By Staff Sgt. Allan Baros
FORT POLK, La. - Two soldiers from 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade were selected last month to participate in an apprenticeship with Atwood’s Bakery in Alexandria; the first time in Fort Polk history such an apprenticeship has been established.
Sgt. Garret Smith, 46th Engineer Battalion, and Spc. Louis Palmer, 272nd Military Police Company, 519th Military Police Battalion, were selected out of 65 food service specialists to begin their path towards becoming journeyman bakers. Journeyman baker certification is the first of many certifications needed before bakers can reach the highest certification: master baker.
Mark Atwood, the owner of Atwood’s Bakery, is one of two certified master bakers in Louisiana. Smith and Palmer are the first Army soldiers to apprentice there.
“We both benefit through this program,” Atwood said. “It’s always been a good experience.”
The apprenticeship with Atwood’s Bakery involves three steps: Breads, sweet dough and cookies; chocolates and petit fours (small-cut pieces of cake); and cake decorating. Each step is five weeks long. At the end of each day, a 1 1/2-hour class is instructed by Atwood from the American Institute of Baking to certify them as journeymen.
Smith is currently working on breads and sweet dough as his first step into becoming a journeyman baker.
“I am learning a lot of new techniques that I would like to bring into the dining facility,” he said.
Smith hopes to teach other cooks what he is learning at the bakery to entice more soldiers to eat at the dining facility.
“I have a passion for teaching,” said Smith. When he completes the program, Smith also wants to participate in the annual Army culinary arts competition, held at Fort Lee ,Va.
Palmer is preparing chocolates and petit fours as his first step towards journeyman. Palmer’s passion for baking has helped him excel. In just two weeks, he was able to prepare 450 petit fours in an hour and a half, the same amount of time given to the experienced bakers there. “It’s fun and it’s new,” he said.
The 1st MEB’s food service advisors are generating more apprenticeship programs for cooks so they have opportunities (like this one) to get certified in other areas of their career field.
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.15.2011 16:41 |
| Story ID: | 65489 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 81 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 1st MEB cooks become bakers in apprenticeship, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
