Arlington, Wash.- The scents of succulent sweet and sour chicken and the faint hint of pear cobbler were in the air around the camouflaged military encampment.
Food service specialists from the Headquarters of Headquarters Company, 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command prepared lunch for 100 troops in a field kitchen at the Jim Creek wilderness recreation area just outside Arlington, Wash on April 21.
This could be the most important meal of the year for the cooks, because they are participants in the 45th Annual Phillip A. Connelly Awards Program, Field Kitchen Competition. The Connelly Awards Program was established in 1968 to recognize excellence in Army Food Service in dining facilities and during field kitchen operations. For the Field Kitchen event, competitors must set up a mobile kitchen, complete with stoves, a dining area, and dishwashers and serve a high quality meal to troops in the field.
"We are among 17 teams this year competing across the entire Army Reserve," said Chief Warrant Officer 3, Charles Hunter, Food Program Manager of the 364th ESC. The 364th ESC, HHC was selected out of a total of 26 food service capable units within the command. These units competed at their battalion and brigade levels before being selected to represent the 364th ESC he said.
Representatives of the winning team and runner-up will receive trophies, and the opportunity to attend a prestigious culinary school for a two-week training session.
U.S. Army Reserve Command evaluators flew in from around the country to judge the soldiers' work as part of the national Army field kitchen competition.
"The kitchen and dining area must be kept very clean," said one of the evaluators, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kim Shiner. "We have higher standards than those required of restaurants, particularly because stressed and fatigued Soldiers can have more vulnerable immune systems. If their food isn't cooked safely, then they can't do their jobs on the battlefield," she said.
All the troops in the competition must prepare the same standardized meal, which this year includes stir fry and sweet and sour chicken. Cooks can't subtract anything from the recipe, but they can add spices and ingredients to it.
Customizing your recipes is crucial to doing well in this competition said Hunter. "If you follow the Army recipe, you are going to get an Army meal," he said.
Dessert is the one dish that the cooks have complete freedom to show their skills. The cooks can create a completely custom dessert.
"Our signature dessert is a maple ginger pear cobbler," said Hunter. "We chose this dessert because it has all the northwest flavors, and all those ingredients are grown right here in the northwest," he said.
"This is something we've worked on for months, tweaking and perfecting the food," said first cook Staff Sgt. Elsie Fernandez.
Hunter feels that he has an all-star team here, and explained that two of his cooks represented the Army Reserve in the Culinary Arts competition in March. "That competition was between some of the best Army chefs in the world, and both of our Soldiers won Bronze medals," he said.
"We have a great team, and we have so much fun too," said Hunter. "I think every member of our team has a true passion for cooking, and they really strive to be the best," he said.
The evaluators must travel around the country testing various field kitchens one at a time and the results of the competition won't be available until August.
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