Food Service Specialist
Force Notes
January-July
2007
Staff Changes
FS Program Manager
After 24 years of faithful service, CWO3 Jesse Hill retired effective 1 June 2007. We
thank Mr. Hill for his service and wish him continued success in his future pursuits.
CWO4 Jerry Bukowski (former FS assignment officer) reported aboard in late May.
Mr. Bukowski brings a lot of experience and passion for the FS rating; I am looking
forward to working with him. His first priority will to expedite the completion of the FS
Manual, Change 3. We had to put in some additional policy information (see below)
and we wanted to give Mr. Bukowski an opportunity to review the manual, so we held
onto it.
Mr. Bukowski may be reached at:
(202) 475-5149
Email: Jerry.L.Buckowski@uscg.mil
Dining Facility Automation Management Program Manager
FS1 Ian Weiss
(202) 475-5152
Email: Ian.S.Weiss@uscg.mil
I have recently arrived here at CG-1111 from TRACEN Petaluma, and have taken
over the DFAM Specialist position from FS1 Gregg Fellion. FS1 Fellion has done a
phenomenal job in getting this program off the ground, I and am lucky to have had such
an informative relief process.
I know there have been many questions from the field on whether or not DFAM
would become a reality. I can answer, unequivocally, yes. We are, in the next few weeks,
going to be reviewing our vendor options with OSC Martinsburg. OSC has been chosen
as the hosting site for the DFAM program.
CG-1111 has developed the following timeline for the pilot phase of the DFAM
project:
June - July: 6 units are chosen as pilot commands. A Memo from CG-1111 is sent to the
6 pilot commands, formally requesting participation.
July - Mid Sep: A Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) product is selected with the
cooperation of CG-1111 and OSC Martinsburg based on functionality and technical
requirements.
Mid Sep - Mid Oct: Training held for pilot units, FSAT members and CG-1111.
After the training is held, members will report back to their units and begin utilizing the
COTS product, while maintaining the unit's current paperwork system, as a check against
the COTS product.
Units will report any issues or mistakes within the product to FS1 Ian Weiss at CG-1111,
who will work with the vendor and OSC Martinsburg for a solution. CG-1111 will
conduct periodic site visits with the pilot commands to assist with any training or product
issues.
I am looking forward to being the field's liaison during the development of this project,
and welcome any questions you may have.
FS1 Ian Weiss
Dining Facility Automation Management Program Specialist COMDT CG-1111 1900
Half St JR 09-0831 Washington DC 20593 e-mail Ian.S.Weiss@uscg.mil Phone (202)
475-5152 Cell (202) 680-9778
Fax (202) 475-5907
FS Professional Development Specialist
FSC Dena Reagan
(202) 475-5151
Dena.L.Reagan@uscg.mil
The first FS Professional Development Specialist, Senior Chief Mike Kadi, departed CG1111 and has assumed the duties of the Assistant FS “A” School Chief at TRACEN
Petaluma. Senior Chief Kadi set an incredibly high standard of excellence in the
performance of his duties; we very much appreciate his dedication to improving the FS
rating. FSC Dena Reagan reported aboard in February 2007 from CGC Seneca.
New Business:
On Monday 4 June 2007, we launched the new Nutritional Cooking for Food Service
Professionals at TRACEN Petaluma. The new course is a collaborative effort with both
FSs and Health Promotions Managers (Ms. Jessica Dung, ISC Honolulu) teaching FSs
how to prepare nutritious foods, modify their menus, prepare presentations, etc. The
feedback we have received from the field has indicated that menu modifications vice
preparing foods that are not popular (tofu, for example) are a better fit for our food
service needs.
The course is a work in progress; we will be soliciting input from the attendees to make
adjustments that will ensure the training is relevant, helpful and works for our rating.
