Subscribe
FORT LEE, Va.–It’s early Sunday morning, Spc. Kevin Johnson is all alone in the kitchen lab at the Joint Culinary Training Center at Fort Lee, Virginia. Johnson, with the 223rd Quartermaster Company, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, grabs his knife and delicately slices green and red peppers into tiny pieces before pouring them into a pan over a heated stove.
Suddenly, a culinary judge wearing a white master chef coat walks in and carefully observes Johnson’s performance. The judge then lifts up his clipboard and writes down notes about the chicken roulade and porchetta wrap dish Johnson is preparing.
Johnson’s eyes frantically look up at the large clock displayed over his head before he returns his gaze at the food in front of him. He knows he needs to complete his dish in less than 60 minutes. His facemask constricts the brim of his nose as he breathes in, so he loosens it as he exhales. His eyes are now focused on his meal and what he needs to accomplish.
Johnson is participating in the Joint Culinary Training Exercise at Fort Lee, Virginia. The JCTE is the largest military culinary competition in North America. It recognizes individual and team efforts in all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is respected and recognized around the world because the exercise is sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation, and the exercise is designed to mirror the World Culinary Olympics held in Germany every four years.
For Johnson, his passion for food was not something he grew up with, but a recent experience gave him the confidence to pursue his talent and grow his skills to succeed.
“I took an Army culinary class last summer, and it inspired me to be better in my career,” said Johnson. “I also got to meet the NCO’s (non-commissioned officers) in the field, and I really wanted to learn and be like them.”
Johnson said he had little interest in food until he joined the Army–that’s where he said he learned a lot about cooking.
“When I was in the class, the instructor noticed I had a lot of potential, and he encouraged me to try out for the team and take part in this exercise,” said Johnson. “This is my first year participating in the Joint Culinary Training Exercise, and I get to compete in three different events.”
While he credits his Army leaders and team for instilling confidence in him, Johnson said he still suffered from self-doubt at the start of the competition.
“It was kind of nerve racking,” said Johnson. “And there were times I asked myself, ‘Oh my, did I miss this or mess that up?’ After a while, I reminded myself that I do this almost every day, and I just came here to do what I have to do, and just execute it.”
Johnson explained how he studied the judges carefully the day before when he served as an apprentice in the Master Chef of the Year event. Johnson said he paid close attention to how the judges reacted to the chefs in the Master Chef event. The knowledge he gained from this assessment and preparation helped calm his nerves and produce a better product when it came time for him to perform in his next competition.
“Honestly, I tried to calm myself down a lot before the student chef competition,” said Johnson. “Because if you let yourself panic, then you tend to mess more things up.”
While Johnson values competition, he says he was more focused on bettering himself.
“The exercise and the training leading up to these events, really makes you a better person, explained Johnson. “I learned how to work with others, prepare and focus on time management. And it makes you want to be a better person for yourself and your team.”
Johnson received a bronze medal in the Student Chef of the Year event, and a silver medal for the Student Teams competition.
The award is especially important for his family.
“You know, my mom took care of me, and she was a single mother with six kids, and she did it all by herself, '' explained Johnson. “I just wanted to be better, not just for her, but for myself. So I’m doing really well since I joined the Army, and I feel my mom can be proud of me.”
| Date Taken: | 03.14.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.10.2022 20:53 |
| Story ID: | 416835 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 31 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Bragg Soldier proves he can stand the heat in his first Joint Culinary Training Exercise, by SPC Ricky Gavilan, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT