What Is It Like to Be a Chef in The Military?
As people spend more time on their work, it becomes challenging to carry out other activities. In turn, it is becoming apparent that people are leaning towards purchasing prepared food. While that shift is taking place, it is worth noting that head cooks and chefs are the professionals behind the well-cooked and served food you regularly buy. That is good news to anyone who is considering a future in culinary arts.
At this point, it is worthwhile noting that although restaurants and hotels employ the largest number of culinary arts graduates, some of them opt to work in the military. There are some differences between civilian eateries and a culinary life in the military. Let's take a look at what it's like to be a military chef.
Military Chef Overview
Enlisting in the military after you have attained professional skills in preparing food usually gives you an advantage. Without these skills, one has to go through the whole process of having to attend advanced culinary skills training. On the other hand, aspiring chefs who want to join the military and have a degree from a reputable university only need to attend the basic military food service training.
Differences Between Working in the Military and Civilian Eateries
A good military chef is naturally interested in health and cooking. During the enlisting process, one has to specify the area of specialty. Once basic training is completed, the aspiring military chef can focus on their cooking.
Regardless of your capacity in the military, you have the opportunity to serve your country. Part of your experience may involve being deployed to different parts of the world. On the other hand, culinary arts graduates working at civilian restaurants mainly prepare or oversee the preparation of food for the locals and area visitors.
Military chefs have to be versatile and adaptive. Although this requirement should also apply to chefs working at civilian eateries, the conditions at military camps are more demanding. Given the unpredicted nature of deployment locations, the conditions could be more challenging than expected. Despite that, these chefs have to adapt accordingly and quickly unlike civilian chefs who work mostly in the same environment for a long period.
After earning your degree in culinary arts, you will be sufficiently ready to work in most high standard hotels and restaurants. Notably, the case is slightly different when you opt to the join the military as a chef. For instance, even with your professional skills, you will have to learn the process of preparing food at the garrisons and in the field bases with military-approved recipes. In addition to that, military chefs have the responsibility of cleaning and maintaining military kitchen equipment.
Choosing to Be a Chef in the Military
The above details and differences cover what to expect when you join the military after your professional qualification in culinary arts. Choosing this path is a personal decision backed up by passion, just like for any other.
With your professional cooking skills and the additional experience working in the military, you could work in a wide range of areas within the service. To start with, you can opt to specialize further and become a baker, food manager, or work with beverages most of the time. After leaving the military, all the skills you would have gained will also help you quickly adapt into the civilian workplace.
Napoleon once said an army marches on its stomach. If you want to work preparing our brave service members for their duties with an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts, consider ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia for the educational background you'll need to make your culinary dreams come true. Don't hesitate, contact an admissions advisor today to learn more about your options!
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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