Our former training partner, Johnson and Wales University, unexpectedly terminated all
relations with the CG in April of 2007. We have been working to identify another
training partner to conduct the training for the DFOY Winners and Runners Up. We are
confident we will get the training partner identified and deliver the training sometime this
summer. Each attendee will be given the opportunity to attend the training once we have
identified a partner and worked out the dates to accommodate as many original attendees
as possible. CG-1111 will be contacting all affected personnel directly when we have
some information to pass.
Our Career Path Program (CPP) has identified two sites, The Founders Inn, Virginia
Beach, VA and the Barona Valley Casino, Barona, CA, as possible training partners. The
CPP has changed a little since its inception several years ago. We realized that in order
to open up the program to the FS community, we will have to find sites that are within
local commuting distance to units that have FSs.
Funding is the reason. It will cost approximately $10K per attendee to attend otherwise;
we simply do not have the money to make that happen. We have also realized that
instead of the 7-week blocks of training conducted over 3 years, we are able to conduct 2
7-week blocks of training and achieve the certification as Chef de Cuisine (our original
goal).
We are working with the properties to get the legal requirements finalized and
Memorandums of Understanding signed.
We are always looking for training sites in different areas of the country. FS2 Lorraine
Terry (CGC Hamilton) identified the Barona Valley property, we went out and met
with the management and we are finishing the details. We are looking for sites wherever
there are large amounts of FSs stationed (Seattle, Alameda, Honolulu, Miami, Key West,
etc), we need your help. Please contact me directly if you have a suggestion for a
training site.
FSC Dena Reagan, FS Professional Development Specialist, CG-1111
FS Subject Matter Expert
FSCS Tim Lemelin
(707) 765-7142
Timothy.A.Lemelin@uscg.mil
I want to thank all of you for continually visiting the FSSMS WebPages, providing your
input whether that included pictures, management, Training tools and comments to make
the site better.
It is obvious that you are promoting its use; I have been receiving and posting numerous
letters of recognition including Sailor of the Quarter, Letters of Commendation,
Achievement Medals, and Sailor of the Year.
Three of these posts resulted in FS-RFMC granting paid TONOs from headquarters to
attend the DFOY and subsequent culinary skills development course.
I encourage all of you to continue to promote the FSSMS website. This is the main
vehicle from which information is passed in the FS Community.
In addition, the FS Information Portal and FSCD have become the number one tools used
for sharing best business practices for the day to day operations of the dining facilities.
Your input has made this powerful knowledge management tool possible.
It is important we continue to share our knowledge in support of one another. This can
be accomplished by coordinating a FS conference in your area, developing training
material to be added to FS Portal or by simply visiting the FS in your area and
fostering a relationship. Every individual has something to offer the FS community
even if that something is an example of the wrong business practice. We all learn from
each others mistakes and successes.
Respectfully,
FSC Timothy A. Lemelin
Course & Exam Developer / Subject Matter Specialist
Training Center Petaluma
599 Tomales Road Rm: 403
Petaluma, CA 94952-5000
Phone: (707)765-7142
Email: Timothy.A.Lemelin@uscg.mil
Website: http://cgweb.tcpet.uscg.mil/tpf/fssms/fssms.htm
FSCM Garrett’s comments:
This is a phenomenal site that contains tons of information and resources for our
community. I was able to provide many TONO’s for well deserving FSs that had been
recognized as Sailor of the Quarter (Year) for their unit. This is the site/resource I utilize
most often when we are trying to find the right person to participate in FS conferences
and training opportunities. (And the FSATs as well!) Be sure to send Chief Lemelin the
write ups you or your staffs have achieved for superior performance and
accomplishments. It is a great way to showcase your talent and let everyone know what
accomplishments/contributions you have made to our service!
