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Military Chef

7K views 32 replies 8 participants last post by  don rich 
#1 ·
So Im planning on joining the Navy as a Chef (UK) because I want to travel and meet new people while Im still young (21). Ive got 2 years of restaurant experience and love the work but tired of my current lifestyle/location.

Has anyone on here been a chef in the forces or know about what I can expect from it?
 
#2 ·
I can only speak to the US Navy. Expect lots of hard work and long hours with low pay. You will have duties other than the galley. In the US Navy to cooks (called culinary specialists) also operate the barracks on shore stations and the wardroom on ships. You will have military assignments as well. For example, I was a member of a gun crew on one of my ships. I was the damage control petty officer for the supply division on another ship. Those duties were performed after hours. In the Seabees I was a mortar crewman, squad leader and other duties not related to food service. Also expect long periods away from home. I hope this helps.
 
#3 ·
I don't know about the UK ... but the U.S. military provides an absolutely competent culinary program. It's also so easy that you don't even need to think. You do things the way you are told ... and you do them correctly. It's a beautiful thing. It's such a beautiful thing that whenever I had spare time, and I didn't need to sleep, I'd spend it in the mess hall where I could do stuff, when I could. When you get out, which you shouldn't do until they force you, you'll be able to walk into any kitchen anywhere and be at home. I've been to both ... the military is better than the CIA ... because they pay you to be there. You've never got to spend your own money ... you've always got somewhere to eat and sleep ... you get to see the world ... you've got free health care ... YOU GET PAID. It's like better than Mom's house.
 
#4 ·
That's funny. Were you a recruiter? I was a cook in the US Army for twenty years. Yes they pay you, house you and feed you, but you also have your military job too. Team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant etc. Cooking school is very basic. Doesn't compare to CIA. It does have a advance Culinary month long course if you can get your chain of command to send you. Be on your game and MAYBE you can cook for generals,personal chef on private planes,cook at the white house. This all depends on the type of unit you are in and your chain of command
 
#5 ·
OK ... So since SOMEBODY gets to cook for the top-brass and such ... what did I say that was wrong? I also said I've been to both ... the CIA and the military. I have absolutely NO Problemmo claiming the military to be better. You can retire very well from the military. You can't retire from just going to school. Everyone's profession is exactly what they make of it ... whatever it is that they choose. I wasn't even a culinary person ... and I had a great time doing it.

NO ... I'm not a recruiter.

"We work in kitchens ... It ain'te rocket surgery."
 
#6 ·
LOL at the military training being better than the CIA.

I'll take the guys word for it who was a cook in the Army for twenty years over somebody who visited the mess hall.

The army might be the better deal for an individual because of reasons that were stated (room and board, pay). CIA is not cheap. That depends on the person. But to argue that the quality of the training is better? That's ludicrous. The CIA has classes on things that the military would never touch on.
 
#7 ·
Whatever, Grasshopper. I said I went to the CIA, if you didn't read that part. A big hot-shot CIA education guarantees you nothing. YES, you should know everything there is to know coming out of the best school ... with a ton of debt. I got into, and did real well @ the CIA because of what I knew from having "visited the mess hall". I don't know anything from Mr.GI-Joe 1-post Army Man. He might have lots of experience. What I'm saying is that the military is a career, with lots of potential ... and the CIA still only gets you a $12/hr job ... if you're lucky.

Please ... Do whatever makes you happy. The CIA Has a bunch of very famous alumni. Good luck with becoming one of them.
 
#8 ·
I have a very close friend who was a military cook/chef in the Canadian Forces, and I agree that they do have an excellent culinary training program. 

I think that if the argument is that military culinary training, on a content basis, is superior to that of a reputable culinary arts institute, then I think that is generally false - a reputable culinary arts institute simply will teach you a lot that the military doesn't have to. 

On the other hand, if the argument is that the military culinary program is a very good and realistic career option for many people who can't or don't want to pay for a reputable culinary arts program and who are seeking a career from the get go, then I absolutely agree with that. 
 
#9 ·
My experience was with the Swiss Army, just the basic 17 wk basic training. We never stayed in one kitchen for more than a week, we cooked in tents, backs of trucks, in the snow, in the sun, in a lot of air raid shelters, and sometimes even in the barracks kitchen. We had to deliver meals to various outposts as well as officers, we had to be quick, and had to move kitchen within a 2hr period.

While I never learnt much about cooking (other than how to make canned food more palateable) I learned all about comminication, organisation, how valuable relationships were with the quartermaster as well as the motor pool, and how valuable good equipment can be. All of this prepared me well when I had my own catering company ten years later.

Experience is experience. The more you get, and the more varied it is, the better off you will be.
 
