FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. -- Culinary Specialists (CS) from across the fleet competed at the 49th annual Joint Culinary Training Exercise (JCTE), which ran from Feb. 28 until March 7, 2025, at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. This year's training event attracted over 150 U.S. military personnel from installations and activities worldwide, alongside allied forces teams from the Republic of Korea, Germany, the U.K., and France.

The exercise, managed by the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence (JCCOE), is the largest American Culinary Federation (ACF) -sanctioned competition in North America. JCTE showcases the talents of military chefs from around the globe and has evolved into the premier culinary competition in the military.

The road to selection for the competition begins each August for Sailors wishing to form part of the Navy Culinary Arts Team (NCAT). Requests come from commands, packages are submitted, tryouts are held, and in October selections are made.

“In previous years, our NCAT was comprised of Sailors who have never trained or competed at JCTE,” said Master Chief Culinary Specialist (CSCM) Eric Johnson, who served as NCAT Team Manager. “This year, we've shifted to welcoming returning competitors, which brings with it enhanced continuity, experience, and mentorship, enriching the team’s ability to focus on the quality of training and ensuring mission success.”
 

The maximum team size is 12, consisting of 10 competitors, one Team Manager, and one Team Advisor (who may be a civilian chef). The Team Manager serves in an administrative/support position without actively participating in any event while maintaining overall responsibility for their team. Each team includes five professionals and five student (apprentice) members, with strict rules preventing student members from competing in professional categories and professional members from competing in student categories or serving as apprentices.

2025 NCAT members included: CS1 Lucas Howell (Naval Support Facility Thurmont), CS1 Toni Tamonan (USS Essex), CS2 Max Delices (USS Gerald R. Ford), CS2 Jonathan Ortiz (Naval Air Station Jacksonville), CS2 Jasmine Reynolds (Dam Neck Annex Galley), CS3 Rodria Hudges (Naval Support Facility Thurmont), CS3 Tami Martinez (PCU John F. Kennedy), CS3 Jamila Osman (PCU John F. Kennedy), CSS3 Angelo Steinhauer (USS Mississippi) and CSSA Alejandro Escobar (USS Gerald R. Ford). Individually competing members representing the Navy included: CS1 Samuel Babativa Gallo (NAVEUR-NAVAF), CS2 Larry Burns (USS Essex), and CS3 Santiago Perez Varela (PCU John F. Kennedy).

Exercise participants competed in a multitude of events with individual categories including Chef of the Year, Pasty Chef of the Year, Student Chef of the Yea, and Student Pastry Chef of the Year while other categories tested the teams’ ability to work together in the Student Team of the Year, Nutritional Hot Food Kitchen, Operational Hot Food Kitchen, and Team Display Table events. The winners of the 2025 Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Student Chef of the Year, Student Pastry Chef of the Year, and Student Team of the Year categories will have an opportunity to compete at the 2025 ACF National Convention.

“Each team member this year was truly a shining example of what we want the future of the CS rating to be,” said CSCM Johnson. “As we depart and return to our commands, I encourage our Sailors to maintain the sense of urgency we taught them throughout the training and apply it to daily life. This will help prepare them for the task at hand as well as tomorrow's. We also try to impress on them to never stop learning; being a chef is the one of the only careers where you never stop learning and need to stay hungry, because in the culinary arts there is always room to hone one’s skills.”

The JCTE is renowned for its rigorous judging criteria, emphasizing not only taste and presentation but also military-specific aspects of food service. Judges also evaluate competitors on their ability to prepare meals under simulated field conditions while maintaining strict food safety standards.

"After finishing my Culinary 'A' School at JCCOE, I reported to my ship the USS Gerald R. Ford and started cooking like any young Sailor in my rate would,” said Culinary Specialist Seaman (CSSN) Alejandro Escobar. “My leadership, specifically my Master Chief, saw that I had potential, and that’s how I got here, selected to compete with the NCAT.”

Overall, the NCAT team managed an impressive showing at this year’s competition taking home 19 medals across various categories including 12 gold medals, 3 silver, 4 bronze, and 3 Best in Show wins.

“The competition brings with it a lot of pressure; you have to keep in mind every dish must come out on point, otherwise you won’t get the result that you want,” said CSSN Escobar, who took home a silver medal for the Student Chef of the Year event. “Obviously, I was shooting for gold, but whenever I heard everyone from my team, friends, fiancé, and all my shipmates cheering for me, it made me feel proud. Their support made me believe in myself.”

The JCTE's rich history now spans nearly five decades. What began as the Armed Forces Foodservice Competition in the 1970s has evolved into a comprehensive showcase of military culinary excellence.

Navy Culinary Specialists continue to play a vital role in fleet readiness. Beyond traditional food preparation, today's specialists manage complex food service systems, implement nutritional optimization programs, and ensure food security in contested environments.

The Navy Food Service Program, under NAVSUP's direction, continues to evolve with the implementation of the Integrated Food Service Management System (IFSMS) and the Fleet Nutrition Optimization Initiative. These programs leverage data analytics and predictive modeling to enhance meal quality while reducing costs and environmental impact.

As part of the Center for Service Support (CSS), Naval Technical Training Center (NTTC) Meridian oversees the training for all CSs and has a detachment at Fort Gregg-Adams where Sailors attend the JCCOE for CS “A” School.

CSS provides Sailors in the Naval Administration, Chaplaincy, Command Support Program Management, Human Resources, Logistics, Maintenance Coordination, Media, and Security Management communities the necessary professional skills, knowledge, and education to support the fleet’s warfighting mission.

For more information on JCCOE, follow this link: https://quartermaster.army.mil/jccoe/jccoe_main.html.

To learn more about CSS or NTTC Meridian, click the following links: https://www.netc.navy.mil/CSS/ or https://www.netc.navy.mil/NTTCMeridian/.