Assignment to the FSAT
There are new requirements published in Change 41 to the Personnel Manual,
COMDINST M10000.6 (Series). The requirements for assignment consideration to the
Food Service Assistance and Training Team (FFSAT) are defined in Chapter 4, Section
C.13 page # 4.C.35. The date/time/group for the message announcing the change is:
R 251808Z JUN 07
Special Command Aide Program
FSCS Manny Bello-Leon
Office of the Commandant (CG-00)
(202) 372-4412
Email: Luis.M.Bello-Leon@uscg.mil
The SCA Program is always looking for qualified applicants to screen for assignment
within the SCA community. If you are interested or have any questions regarding the
SCA Program, you may contact FSCS Bello-Leon.
FS Practical Handbook
The FS SME has undertaken (with several partners) the process of editing the FS
Practical Handbook. SCPO Lemelin spent hundreds of man hours getting the reference
completed, it looks phenomenal. I will be sending the manual for concurrent clearance
within a few weeks. I cannot say how long the process will take, so I am asking for your
patience. We will not be making any paper copies (with the possible exception for “A”
School students) for the field, it will be an electronic reference that can be printed locally
if you desire.
Stacey Russell on Emeril Live
Our own FS of the Year won a contest that got her on Emeril ‘s TV show,
here is the article:
Emeril’s Army-Navy Cookoff” and “Emeril’s Military Contest,” filmed at the Food
Network studios in the Chelsea Market building, will air on June 29 and 30, respectively
Lagasse went looking for a few good recipes last fall and found them through a militaryonly cooking contest.
“I was so impressed with the creativity from all ranks, from every branch of the service,”
Lagasse said of the hundreds of recipes he received during the contest. “Tonight, we’re
going to be saluting the best of the best by making the winning recipes.”
The recipes represented all of the services, including the Coast Guard, and the military
chefs got to share the stage as the chef cooked and joked. Lagasse said the dishes showed
the same kind of creativity and effort that’s come to be expected on the gridiron during
the legendary Army-Navy football game.
The winners came to New York from as far away as South Korea and Kuwait and as
close by as Connecticut. No matter how far they traveled, they all were thrilled with the
opportunity, describing the experience as “Wow!”
“Emeril’s an amazing guy,” said Marine Col. Stewart Navarre, whose Combat Steak
earned him a seat on the stage. “And what an experience to be here in New York City and
watch one of our preeminent cooks.”
Navarre, whose recipe took first place in his local portion of a military grilling contest
sponsored by Weber Grill, was having such a great time, he didn’t even mind when, in
true Lagasse fashion, “kicked it up a notch.”
“It’s all good,” Navarre said.
Arizona Army National Guard Spec. Andrew Ruga, who is currently stationed at Camp
Arifjan, Kuwait, but was able to attend the show, agreed. He found it unbelievable to see
his dish prepared by the top chef.
“I can’t believe it was that good of a recipe,” said Ruga, who, as a surprise, got to talk to
friends in Kuwait via satellite during the show. “I mean, I thought it was good, but here’s
the living proof.”
Ruga, who serves with the 222nd Transportation Company, said he came up with the
recipe the way he does many of his creations.
“What happens when we’re on the road is there’s nothing to do. So I always start bugging
the guys, ‘Pick a protein. Pick a starch. Pick something,’” he said. “They pick it and I try
to create recipes around it.”
Regardless of who was sitting in the winners’ seats, a few audience members claimed to
be the real winners. They were the ones lucky enough to sample the fare, dishes such as
Rainbow Fruit Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Fried Cheddar Grits and a Blueberry Coulis.
The U.S. Army blues Ensemble Swamp Romp entertained the audience watching the
taping of Emeril’s Military Cookoff during the breaks. It was the Army’s Brass Quintet
that had the audience of soldiers, sailors and family members on their feet throughout the
second show.
Army Col. Thomas Rotondi, Jr. commander and leader of the Army Band, of which the
Swamp Romp and the Brass Quintet are a part, said it was great to be a part of the
festivities. While he thought all of the dishes were tasty, he had picked a favorite.
“They’re all great,” Rotondi said. “The grit cakes. Oh yeah, those are fantastic.”
