Too many cooks in the kitchen can sometimes cause problems, but for Soldiers going through the Food Service Specialist course offered by the 80th TASS Training Center, one more cook in the kitchen is a problem solver.
Whether they're looking to improve their resumes, change jobs for career advancement or just looking for a new challenge, Soldiers can take advantage of courses offered year-round at Camp Parks, Ca., to learn one of the Army's oldest and most important jobs. Through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience, they learn all the basics of cooking in phases one and two, first in the kitchen and then in the field. In phase three, students learn about kitchen management and in phase four, they study the intricacies of facility management.
"Our students come in and they figure out this MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) is not what they thought it was and I've yet to have a single student - in three years -- leave here and not be in love with this MOS," said Sgt. 1st Class Larry Sims, a Food Service Specialist Instructor.
Staff Sgt. Larry Mantilla, 250th Brigade Support Battalion, said he was skeptical at first, but became impressed with the in-depth training after attending the course in October 2014.
"So much goes into this MOS, it's very detailed and you can do anything. There are so many moving parts and you learn so much," Mantilla said.
The instructors teach to the national standards, so much of what the students learn can be applied anywhere in the United States. There's even room for Soldiers who have food preparation experience to pick up new tricks.
"One of the biggest things I learned here was the [use of proper] temperature for the chicken, beef, and fish, Mantilla said. " At home, I never used temperature, I would always just look at it. Now I know that I need to get up to a 160 degrees."
His classmate Spec. Christine Gruber of the 1st Battalion 207th Aviation Regiment learned the importance of weighing ingredients.
"I never weighed any of my ingredients before," Gruber said. "So, weighing it, I found, is actually a lot easier than measuring it out."
She also noted the importance of what they were learning and how integral their mission can be for the overall fighting force. "Everybody knows you can get sick from food, but until Sgt 1st Class Sims made a comment about how you can take out an entire platoon or a company by serving bad food, I think that learning about how to properly prepare your foods and how to not cross contaminate is a huge deal."
The Food Service Specialist course also provides Soldiers with better opportunities to advance their military careers as they move up in the ranks.
"If you come to these schools, my students can then go on and take a couple of more courses," said Sims. "They already know the MOS because we taught them. Now they can go take the instructor course...and then they can come back here and be an instructor as a 92 G instructor."
That's exactly the career path Gruber plans on taking. "I know that this MOS has unlimited potential for advancement...I'm planning on staying in this MOS and maybe becoming an instructor out here."
That level of enthusiasm and commitment from students is not surprising to the 80th TTC course manager, Staff Sgt. Freddie Torres, who said that he keeps in touch with many students even long after they've graduated, no matter where they end up. For him, what they teach in the Food Service Specialist course is essential because it affects the entire U.S. military all over the world, from the lowest ranking troop to the highest ranking commander.
"We feed the force," Torres proudly proclaims. "And it's all mission-oriented...our goal is to make sure that soldier overseas is getting a full nutritious and balanced meal, just like the guys back here at home." Smiling, Torres reveals one of the Army's best-kept secrets when it comes to winning battles. "A soldier who's out there with a full stomach is going to fight well."
Related Links:
Official website, 80th Training Command (TASS)
Official Twitter page, 80th Training Command (TASS)
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