Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. (March 3, 2025): In militaries down through the centuries, the most persistent complaint from the troops has always about the chow. American commanders are keenly aware of how the quality and quantity of food effects morale and unit performance. That is why they strive to make American servicemembers the envy of every other military in the world when it comes to cuisine.
In this photo by Calvin Reimold, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christine Stanley listens to judges during a pastry event at the Army’s 49th Joint Culinary Training Exercise. This is the Army’s largest culinary competition among military chefs from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. International teams representing France, the United Kingdom, and Germany also competed in the American-led exercise.
Sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation, the competition focuses on student chefs who are considered the “future of military culinary expertise.” Cooks from all services got a chance to conduct food service field training for large-scale combat operations while ensuring troops received proper nutrition. There were live cooking events and impressive static food displays featuring desserts, seafood, wild game, and stunning centerpieces crafted from edible items.
The competition involved pairs of chefs showing off their ability to plan, prepare, and present a meal. Each team prepared a four-course meal that included a hot appetizer; soup or salad; an entrée; and a dessert. Three portions of the meal are submitted to judges, while one is critiqued as a static food display. And, just to keep things healthy, each meal had to contain less than one thousand calories.
Besides broadening their cooking skills, military chefs got the chance to share their knowledge and experiences with comrades from all over the world. It is hoped that these events will ultimately benefit troops at military dining facilities both in garrison and in the field. Despite these heroic efforts, however, we fear troops will always complain about the chow.