During a brief news conference between shows, Lagasse said he looked to the military
for new recipes as a way to honor service members’ sacrifices, and as a way to show his
support. He said he knows a couple of young men, one in the Air Force, one in the Army,
who have served several tours in the Middle East.
“I respect them, so for me, it’s what I can do to give back, he said.
For the benefit of audiences across America, Lagasse put spotlight on the Defense
Department’s America Supports You program that features the ways Americans and the
corporate sector are supporting the nation’s service members.
“I know I speak on behalf of many Americans like me who want to sincerely express
their gratitude and appreciation to America’s military men and women,” Lagasse said
during the shows “You can read more about what they’re doing and saying by logging
onto the Web site www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil. Write it down.”
The contest winners are:
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class Travis Smith, Headquarters 19th Expeditionary
Sustained Command, South Korea, for his Fire Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Cilantro
Cream and Grilled Cajun Catfish.
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Chiarelli, a culinary specialist stationed aboard the
USS Tarawa, represented the Navy with a Cedar Plank Salmon Parmesan with Asian
Reduction Sauce of Julienne Vegetables.
Army National Guard Spec. Andrew Ruga, 222nd Transportation Company, Camp,
Arifjan, Kuwait, caught the judges’ attention with a Pecan Crusted Chicken over Field
Greens with Caramel Citrus Vinaigrette.
Marine Col. Stewart Navarre, chief of staff, Marine Corps Installations West, Camp
Pendleton, Calif., won for his Combat Steak.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Wesley Williams, dining facility manager at Ellsworth Air Force
Base, S.D., won for his Rainbow Fruit Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Fried Cheddar Grits
and a Blueberry Coulis.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Stacey Russell, stationed at Sector Long Island Sound, Conn.,
won rave reviews for her Pumpkin Pie.
Coast Guard Culinary Training Team/31st Army Culinary Arts
Competition
The CG participated in the 31st annual Army Culinary Arts Competition at Fort Lee, VA,
this past March. The team took 18 Medals in many categories.
Chief Justin Reed, MLCLANT FSAT, made all the arrangements for the team including
acquiring funding for TONO’s, working with commands, interfacing with the Army and
above all, training the team.
Here is the official article:
Fire and Ice: Coast Guard Chefs show their stuff at Prestigious Army
Cooking Competition
(Story and photos by Petty Officer Kip Wadlow)
Torches, electric grinders and chainsaws are tools usually found in garages, garden sheds and
hardware stores, not kitchens.
But when these unusual cooking utensils are combined with a splash of pride, sprinkling of crossservice rivalry, a prestigious Army culinary competition, a handful of talented Coast Guard chefs
and brought to a boil, it creates a recipe for success.
The nine men and women of the Coast Guard's culinary team, representing the nation's smallest
military service, competing in the 32nd Annual U.S. Army Culinary Competition at Fort Lee, Va.,
did more than hold their own against the best culinary teams the Army, Air Force and Marine
Corps have to offer. They won and won big.
Iron Chefs
Knives flashed, pots bubbled and flames roared into the air as Seaman Edward Fuchs (fooks),
Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, and Chief Petty Officer Justin Reed, Maintenance and Logistics
Command, Atlantic, took part in the contest's first events, the Junior and Senior Military Chef of
the Year Competitions. Reed and Fuchs got the nine member Coast Guard culinary team off to a
strong start, each earning a silver medal for their efforts.
In the chef of the year contest, competitors are given four hours to prepare a four-course meal
from a pre-selected list of ingredients. The main difference between the divisions is that junior
chefs are allowed to see the list of ingredients two days before the competition, allowing them
time to practice preparing their meal. Senior chefs on the other hand are afforded no such luxury
and must prepare their menu from scratch at the start of the competition.
Reed, a returning competitor in the Senior Chef division, put his cooking skills and experience to
use preparing a meal which consisting of a small salad, oyster bisque soup, a pistachio crusted
rack of lamb with a mustard mint sauce as an appetizer, a wild mushroom risotto cake topped
with a Sea Bass fillet was served as the entrée followed by a chocolate soufflé for dessert.
