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Petty Officer 1st Class Zach Hassilev [Image 13 of 16]

WISCONSIN, UNITED STATES

01.17.2023

Courtesy Photo

U.S. Coast Guard District 17

When most people think of the Culinary Specialist (CS) rating in the Coast Guard, they think of peeling potatoes, long hours, and cleaning dishes. What people may not know is that behind the scenes there is a menagerie of out-of-rate qualifications, collateral duties, and volunteering opportunities that CSs undertake.

To get a peek behind the curtain of all things CS, let’s look at the career of Petty Officer 1st Class Zach Hassilev, the 17th Coast Guard District special command aide. Hassilev has been in the Coast Guard for 13 years, has been a CS aboard four different cutters, and currently works ashore.

Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Hassilev knew he wanted to work in the food industry since he was 15 years old. His first job was at a pizza joint when he was 16.

“I have just always had a love for food,” said Hassilev. “I’ve always had a good palate and a high interest in unique food as an art form as well as sustenance.”

In 2006 Hassilev went to culinary school for a year after working at three different restaurants and before going “Boot-to-A” in the Coast Guard. Boot-to-A is a program where recruits go from boot camp to their specialty rating school (A-school), instead of being assigned to a Coast Guard unit where most personnel wait on lists with other candidates to learn their rating in their respective technical schools.

Hassilev served as a CS on Coast Guard Cutters Gallatin, Mustang, Kukui, and Mobile Bay. Not only did he volunteer to qualify as a junior officer of the deck, quartermaster-of-the-watch, crane operator, davit operator, and a boarding team member on those cutters, but he also chose to work part time in a restaurant as a line cook while cutter Mobile Bay was dry-docked for 13 months in the ship life extension program.

“It was a farm to table restaurant; it was a really cool place, I had a lot of fun, and I was able to work there as much as I wanted,” said Hassilev. “My command was more than supportive of me doing that because it also benefitted them and the crew. I was able to learn a lot of new things and turn that into different new recipes.”

Hassilev currently works as a special command aid and manages the 17th District commander’s representational facility (REPFAC). A REPFAC can be located at the district commander’s house or other facilities to host events for Coast Guard members, dependents, and stakeholders. Hassilev manages all aspects of REPFAC contract work, facilities maintenance, winterization, and the upkeep of the quarters. He also assists the district commander with anything that may affect him, including uniform maintenance for traveling.

“The impact of my work is what I love most about my job,” said Hassilev. “Pushing the commander’s intent through food is really challenging but rewarding. For me it's not necessarily even about what the task at hand is; it's about what necessary service does it provide? Even with preparing the admiral’s uniforms, it's a visible piece of your work and a direct reflection of the district commander. So, everything I do reflects him and his position which is vastly important. Being able to see that impact is the most rewarding part.”

Outside of Hassilev’s REPFAC duties, he’s involved in local recruiting efforts. He has been able to reach out to students at the University of Alaska Anchorage to talk about career trends theory class where he can share his wealth of knowledge in the culinary industry.

Hassilev has been able to integrate some of the things he enjoys doing in his personal life into his professional life.

“I have a fascination with ingredients,” said Hassilev, “So, being from Alaska, I’m pretty involved with foraging and fishing. I like going out and collecting edible mushrooms for dishes I cook at work, and there have been occasions where I have been able to go fishing on the morale boats and catch some halibut for events. Being stationed in Alaska really has its perks for me because of the abundance of fresh ingredients.”

Being able to incorporate his love for fresh Alaskan ingredients seems to benefit the crew Hassilev serves, as well. After trying Hassilev’s beer battered “Chicken-of-the-Woods” mushrooms, reports came back that it did indeed taste like chicken.
Some of the challenging parts of being a CS include receiving patron feedback and learning the right way to absorb constructive criticism. The crew sees the quality of three meals a CS puts out each day, so CSs are subjected to criticism three times a day and are only judged on a small fraction of their entire body of work. Hassilev uses that constructive criticism to grow from experiences and to look at customer feedback more objectively.

“Take the feedback whether it be positive or negative,” said Hassilev. “I think when you are making food for the same patrons, it’s easier to just talk to them and figure out what they really want and work with them on that. You must remember that you’re never going to make everyone happy. Since you put your heart and soul into your food, it can be hard to not take that personally, but that is also what is going to help you grow as a cook.”

Across all military branches you will have military cooks. Hassilev gave examples of how the Coast Guard CS program is different and how it can not only benefit the Coast Guard, but drastically benefit the member. Not only can CSs create their own menus, but they can be creative and experiment and cook what they want.

“It's surprising to me that less people want to do this job,” said Hassilev. “If you look at the trend of the culinary industry, the Coast Guard CS rating is a great program because of its culinary schools. Lots of people in the culinary industry are underpaid and overworked. That's why I personally joined because there was room for education and growth as a cook to launch you further into the culinary world.”

Hassilev believes that the Coast Guard works to align itself with the civilian workforce and puts a lot of emphasis into human resources and operational structure. As a cook, Hassilev states, you can be on a big, white boat and do law enforcement, or you can cater your career around what's important to you.

Being a CS in the Coast Guard can help continue and further a member’s culinary career if they take advantage of the numerous opportunities that allow them to gain experience. Members get opportunities to make three different meals a day, seven days a week, instead of working off a rotating menu, the way most civilian restaurants operate.

“I think a lot of people entering this field have more creative styles, but where are you going to get experience?” asked Hassilev. “A lot of people think that they can just go to culinary school, get a degree, and go to work, but it doesn’t always work out that way. In the Coast Guard you could get a culinary degree, you get a decent sized bonus, and you get to take the skills you learned and use them over the next four years or more. You can really use it to figure out your cooking style.”

Some of the additional culinary programs and schools the Coast Guard has to offer include joining the culinary team, cooking in the Executive Dining Facility, or even working as a chef at the White House. At the end of the day, becoming a CS in the Coast Guard opens many doors and allows members to create the culinary career they want.

For more information about c-schools and opportunities as A CS go here:

https://www.gocoastguard.com/active-duty-careers/enlisted-opportunities/view-job-descriptions/cs

https://us-east-1-02870039-inspect.menlosecurity.com/safeview-fileserv/tc_download/0bf673e8531eaf0d7bc4ab15b4fa50b92beb49b2c8bf8f4ec94b4e9313758e94/?&cid=N6A95905998AF_&rid=074fef6205fe2b37f7d1f19490d9efbc&file_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gocoastguard.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Finline-files%2FCS%2520Career%2520Guide.pdf&type=original

https://www.facebook.com/CGCULINARY/