TACOM chili cookoff a sizzling success

DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. – A recipe inspired by the cook’s mother took home the top award in a recent U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) chili cookoff.

Annette Lozen’s Mama Maria’s chili, flavored with barbecue sauce, tomato paste and beef stock, beat out 16 other entries to win the title of Best Overall.

The Nov. 13 competition at the Detroit Arsenal was more than just TACOM’s first chili cookoff. It was a team event that fostered connection among members of the workforce, a main area of focus for Maj. Gen. Michael B. Lalor.

As TACOM commanding general, Lalor has prioritized ensuring that TACOM employees have the skills, education, tools and support they need to succeed. Connectivity is a key piece of that framework.

“Your connection with who you work with and who you interact with every day, that’s all going to make a difference, every day,” he said at a workforce event held the day before the cookoff. “That alone makes us a stronger element.”

Lalor’s efforts to foster collaboration and cohesion have stretched across the entire TACOM footprint. In late 2023, he took the organization’s annual town hall on the road for the first time to the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama.

More recently, Lalor launched TACOM’s first podcast, “In General Terms.” The series explores the critical role TACOM and its team members play in supporting U.S. Army initiatives across the globe. Lalor hosts each episode.

The commanding general has also prioritized career enhancement and development. The week after the chili cookoff, the Detroit Arsenal hosted the Career Enhancement and Hiring Event for members of the TACOM community. It featured workshops, professional development sessions, panel discussions, a food truck rally and opportunities for people to explore different careers across the organization.

Adelle Ponce, deputy chief of staff resource management, said in a world where technology often dominates interactions, the cookoff was a refreshing reminder of the importance of human connection.

As entrants scooped chili into sample-sized cups, a steady stream of hungry spectators stopped by to eat and chat with their colleagues.

“As we savored the flavors of our favorite dishes, we were reminded that the true ingredient of a successful organization is the people – and the chili cookoff was the perfect catalyst for building connections and forging lasting relationships within the TACOM community,” said Ponce, who, along with members of the TACOM G8 team, organized the event with support from the other TACOM G staffs.

Discussions are underway about possibly holding a similar Super Bowl-themed event in February.

Along with Lalor, the chili cookoff judges were Deputy to the Commander Brian Butler, Chief of Staff Col. Lisa Rennard, Deputy Chief of Staff Annette Riggs and TACOM Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC) Executive Director Mark Colley.

While Lozen’s chili took the top honors, two other recipes also wowed the judges. Mandy Jones, a weapons system manager in the ILSC, won the Most Unique award for her bacon-infused chili. TACOM G8 Budget Analyst Heather Manor’s fiery concoction was named the Spiciest.

Lozen, chief of the TACOM G3 Strategic Integration Division, said her late mother, Maria, was an excellent cook who could make any dish shine.

“I tried to channel her,” when preparing the chili, she said.

Lozen’s prize included an apron, hat, wooden spoon, trophy and bragging rights until the next cookoff.