"These judges are old school judges who like to see classical cuisine," said Reed who used this
knowledge while planning and preparing his meal.
"The food judges really liked the food that I made today," said Reed happily.
The following day found Fuchs rushing to serve his entrée on time, a risotto topped with red
peppers, shrimp and lobster.
"It's a rush! It's like the top gun for cooks with everybody trying to be the best," said Fuchs, who
competed in several similar cooking contests before joining the Coast Guard less than six months
ago.
Fuchs said that when he wasn't competing, he was busy sharing and comparing ideas with
competitors from the other services. "What it boils down to at the end of the day is that we're all
cooks and everyone here has a passion for what they do," said Fuchs.
Fuchs was also impressed by the amount of support given to him by his command.
"The Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is a great boat, with a great command and a great crew.
They've all been supportive of my coming to the competition," said Fuchs.
"Right now they are running ice trials and are down one cook. It's a very big and important time
for them and to let me go like this shows great support for what I want to do," Fuchs said.
Gathering the Ingredients
Coast Guard Team Captain, Chief Justin Reed was in charge of selecting team members for this
year's competition and chose the best Food Service Specialist's (FS) he could find, drawing from
the cutter fleet, several stations, the Academy and special command aides for the Fifth District
and Atlantic Area commands.
"We all flowed and knew how to cover each other. It was just a great team," said Reed.
It wasn't all fun and games during the competition though. Team Coast Guard showed its mettle,
cooking more than 24 hours straight at one point, putting final preparations on a table display.
"You get a bunch of Coasties together and they work together all the time, but this was really
something else. Everybody stayed motivated for the full 24 hours that we worked," said Reed.
Center of Attention
Towering 4-feet above the various trays of food on display at the Coast Guard team's table was
an Alaskan themed chocolate centerpiece.
Chief Warrant Officer Mike Malheiro, formerly of Integrated Support Command Ketchikan, Alaska,
and Reed decided the theme of the centerpiece depicting native images of an owl, killer whale
and the sun.
"The team was awesome, (they're) some of the best FS' I've had the pleasure to work with. We
all helped each other on all of our projects throughout the competition," said Malheiro, referring to
the assistance they gave him in assembling the centerpiece. "I think it's a great competition," said
Malheiro.
"Our FS' don't get many chances to advance their skills outside their day-to-day routine. This
event allows them the opportunity to network and showcase their skills while receiving some
extraordinary training," said Malheiro.
Coast Guard Ice Breakers
Outside the kitchen Petty Officers 1st Class Larry Dagen and James Swenson used chisels,
chainsaws and grinders to put the competition on ice by hacking, hewing and sculpting 300
pound blocks of ice into delicate, frozen center pieces.
The competition was the first for Dagen, a 10-year Coast Guard veteran currently assigned as the
special command aide for the Atlantic Area Commander in Portsmouth, Va.
"It was an awesome experience. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I'm just fortunate I
had the opportunity to come and represent the Coast Guard," said Dagen.
Swenson, food service quality manager at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., has
been carving ice sculptures for the past three years. During the competition Swenson, who said
he enjoys sculpting ice because it brings out his creative side, won three medals.
Putting his imagination to use, Swenson earned a bronze medal in the single block competition
for sculpting an eagle, another bronze for his carving of a dragon and a gold medal in the five
block team competition, along with FS1 Dagen and FSC Reed, for a sculpture of a wooly
mammoth being attacked by a saber-toothed tiger.
"A gold medal in an American Culinary Federation sanctioned event is no joke. Very few are
handed out. Only one other team received a gold medal this year and that team included two
Army Master Sergeants who both had many years of ice carving experience," said Swenson.
Swenson also said the competition between the ice carvers was tense with the other teams
resorting to creative methods to jinx him during the competition.
"The Army kept placing ice on my station that they carved into ‘kryptonite' as I competed against
their teammates," said Swenson.
