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CULINARY TRAINING

Preparation is

the Key to Success

Teams Head to Fort Lee Training Event Ready to Cook

ilitary food service teams headed for the 42nd Military team to compete at the next level: if you win at Fort Lee,
MCulinary Arts Competitive Training Event (MCACTE) you represent the military as a region at the American
at Fort Lee, Va., after weeks of preparation to perform un- National Culinary competition held every summer, where
der the discerning eyes of judges while vying for victory they compete against community colleges and other or-
in one category or another. ganizations that develop student teams to go compete
Teams also have the opportunity to earn American there,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 J.D. Ward, the chief
Culinary Federation certification, which helps the chefs of advanced culinary training division and manager for
to provide better service to their customers in the dining the United States Army Culinary Arts Team (USACAT) at
facilities, as well as gain recognition useful in the civilian the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence.
sector when transitioning out of the military. Making the cut for Joint Team Hawaii is Air Force Staff
Members of Joint Team Hawaii, consisting of an Sgt. Kara Mitchell, a food service special-
airman and soldiers from all over Oahu, train ist with 647th Force Support Squadron at
at the Culinary Arts Lab on Schofield Barracks, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
Hawaii, for the 2017 Culinary Arts competition.
She is the only member of the team not
in the Army.
“It’s awesome,” Mitchell said. “We get
to do all kinds of stuff outside of our nor-
mal day-to-day duties and try to imagine
and experiment with different things so
that we bring it to reality and put it on
a plate.”
Her role on the team is making pastries,
but she is eager to share her experience
and education from the event to prepare
culinary colleagues to participate next year.
“As soon as this is over, I’ll go back and
tell my airmen how it is so that maybe
they can get the opportunity to come to
it next year,” Mitchell said.
Members of Joint Team Hawaii earn
It is the largest ACF-sanctioned culinary competition their way onto the team. Candidates start the qualifying
in North America and attracts more than 200 entrants an- process with quarterly competitions, such as one between
nually, including personnel from each of the U.S. military two culinary teams at the Bronco Café Dining facility
services, as well as teams from the armed forces of Britain, on Schofield Barracks, with the winner to be named 3rd
Canada, France and Germany. Brigade Combat Team Top Chef.
First, the competition is meant to inspire the creativity
HAWAII of individual chefs and provide a showcase to demonstrate
For Joint Team Hawaii, the stakes for the 42nd MCACTE their skills, techniques and styles.
were high as the team prepared to defend the title of “The mission of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team Quar-
Culinary Team of the Year for a third consecutive year. terly Top Chef Competition is to continually raise the
Joint Team Hawaii, comprising service members from standards of culinary excellence and professionalism,” said
the Army and Air Force, trains daily at the Culinary Arts Master Sgt. Orland Akins, senior culinary management
Lab on Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, by cooking several noncommissioned officer, assigned to Headquarters and
types of meals to enhance their skills in preparation for Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT, 25th Infantry Division.
competing at Fort Lee. Secondly, a judge for the quarterly competition, Sgt.
“I really like how Team Hawaii develops their student 1st Class Jose Alves, sees a greater goal: an opportunity
58 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • MAY 2017