Photo By Cpl. Ryan Mains | Master Sgt. Eddie R. Powers Jr., right, announces Lance Cpl. Bradley A. Boyd, from...... read more read more
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CAMP HANSEN, Japan – Food service specialists with III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group Mess Hall competed in a cook-off for the Food Server Specialist of the Quarter Sept. 29 on Camp Hansen.
The cook off, along with other challenges, helped Master Sgt. Eddie R. Powers Jr., the mess hall manager with III MHG, III MEF, decide which Marine earned the quarterly title.
“It all stems off of last week when they had a uniform inspection along with (an oral exam),” said Powers, from Virginia Beach, Virginia. “Following that, they took a 50-question test. After that, we narrowed it down to two cooks.”
To test the Marines’ skills, the two finalists, Cpl. Maria Solis and Lance Cpl. Bradley Boyd, used unitized group rations, which are used during field operations when normal meal supplies are not available. The Marines had 90 minutes to prepare the meal and to make it both presentable and appetizing.
“One of the challenges was that instead of giving them a menu and telling them how to prepare the food, we gave them an opportunity to enhance it with anything in the mess hall, except meat,” said Powers.
This competition is held once a quarter, allowing Marines more than one chance at winning the Food Service Specialist of the Quarter throughout the year.
“The first time was harder because I worked in the store room,” said Boyd, a food service specialist with III MHG. “When you are store room personnel, you don’t cook. You issue out food that goes through the mess hall. The second time was a lot easier because I had some hands on experience with cooking, and I actually knew what was going on.”
The competition is tough because some opponents have the advantage of additional experience cooking, according to Lance Cpl. Lanell Dawkins, a prior competitor and food service specialist with III MHG.
Once the food was prepared and set out on the table, the food service specialists judging the competition grabbed a plate and filled out critiques. Once all of the scores were tallied up, Boyd came out victorious.
“Going against a corporal who had more experience cooking and then coming out on top was surprising,” said Dawkins, from Mobile, Alabama. “I was proud of Boyd.”
| Date Taken: | 09.29.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.15.2014 02:41 |
| Story ID: | 145089 |
| Location: | CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP |
| Hometown: | MOBILE, ALABAMA, US |
| Hometown: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 530 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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