Subscribe
Human beings have been breaking bread together since ancient times. Not only do meals provide sustenance, they also give people an opportunity to connect with each other, socialize, and explore new cultures.
Like people around the world, Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) need to eat to perform their daily tasks. It also allows them to take a break from their 12-hour work days aboard the ship and converse with their colleagues.
“Sailors from all sorts of backgrounds get the chance to interact with shipmates they never met on a daily basis with the opportunity to build relationships and network,” said Culinary Specialist 1st Class Kenneth Marshall, leading petty officer of Theodore Roosevelt's chiefs mess.
Culinary specialists toil in Theodore Roosevelt’s galleys to provide Sailors the meals they need to sustain their energy and do their job of protecting the nation and its way of life.
“Taking time to eat meals is important because the human body needs adequate nutrition, especially when you're working in a dynamic environment such as the ‘Big Stick,’” said Marshall. “Aboard [Theodore Roosevelt], we ensure the Go-for-Green Program is implemented in compliance with Department of Defense standards to provide heathy options.”
Aboard Theodore Roosevelt, 148 culinary specialists serve approximately 18,000 meals per day, according to Chief Warrant Officer Blake Franklin, Theodore Roosevelt’s food service officer. Theodore Roosevelt spends $55,000 on food daily and serves food 23 hours a day from two crew galleys, the chiefs mess, three wardrooms, and the commanding officer’s galley.
Marshall chose to be a culinary specialist because of his interest in cooking and his future dream to own his own dining operation.
“I've always been interested in culinary arts and business management with dreams of owning my own restaurant or café,” said Marshall. “I figured this would give me the fundamentals.”
Marshall grew up in Cincinnati and enlisted in the Navy in 2004, six months after graduating high school. He joined so he could travel across the globe and earn money for school.
“After I got a taste of the world, my ambition grew along with my desire to see how much more I could learn,” said Marshall.
Marshall graduated from culinary specialist “A” school at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio in 2005. In 2017, Marshall completed “C” school in food service administration, the only honor graduate in a class of 30.
“I was motivated simply by wanting to be the best,” said Marshall. “To stand out at that time, I really applied extreme focus into the curriculum which didn’t stop after I got home for the day.”
Being a culinary specialist and leading petty officer aboard Theodore Roosevelt has provided Marshall with unintended benefits and an opportunity to manage other Sailors.
“I get to eat at my own leisure,” Marshall said with a laugh. “Some challenges I've endured was creating cohesive units. In the process of overcoming that, I've allowed myself to develop patience.”
Marshall said he believes it takes time for Sailors to develop into leaders, and that junior Sailors require a certain amount of apprenticeship before thriving in a demanding and results-oriented work environment.
“I believe that you become better over time just like wine,” said Marshall. “Junior culinary specialists new to all elements of cooking often need time to find their niche in such a broad field to cultivate creativity and talent into a skill which normally flourishes with experience.”
As leading petty officer of Theodore Roosevelt’s chiefs mess, Marshall’s duties include mentoring and supervising galley watch teams, ensuring the mess is provided with well-balanced meals accompanied by the highest customer service possible under sanitary conditions, training his reliefs, and developing the skills of culinary specialists under his charge.
“Marshall has performed superbly in the supervision of 14 culinary specialists and 14 food service attendants, producing more than 2,000 meals daily,” said Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Julius Velazco, leading culinary specialist of Theodore Roosevelt’s food service division. “He checks the temperatures and consistency of each product whether it is hot or cold, ensuring it appeals to more than 350 chiefs and guests.”
Once his time in the service ends, Marshall has his sights set on the hospitality industry. In 2017, he earned a Certified Food and Beverage Executive certification from the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), a prestigious recognition which shows a person is a professional dedicated to the industry, who can effectively manage employees, and who knows how to successfully operate a food and beverage operation, according to AHLEI.org.
“I'm extremely joyful to have gained that achievement,” said Marshall. “I love what I do. When I leave the Navy in a few years, I will be able to deliver my vision like I've always wanted.”
From honoring shipmates in front of their peers at a department-wide celebration to going-away luncheons for transferring service members, food plays an integral role in the lives of their crewmembers. The planning and serving of meals by Sailors in Theodore Roosevelt’s food service division makes these moments happen.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 10.17.2019 14:35 |
| Story ID: | 348052 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 90 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Galley King, by PO1 Pyoung Yi, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT