RED SEA -- At 10:45 a.m., everything is ready. Tables are wiped down, dishes are washed, and food restocked. It's quiet. Crew members finish one task or another and seize the chance to catch their breath before the lunch rush begins.
In 15 minutes, a torrent of sailors and Marines will invade this space for the second time today. It could be a scene from a busy restaurant in any city, but it's a daily occurrence on the mess decks of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island.
Four times a day, the mess decks are filled with a hungry crew and a well-trained staff. Nearly incomprehensible amounts of food are eaten and restocked, yet, without fail the staff has the place looking clean and ready to go again minutes after each torrent fades. Managing this hive of activity is Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Ramsey, the mess deck master-at-arms. His job is one part police officer, one part human resources manager and one part health inspector.
Various Responsibilities
"I directly supervise all of the food service attendants, and I'm responsible for making sure the mess decks are clean and presentable -- that they're set up to accommodate everyone for their meals -- and enforcing uniform standards and grooming regulations for all personnel," Ramsey explained, adding that his responsibilities boil down to everything that most people take for granted when they come to eat.
Food service attendants are sailors and Marines temporarily assigned to work on the mess decks from every division and platoon. Finding the right leadership style is essential to managing so many different personalities and backgrounds, Ramsey said.
"You have a lot of different people from a lot of different divisions who are used to all sorts of leadership styles and expectations; it's challenging to juggle those expectations," he said. "The schedule is one of the toughest parts. Last-minute changes can be really challenging. You might have to extend lunch hours on short notice, or start breakfast an hour early to make sure that people are getting the nourishment they need to do their jobs."
Many Mouths to Feed
Supervising such a diverse group while tailoring meal times to accommodate the ship's busy schedule is no easy feat, especially with more than 700 mouths to feed.
"I want to make sure my people know I'm approachable," he said. "No one wants to work for someone they feel they can't talk to. They know there's a line where they respect the pay grade, but they also know I have no problem getting my hands dirty and helping them out."
Teamwork keeps everything running smoothly from the early hours of the morning until the last watchstanders have dinner. The mess attendants are up to make sure breakfast is ready by 6 a.m., and stay after dinner ends at 6 p.m. to clean up and get ready to serve a meal to the night crew at 11 p.m.
"Petty Officer 1st Class Ramsey will jump right in and wash dishes or mop a floor with us if we have to run out for a minute," said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Robles, who works as a food service attendant.
Limited Space
Unlike any restaurant, no matter how well the team prepares, they always face the confines of life at sea. There is only so much space to eat, and only so much space to store supplies.
"You want to make sure everyone has enough time to eat and get some down time and relax, but you have to balance that with space issues," Ramsey said. "Our mess decks are not all that large compared to the size of the full crew we deploy with."
While the job also requires also correcting behavior at times, Ramsey said he strives to do it in a positive way.
"He always says 'hi' to everyone as they come through the line," Robles said. "Just because he has to enforce uniform and grooming regulations doesn't mean that he isn't nice. He checks in with everyone and makes sure that they're doing OK."
The job is not without its perks, however.
"You're guaranteed to see everyone and see how their day is going," Ramsey said. "It's not a glamorous job, but it's a necessary one."