old in February, drives Henry. “Everything I do is for my baby. She gives me strength to always be better.” She uses this strength as she strives to be a good leader to her subordinates daily and plans to make her job in the Navy a career.
“It was always my dream to join the military,” said Henry. “I joined the Navy because after researching all the other branches, I felt like I was made to become a sailor.”
Henry began cooking when she was nine years old. She says she learns something new every day, and likes learning new cooking techniques.
“I feel like you can never know enough when it comes to cooking, especially for a large group of people,” said Henry.
As the current head chef on PRT Khowst, Henry leads a team consisting of CS2 Samuel Waits from Lancaster, Ohio, and CS3 Damian Murray from Houston, Texas. The three met at Camp Atterbury Joint Military Training Center in Ind., in August for combat training prior to deploying to Afghanistan.
CS3 Murray stated that his cooking techniques have improved since working with Henry. “We have a great crew and a lot of fun working in the galley,” he said.
Three Afghan locals also assist Henry, Waits and Murray in the kitchen. One has been doing the job for nine years, since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. Henry said she knows that good cooking will not only boost morale but can give members of PRT Khowst a little taste of home.
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