In an unpretentious warehouse tucked away in a cluster of non-descript buildings not far from Madigan Hospital, something unexpected is taking place on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. At any given time, as many as 20 culinary arts specialists, led by Culinary Arts Quality Assurance Evaluator John Osterholm, are creating beautiful sculptures out of ice.

"You have to have a knack for it," said Osterholm, who was "thrown into ice sculpting" several years ago when he was tasked with creating a sculpture for a Christmas party.

Osterholm begins his instruction of new ice sculpting 92Gs by giving them a short class in the different tools they will be using - which include chain saws, routers, di-grinders, angle-grinders and hand chisels - as well as the basic principles of ice carving and how to think through and plan out a three-dimensional design. Then he steps out of their way and allows his students to learn this skill through trial and error.

The process of turning a 300-pound block of ice begins in a cooler that is kept at a chilly 10 degrees. Teams consisting of a minimum of two people select a block of ice and move it out of the cooler into the main carving area, where the block will "temper," or thaw, for 30 to 60 minutes - enough to make it less brittle and easier to work with. Then the carvers will trace the design on the block of ice and use the chain saw to get the general shape of the sculpture. Using the grinders, the router and the various hand chisels, the sculpture begins to take shape until, at last, something truly beautiful emerges from that giant block of ice.

This time of year, things are really hopping in the warehouse. A minimum of two, up to a maximum of seven ice sculptures, will be needed to grace Thanksgiving tables in each of the seven dining facilities on base. Some sculptures are purely ornamental, adding a memorable touch to the décor. Others are functional, providing chilled holders for bowls of cold dishes such as various salads and seafood cocktails. By Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, the teams must complete the final details on their sculptures so that they are ready for placement come Wednesday morning.

On this particular day, Specialist Samantha Osegura and Specialist Jose Osorio are working on a sculpture of an autumn leaf slated for one of the many Thanksgiving tables awaiting soldiers on JBLM. Osegura - a second-year ice carving veteran - and Osorio, who is new this year and just learning the craft, begin by dividing their ice block into three slabs. One slab provides the base. Sandwiched between the other two slabs are colored, laminated autumn leaves which will add to the festive appearance of the completed sculpture.

Specialist Osorio, who was selected by his NCO to try his hand at ice carving for the first time this year, said, "They chose me because I'm new. They're looking for longevity."

His partner, Specialist Osegura, who volunteered to work on the ice for a second year, said, "I agreed to do it because I enjoyed it," adding that, "It's always fun to learn more."