Four Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division Culinary Arts Team will compete against 250 other chefs at the 42nd Annual Military Culinary Arts Competition at Fort Lee, Virginia, March 4-9.
Due in part to the high operational tempo of the division, four "Big Red One" Soldiers will represent the 1st Inf. Div. at the event. Last year, the team of 10 Soldiers finished fourth out of 22 teams throughout the U.S. military and two foreign countries.
"The Soldiers this year will be competing in Nutrition, Cold Table Meat Platter, Cold Table Finger Foods, Cold Table Desert, Cold Table Petit Fours, Student Chef of the Year and the Professional Fish Course," said Warrant Officer Edmond M. Perez Jr., Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., and team commander.
Spc. Carlos O. Cruz, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Inf. Div., is returning for his second year at the annual military competition. Last year he was selected as the Student Chef of the Year at the competition. This year, Cruz has moved to the professional category of the competition.
"This year is a real step up," Cruz said. "The pressure is really on because people are expecting me to do well. I am definitely trying my best."
Pvt. Jeremy Noyala, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st CAB, will try to bring home the Student Chef of the Year this year for the Big Red One. Though he has only been on Fort Riley since November, Perez sees promise in the new chef.
"Pvt. Noyala was selected on his work ethic in the dining facility," Perez said. "I saw that he put his head down and does what he was told. He works to the best of his ability. I thought he would be a great asset to train for Student Chef of the Year."
The newest member of the team will cook trout at the competition and has received advice from Cruz during the training leading up to the competition.
"He has been tremendously helpful with different cuts and different techniques," Noyala said. "I came here not knowing much and he has shown me from scratch what needs to be done."
In addition to the Soldiers performing well at the national competition, Perez hopes to build upon the quality of the culinary specialists at Fort Riley so Soldiers can enjoy a well-cooked meal.
"I want to be able to create those three- and four-star meals for the dining facility and the everyday Soldiers," Perez said. "To bring culinary art into the garrison dining facility so that the everyday Soldier can eat that type of food and be exposed to that type of food. Really, that is my ultimate goal of the program."
One other returning member from last year's team will compete again this year. Spc. Gerald Geffrard, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st CAB, will compete in nutrition, and will be the apprentice for Cruz on the cold meat platter and cold finger foods.
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