More than a meal: Culinary leader brings readiness, morale and a taste of home

In a deployed environment, a good meal can mean more than simply having something to eat.For Soldiers coming off a long shift, walking into the dining… In a deployed environment, a good meal can mean more than simply having something to eat. For Soldiers coming off a long shift, walking into the dining facility can offer a brief reset: the smell of something warm on the line, a familiar meal, a table with teammates and a few minutes when the mission does not have to be the first thing on their minds. For Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Matthews, chief culinary management noncommissioned officer for the 36th Infantry Division, creating that experience is intentional.

“It’s not just food, but good food,” Matthews said. “People sit down, enjoy their time together, help them relax.” Matthews’ connection to cooking started long before his Army career. He grew up in Louisiana surrounded by family and food. He remembers watching his mother in the kitchen and learning the Southern comfort foods he still loves — gumbo, étouffée, chicken and dumplings, meats and sauces. His mother died nearly three years ago, but some of Matthews’ strongest memories of her remain tied to the kitchen. “I was always either in the kitchen with her, in the kitchen making stuff for her when she was sick, or making stuff