How Army Cooks Are Trained To Feed 800 Soldiers In The Field | Boot Camp | Insider Business

We got an inside look at how Army Culinary Specialists are trained at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence at Fort Lee, Virginia. Three to four thousand members of the Army and National Guard graduate every year from the eight-week course, which trains soldiers how to prepare a wide array of food in a variety of settings. After instruction in the techniques of cooking and baking, trainees prepare three meals a day for their fellow soldiers in an actual garrison kitchen. Training culminates outdoors, where trainees cook for hundreds of soldiers in the same mobile kitchens they could be cooking in if deployed. Insider spent five days at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, where we observed different classes at various stages of training.

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How Army Cooks Are Trained To Feed 800 Soldiers In The Field | Boot Camp | Insider Business

[DavidRJones]

When you have a good cook... it's a game changer. When I was in Afghanistan in 2012 we were on a platoon COP and were assigned one cook. This dude walked around in a robe, tan t-shirt, and PT shorts with flip flops. He did whatever he wanted and the boys loved him. He kept us rolling in steak, burgers, chicken... he rigged up a grill. He made pan cakes... not only did he make pan cakes he opened up M&M packets and mixed them in. I can not overstress how much of a force multiplier he was. No matter what happened during the day, no matter how shitty our day was we always had a meal to come back to made by a dude who cared about our morale.

Let me tell you, no one fucked with that dude. He only pulled security one time when the COP was at absolute minimal strength and he was excited to do so. Most cooks go through the motions. A dedicated cook can literally change unit morale.

[woldewhosonolden]

My grandfather worked in a butcher shop when he was young and became a cook in the army during WWII. Although he was deployed with front line troops, he credits the position for keeping him alive. His war stories to us always revolved around ways they got creative with finding and preparing sustenance.

[WafflesFourEver]

I am a culinary specialist for 4 years and this video went through the majority of what our AIT looked like. What isn't said in the video is the sleep schedule and the reality of cooking in the field. Most cooks only get at most 4 hours of sleep regardless of the conditions. When cooking in the field you will learn to take showers and wash your clothes with a 5 gallon bucket of soapy water. The recipe cards will most likely not be utilized when cooking for over 500 soldiers. Whatever ingredients you got, you will use all of it. PMCS are extremely important regaurdless of the mission. Especially when the nearest maintenance shop is over 200 miles. Make sure all you equipment works properly before using it and note any faults during use. Last thing you need is half your mbus to backfire and set off all the carbon monoxide detectors or your CK tires blow up during convoy. The field sanitation center is the bane of all cooks. You will hate setting it up and it will never be perfect. That's probably the most dangerous equipment we got. If that tent looks like it's tilting or the winds are pushing it too much or the soil is too soft then its best to not bother setung it up. Not worth it to get crushed while washing dishes. There's more to say about being a cook but those are the things that come up to my mind. There's many good reasons why the retention rate for cooks are one of the lowest in the army.

[vampiredinosaur]

I wish we had these kinds of classes in high school tbh. Cooking is such an important skill that everyone should have the opportunity to learn.

[jamiAkos]

My grandpa was a naval cook in the 1940's. He was the best cook in my entire family including all 5 of my aunties and he taught me everything I know in the kitchen. From the best peach cobbler to the most amazing barbeque. I miss you grandpa! Salute to all the amazing men and women feeding the missions!

[pamirose]

I was a First Sergeant and without a doubt among the hardest working soldiers of my unit were the cooks. Their work starts very early to prep for breakfast and ends very late with cleaning up after dinner. I have so much respect to all these soldiers.

[JuanZ]

I was in the Army from 2006-2013. I loved and appreciated every cook I met. The army runs because of those men and women. They work long hours to ensure this.

[stuffnva]

I returned from Vietnam and went through this program in 1968. I cooked for 18 months at Ft. Benning, GA. I am impressed that the program is basically the same as I experienced, but with updated equipment. The Army taught me cooking skills that I rely on to this day.

[zacharyhoffman]

My Dad was an Army cook, so always a soft spot in my heart for the cooks. From my years in the military, the two groups of soldiers that consistently were the hardest working were cooks and mechanics. Often overlooked and underappreciated, cooks and mechanics keep the army functioning. When you have bad maintenance and bad food, you get the Russian army in Ukraine.

[git_tv]

Nobody can turn your day around like the cooks and medics. Thank you all for your service!

[jthavorn]

Army cooks get made fun sometimes, but as someone who knew a few army cooks during my time on active duty, I can tell you that these people work hard, often very long hours. The morale aspect couldn’t be more true as after spending a week out in the field, coming back to a hot meal being handed to you by a fellow solider made me say to myself “this isn’t so bad…” 🤟

[difficultylevelnoob]

When I was an MP in the Army there were certain people we took care of:

Any Medic - they kept us alive
Our Mechanics - They kept us mounted an rolling.
Our Supply - You misplaced something, they hooked you up.
Our Cooks - morale! It doesn’t matter how shit a day was…. Coming back to a hot meal makes it better! A cook can make or break your day!

[juniekalu]

My husband was an Army Cook. He still cooks like he’s feeding a battalion- and it’s just the two of us! 😂😂

[nicedward]

This video is bitter sweet. Many of these kids don't know what they are getting themselves into. Being a cook will make or break you. 20 years myself making hot food and I'm definitely feeling it the older I get. The hours of hard work never stop but it is a job that makes me proud at the end of the day.

[mvend]

I have a lot of respect for cooks and I’m an Infantryman. I’ve been in The Army for almost a decade and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have good hot chow in the field and on deployments over MREs. I don’t always get hot chow in the field and on deployments, sometimes it’s just MREs, but when I do, I am so happy. Respect to all cooks. Too many people don’t treat cooks with respect and it’s really sad.

[heyheyhey]

As an Army vet, I appreciate the cooks so much. They served really good food and they really do have pride in what they do.

[nwmancuso]

My great uncle was a US army cook during WWII and was stationed at a POW camp in the states (German POWs). He had a Germanic background so he made authentic German food for the POWs. At the end of the war, one of the prisoners gave him a lighter made from a part off a Stuka dive bomber as a sign of gratitude for his cooking.

[sothedramallama]

Much respect to all cooks, you’re overworked, under appreciated, and the backbone of everything.

[amygreen]

My dad was an army cook and he served in the Vietnam and Korean war. He grew and canned everything in his garden and always cooked in a huge pot. I was the youngest of 7, he had his own army to feed. His spaghetti was the best.

[ezabala]

From a former Marine Infantryman, thank you cooks! You were the hardest working guys I've ever seen. Up at 4 in bed at 11. I learned that in mess duty. And, thank you for making my life better in garrison and the field!