Fort Lee, Va. - As a high school student, she started competing in culinary competitions. That competitive drive continued when she joined the Army as a culinary arts specialist and now she is working to be a certified judge with the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
Staff Sgt. Sarah Deckert-Perry, currently a recruiter at the Louisville Company (Kentucky), Nashville Recruiting Battalion, is spending her week of leave at Fort Lee as an apprentice judge at the 43rd Annual Joint Culinary Training Exercise (JCTE) learning what it means to be an ACF judge.
"I started competing in culinary competitions more than 15 years ago," said the eight year Army culinary arts specialist. "I started in the student categories and progressed to the professional ones."
For Deckert-Perry, it was a natural progression to become a certified judge. She had already succeeded at the top levels in Army competitions being recognized in 2008 as the Armed Forces Chef of the Year and competing on the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team (USACAT) at national and international competitions.
"I originally joined the Army for the educational benefits," she said. "I started to compete and build my culinary knowledge while serving."
According to Stafford Decambre, ACF President and JCTE lead judge, who got to know Deckert-Perry when she was on the USACAT in Luxembourg, "I've seen her work and from the standpoint as the ACF President, it is great to have the diversity and inclusion (of a military member in ACF).
"(JCTE) is the best place to get the experience in judging," he said. "The experience she is getting is going to be an asset to ACF and the field."
Deckert-Perry, who will be promoted over the summer to sergeant first class, said she wants to take her experience and move towards teaching.
"JCTE is an ideal environment (to learn to judge)," she said. "There is a multitude of categories and the knowledge of the judges allows me to pick their brains, watch their style which allows me to decide and create my style."
When Deckert-Perry returns to the culinary arts field, she will be an asset according the Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joseph Wisniewski, chief, Advanced Culinary Training Division and USACAT manager, Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, Fort Lee.
"This is a great accomplishment (for Deckert-Perry), it has been a big effort of time on her part," he said. "She will be an inspiration to young Soldiers."
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