Senior Chief Petty Officer James Swenson (left back to front) Master Chief Petty Officer Justin Reed, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ben Stockman, Petty Officer 3rd Class Kellie Lundy, Petty Officer 1st Class Judah Clark (right back to front), Chief Petty Officer Eddie Fuchs, Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Jeffries, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley Jackson and Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephanie Bruce-Torres compete in the 42nd Annual Military Culinary Arts Competitive Training Event at Fort Lee, Virginia, March 4, 2017. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nate Littlejohn)
FORT LEE, Va. — The Coast Guard competed Saturday in the 42nd Annual Military Culinary Arts Competitive Training Event (MCACTE) at Fort Lee, Virginia.
The Coast Guard’s culinary team was comprised of culinary specialists from Coast Guard Station Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater in Portsmouth, Coast Guard Cutter Obion in Owensboro, Kentucky, as well as the Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase the talent of Coast Guard culinarians and train with master chefs from the American Culinary Federation,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Justin Reed, culinary specialist rating force master chief for the Coast Guard and team leader for the competition. “I am very proud of all the Coast Guard culinary specialists and look forward to next year when we hope to win the coveted military culinary team of the year.”
The MCACTE promotes growth in the culinary profession with special attention to the tenets of modern culinary ability, practicality, nutrition, workmanship, economy, presentation, creativity and concept. The training event provided an opportunity to raise culinary excellence and professionalism for all competitors.
The MCACTE at Fort Lee is the largest military culinary competition in the North America. Since 1973, the competition has been held each year with the exception of 1991 and 2003, during Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The competition is sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation and showcases the talents of military chefs from around the globe in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
