Fourth Quarter Warrior Chef Competition
341st Missile Wing Public Affairs - Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT
The 341st Force Support Squadron hosted the fourth quarter Warrior Chef Competition Aug. 3 at the Elkhorn Dining Facility. The objective of the competition is to recognize and reward talented culinary experts for superior performance while enhancing culinary proficiency inside or outside of the missile field. “I feel (the competition) instills pride in what we do,” said Master Sgt. Charity Grant, 341st FSS bravo flight NCO in charge of missile alert feeding. “It broadens the perspective of their job and shows we’re not just cooks - we can create complex meals, too.” The competing teams included Team One: The Chef-A-Teers consisting of Airmen 1st Class Alisha Hubbard, Lekeya Lindsey and Nikko Songalia representing the 341st FSS; Team Two: Unexpected Squad consisting of Staff Sgt. Christopher Gangloff, Airmen 1st Class Natalie Thurman and Solana McMillan also representing the 341st FSS; Team Three: Make America Grill Again consisting of Chief Master Sgt. Fred Wetzel, Master Sgts. Jeff House and James Nephew representing the Top Three; Team Four: Team Mom (Mothers of Mischief) consisting of Master Sgts. Danielle Miranda, Kelley Ferguson and Sherry Matthew also representing the Top Three. The four opposing teams battled for first place during the competition in which each team had one hour to prepare an entrée, side dish and dessert, and strategically incorporate the secret ingredient of peanut butter into the dishes. The teams had to prepare six servings of each dish from scratch and present them to five judges who critiqued on taste, texture, tenderness, creativity, presentation and use of the secret ingredient. The judges in attendance were Col. Anita Feugate-Opperman, 341st Operations Group commander; Col. Denise Cooper, 341st Mission Support Group commander; Lt. Col. Michael Epper, 341st Force Support Squadron commander; Donna Whitmore, 341st FSS commercial sponsorship coordinator; and Mark Grasseschi, local restaurant owner. If the scores came down to a tie, the tie breaker would be based on who the judges felt used the secret ingredient the best. “I really believe you eat with your eyes first,” Cooper said to one team. “It has to look exciting and the portions have to be enough. This obviously speaks teamwork because of the complexity of the food produced.” Epper thanked the defenders from Team Three for leading on the frontline and leaving their comfort zone to show Airmen not to only try something new but to have fun doing it. “This isn’t about an FSS competition,” Epper said. “I appreciate you stepping into the kitchen and taking the chance on participating.” Team Two took the win and the three Airmen were each awarded a paring knife, chef’s knife, cutting board and a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. They will be traveling to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to compete in the Global Strike Warrior Chef competition. “The competition brought a sense of esprit de corps,” Cooper said. “First or fourth (place), it was a few points in between teams. In the spirit of our mission and teamwork, thanks to everyone who came out to support a small part of our mission.”