484th brings chow line to HLRC

Three members of the 484th Military Police Company of the U.S. National Guard went beyond the line of duty to serve close to 70 residents at the Hi-Line Retirement Center (HLRC) last Sunday, October 15.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael Soul, Sgt. Samantha Starkey and Sgt. Ty Bell woke up early to prepare the meal, showing up for duty at 5 a.m.

"Sam and I are both in the local area," Sgt. Soul said. "Ty is originally from Glasgow but lives in South Dakota but he makes the trip to drill."

On the menu that morning were pancakes, eggs, sausage links, low-sodium sausage patties, bacon, oatmeal, cold cereal, Cream of the West and toast.

The trio deployed together when the 484th Company was sent to Afghanistan with another unit in April of 2012. The group consisting of 170 soldiers returned in March of 2013.

Sgt. Soul is a full time cook at HLRC during the week, so he had an idea of how many of the residents preferred their breakfast. Sgt. Soul and Sgt. Bell both are currently in the company's Food Service.

"We don't cook at the armory because we have an older kitchen," Sgt. Soul said. "I thought, my guys aren't really working our military jobs all the time, so I talked to Barb Bushman, my boss at HLRC, and asked if we could come here and cook for the retirees. I thought they would enjoy seeing the soldiers in uniform."

When he serves meals at HLRC, he typically wears scrubs.

"I feel overdressed," Sgt. Soul said looking down at his uniform.

Sgt. Soul wasn't the only member of the 484th that has ties to the Retirement Center. During the work week, Sgt. Starkey is a Certified Nursing Assistant at HLRC, who works in the Physical Therapy department as a Restorative Aide.

"We just help maintain muscles and their ability to function," Sgt. Starkey said. "We also have physical therapy that does a little more."

Sgt. Starkey worked as a food runner that morning seeing HLRC residents in a different light.

"It's not too bad," she said of serving the residents. "When I was working the floor (as a CNA), we would have to help a little bit, but I have never actually had to do all kitchen aide stuff."

She went on to say she didn't know exactly what the residents wanted but luckily, Ryan Fronk, a HLRC CNA that works Food Service was there to help.

Sgt. Starkey was asked if she wanted to serve that morning but had no idea that she would be up so early on a Sunday morning.

"I said alright, but I had no idea that it included me being here at 7 a.m.," Sgt. Starkey said.

Though the time of the event came as a bit of a shock Sgt. Starkey showed up with her one-year-old son Liam, who walked around and gave the HLRC a look at one of the youngest members of the Malta community.

"Some of the residents know him because he has come to work with me a couple of times," Sgt. Starkey said. "He can run the halls with me and sometimes if they see him they like to get out of bed a little faster."

Though Sgt. Soul, Sgt. Bell and the other members of the 484th Company Food Service don't cook at the armory, the team does cook for other Companies around the state.

"Myself and Sgt. Bell, we do cook when we go to our annual training and we have supported other units through the years," Sgt. Soul said. "I have been in the military for 24 years now and I have been on the Food Service side for about seven. I enjoy it. It has been my favorite military job so far."