#10 ·
... While I never learnt much about cooking (other than how to make canned food more palateable) I learned all about comminication, organisation, how valuable relationships were with the quartermaster as well as the motor pool, and how valuable good equipment can be. All of this prepared me well when I had my own catering company ten years later. ...
I gained valuable experience in contingency operations in the US Navy (both in the fleet and in the Seabees). This summer at the camp I had to deal with a water shortage (water filter issue in the camp's water treatment plant), power outage (local electric company issue) and propane outage (kitchen tanks ran out of gas). Experience teaches you to think on your feet, consider options and take steps to get the meal out on time. During the propane outage, I baked coffee cake (with a hint of Kingsford!) in our BBQ pit.

 
#11 ·
I went to CIA also,and yes if you are slow or don't position yourself in progressively complex positions with more responsibilities in different aspects of the food industry your career will be slow.Yes it will take about 12- 15 years. Cooking in the US Army if you make Brigade Sergeant Major, you will have to be in for 30 years and make what a Sous chef makes in 5-7 years
 
#12 · (Edited)
LOL. Another report from a person THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY CLUE about the economics of military cost of living. "Mr.2-Post".

NO sous anywhere ... outside of "Fantasy Island" is making 30-year E9 pay.

Oh yeah ... that "Brigade Sergeant Major" rank doesn't even start until 2017.
Try getting your facts right.
 
#15 ·
OK 20 year SGM makes 50. Average Sous makes 48. If you want a lot of satisfaction and a little towards retirement the military is good. Just remember retirement pay will only go so far unless you put in at least twenty and make SGM. Otherwise go back to work. If you still want to be a chef after the army you will have to depend on the extracurricular classes to give you a head start. You will have to learn fine dining. That means another 15- 20 years I'm assuming
 
#18 ·
Going to Culinary arts schools, you should do a couple of years line experience in a fine dining restaurant first to get the most out of it. Know that Escoffier started the kitchen brigade. So there is the military headset. Be proactive in your job and career. Being a chef takes years to build a knowledge base. Learn what you can in maybe fine dining, then hotel/resorts maybe or vise versa. Banquets, catering ,street food,bbq,charcuterie
 
#20 ·
P
Cooking in the military translated to civilian is the equivalent of institutional cook. prison or retirement facilities. Retirement chefs usually have to have knowledgein accordance with dieticians
Bullsh*t.

Armies are mobile. Prisons and old folks homes are not.
Army cooking presents a ton of logistical problems that no prison or insitution will ever have. Its the Chefs job to deal with it.

I suggest putting on a uniform and experiencing it for yourself.
 
#21 · (Edited)
P
Bullsh*t.

Armies are mobile. Prisons and old folks homes are not.
Army cooking presents a ton of logistical problems that no prison or institution will ever have. Its the Chefs job to deal with it.

I suggest putting on a uniform and experiencing it for yourself.
He's right @foodpump ... yes, armies are mobile, and as such, the logistics aspect of the job is multiplied. But the services have that all figured out. The cook doesn't have to re-invent Class I resupply in the field. All he has to do is to learn the logistics system, the field kitchen equipment and the different field rations (A rats, B rats, MREs, UGRs, T rats, etc. (I'm dating myself now!)). I think what he's saying is army cooking best compares to institutional cooking (prisons, hospitals, schools, etc.) rather than restaurant cooking. When I worked for the California prison system, we had a high percentage of retired US military cooks, including myself.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Monthly basic pay amounts are rounded to the nearest U.S. dollar and are for the active components of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

E-9 w/ 20-years makes $5805 / month. ... $69,660 / year.

E-9 w/ 30-years makes $6968 / month. ... $83,661 / year.

That does NOT include cost of personal travel reimbursement if needed.

That does NOT include monthly housing assistance of +/- $1,550 / month.

That does NOT include NO FREAKIN' PAYMENTS for healthcare.

Don Rich ... You don't have CLUE #1 about what you're talking about.

If you've got any brains whatsoever ... you CAN learn LOTS of good culinary stuff in the military service to your country. If however ... you're a freakin' idiot ... you'll be peeling potatoes, scraping pans and stacking boxes of MREs.
 
#23 ·
Chill IceMan.  I was only in the kitchen as a KP.  I'm no idiot but I did a lot of peeling potatoes, scraping pans and stacking boxes of C rations.  I made the first Sargent made at the beginning of  Basic and did lots of KP.  I did this for about $80.00 peI  month as I remember.  The military is something you can't really understand until you have been there.  O by the way do any sous you know of carry a rifle?  
 
#24 ·
Nah, no rifle. The Swiss being Swiss, all of us kitchen guys HAD to have a s.i.g. 9mm pistol on us at all times, I mean they'd do snap weapon inspections while we were making breakfast. 'Course, they'd only issue us ammunition at target practice.....
 
#25 ·
OK iceman let it go jeez.how long does it take in the civilian sector to make 69,000 versus in the military and what skills are transferrable to your next job to make more? I know military cooks(speaking from experience) get out and find they have to start all over again as far as cooking goes if you want to keep cooking. Military cooking is equivalent to institutional cooking in the private sector
 
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