Fort Campbell Hosts Cooking Competition for Week of the Eagles

FORT CAMPBELL Ky.--The Week of the Eagles is an annual celebration hosted by the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), consisting of competitions, open houses and demonstrations designed to show that the 101st is trained and ready for any situation, highlighting the many talents of their Soldiers. The annual culinary competition is one event that brings Soldiers from all over the 101st together for a friendly competition. It’s held every year during the Week of the Eagles, but this year the competition was a little different.

The organizers of this year’s competition drew inspiration from popular cooking TV shows in order to make the contest more interesting, while giving the competing Soldiers a chance to show off their creativity. “Each round the competitors are given a basket of mystery ingredients: they have to prepare two courses, an appetizer and an entree using those items,and they have one hour to do so,” said CW3 Jason Page, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Senior Food Advisor, and an organizer of the competition. “They don’t have to use the whole item, but they do have to incorporate each basket ingredient in some way.”

Each brigade within the 101st sends at least one 92G, Culinary Specialist, one Soldier from a different MOS, and any third Soldier of their choice each year to compete. The Soldiers that are chosen to compete face off against each other in four qualifying rounds, with the winner of each round moving on to the finals.

Once Soldiers reach the finals, they have three more rounds of cooking before a winner is chosen. After each round, one finalist is eliminated, until only the winner is left at the end of the third round. The top three placing Soldiers, Sgt. 1st Class Adam Herrman, Special Troops Battalion,101st Division Sustainment Brigade, placing first, Sgt. Anthony McKoy, 1-187 Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasans,” in second, and 1st Lt. Nickesha Carmichael, 626 Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasans,” in third were presented their medals by the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. JP McGee. The three Soldiers presented with a 101st Airborne Division coin and a Division Food Service coin from Sgt. Maj. Jason Baldwin SR.

The winners weren’t the only ones to walk away with a new coin in their pocket: The Soldiers working behind the scenes to keep the dishes and kitchen clean for the contestants were also thanked for their hard work and presented a Division Food Service coin from Sgt. Maj. Baldwin.

1LT Nickesha Carmichael, SGT Anthony McKoy, and SFC Adam Herrman are congratulated and presented with medals by Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division, Major General Joseph P. Mcgee. The Soldiers placed in the top three spots of the 2021 Week of the Eagles culinary competition. US Army Photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner.

1LT Nickesha Carmichael, SGT Anthony McKoy, and SFC Adam Herrman placed in the top three spots in the 2021 Week of the Eagles culinary competition. Soldiers from across the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) compete in the competition every year to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. US Army Photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner.

SSG David Tyo, Echo Company, 39th BEB, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), cooks a canned chicken, one of the mystery ingredients given to each contestant each round, during the 2021 Week of the Eagles culinary competition. This competition gives Soldiers from all career fields the chance to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. Competing Soldiers are scored based on the taste of their dish, presentation, using all of the mandated ingredients, and the cleanliness of their station. (U.S .Army photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner)

SSG Harlei May, 52nd EOD, Division Artillery, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), begins plating her dishes during the 2021 Week of the Eagles culinary competition. This competition gives Soldiers from all career fields the chance to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. Competing Soldiers are scored based on the taste of their dish, presentation, using all of the mandated ingredients, and the cleanliness of their station. (U.S .Army photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner)

SPC Edwin Alvarado, STB, DSB, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), preparing a puree for his entree during the 2021 Week of the Eagles culinary competition. This competition gives Soldiers from all career fields the chance to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. Competing Soldiers are scored based on the taste of their dish, presentation, using all of the mandated ingredients, and the cleanliness of their station. US Army photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner

PFC Burgoyne from 2-17 ACS, CAB, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), plates her entree and appetizer for the culinary competition held during the Week of the Eagles. This competition gives Soldiers from all career fields the chance to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. Competing Soldiers are scored based on the taste of their dish, presentation, using all of the mandated ingredients, and the cleanliness of their station. (U.S. Army photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner)

SPC Edwin Alvarado, STB, DSB, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), prepares his entree for the annual culinary competition which is held during the Week of the Eagles. This competition gives Soldiers from all career fields the chance to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. Competing Soldiers are scored based on the taste of their dish, presentation, using all of the mandated ingredients, and the cleanliness of their station. (U.S .Army photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner)

SGT Anthony McKoy, G Company, 1-187 Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) squeezes lemon juice onto his appetizer during the finals of the 2021 Week of the Eagle culinary competition. This competition gives Soldiers from all career fields the chance to show off their creativity and mastery of preparing food. Competing Soldiers are scored based on the taste of their dish, presentation, using all of the mandated ingredients, and the cleanliness of their station. (U.S .Army photo by SPC Jeremy Stillwagner)

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Fort Campbell Hosts Cooking Competition for Week of the Eagles

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