ABOARD THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP AMERICA, SOUTH PACIFIC — Junk food-loving Marines and sailors who deploy aboard the Navy's new amphibious assault ship might notice a few of their favorite things are missing.
Without fryers or free soda machines, the 1,500 service members sailing around South America for the past two months might have gotten a little healthier, despite themselves. The french fries they ate in the mess hall were baked, never fried. And if they were in the mood for a sugary drink, they had to pay for it from a machine.
With about 70 percent of the crew on their first deployment, most said they didn't recognize the difference. But Chief Culinary Specialist Michael Louise couldn't miss the change in the kitchen.
Louise said the ship has broasting ovens. They're flexible and fast but don't take the place of deep fryers. Of course, they don't want to fry everything, but for foods like french fries, there's just no substitute for fryers, and the sailors don't seem to like the baked version, he said.
Rear Adm. Fernandez "Frank" Ponds, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, said the Navy talks a lot about "going green" and using biofuels to power ships, and sailors should do the same when considering what keeps them running.
"How can we make [sailors] better and more capable warfighters?" he said. "What you take in is who you are. So we try to eat healthier. It's a lifestyle, and that lifestyle starts here, so we create good habits."
Still, some say it's nice to give individuals choices.
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Clarence Perry, assigned to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force South, said people can balance an indulgence like a soda or fried foods with a little extra physical training.
"While you're on the ship, there's a gym, so you can burn off those extra calories," Perry said. "Or you're going to burn them off while working in very hot areas like Colombia. You don't want to spend all your time sleeping."
Louise said he's working on a plan to bring back the deep fryer to give Marines and sailors just a few more options.
His plan includes a place to install a fire suppression system that has to be approved at a higher level. Once that happens, Louise said he has a spot picked out for it.
Staff writer Rob Curtis contributed to this report.