Getting Noticed
The Coast Guard team's efforts garnered a lot of attention, not only from the crowd but from
Coast Guard Headquarters as well.
In attendance was Master Chief Philip Garrett, Coast Guard Food Service Specialist Rating Force
Master Chief, and the person in charge of managing the Coast Guard's food preparation work
force. Garrett was very pleased and proud of the attention the team garnered during the
competition.
"This is an awareness tool for the Coast Guard and the public as well, that our folks have the
ability to compete, and compete well, with the other services," said Garrett.
Garrett was also impressed by the knowledge team members gained by competing in the various
events.
"Skill enhancement is a huge part of this. I can't think of a better way to spend money than to
send someone to a joint services event to see how things are done and to take that institutional
knowledge and share that with their (service) communities as instructors and mentors," said
Garrett.
In addition to learning new skills Garrett hopes the competition will not only help retain personnel,
but grow the job field by allowing the public to see Coast Guard chef's utilizing their skills.
"The paramount of the program is for each person in the FS rating to receive absolutely the best
training that we can give to prepare them for mission effectiveness and execution," said Garrett.
Just Desserts
At the end of the competition the Coast Guard team proved that even though they represent the
smallest branch of the military, they possess the determination and skills necessary to compete
with larger teams from the other services, earning 18 medals overall, including three gold, six
silvers and nine bronzes.
"We've come a long way," said Reed, who hopes this year's contest will be a springboard
generating awareness about the competition, allowing more Coast Guard chefs to compete in
future events.
FS Symposiums/Conferences
There are several FS symposiums scheduled over the next few months: D7, D13 and
D17 will all be hosting outstanding training opportunities. I, CWO Carpenter (FS
assignment officer) and the FS SME, SCPO Lemelin attended these conferences and had
some great interactions with the attendees..
D13: 22-26 April 2007 (ISC Seattle)
D5: 30 April-4 May 2007 (ISC Portsmouth)
D7: 20-25 May (Clearwater)
One policy change that resulted from a visit to SECTOR ST. Petersburg (Florida) in late
May, was to create a new Operational Supplement (OPSUP) for the 8 110’ Patrol Boats
that are being duel-crewed. The FSOs and Commands were able to demonstrate to CG1111 that they truly needed additional operating funds for their facilities. We developed
OPSUP 5 (20% increase to the BDFA of the PB’s) to enable the FSOs to better take care
of their crew. The world of work being performed by these crews is considerable. We
were fortunate enough to be in a position to see this first hand, meet and talk with the
crews and SECTOR Commander.
I encourage all of you to contact your respective FSAT for more information, looking
forward to meeting as many of you as possible and hearing how things are going for you!
Training Center Yorktown
In August of 2005, the acting Chief of Staff and CG-1, signed a memorandum
authorizing the re-staffing of the contract Dining Facility at TRACEN Yorktown. The
problem has been acquiring the approximately $5 million in Standard Personnel Costs to
pay for the creation of approximately 34 FS shore based positions (the key word is
creation vice transfer of billets). The process to make the funding for personnel growth is
very complicated.
We were able to discuss this issue with Vice Admiral Papp at length in KC during the
Awards Program. In simplest of terms, all programs in the CG require money/resources.
The money/resources have to be allocated to best fit the needs of the nation and CG. I
believe we were able to provide awareness of the health of the FS rating and how
significant this initiative is. I will provide you more information WRT this initiative in
future editions of FS Force Notes.
Independent Duty Food Service Officer Front End Analysis
On the week of 10 April, I met with our contractor, Perot Systems, for a kick off meeting.
I want to have an analysis performed (nothing happens with training in the CG until an
analysis is performed) on the world of work of the IDFSO. We do not have a training
resource that prepares the workforce (especially at the age and pay grade assigned) to
adequately perform all duties and responsibilities associated with the assignment as an
IDFSO.
The contractor and I met with about 5 accomplished performers at the D5 FS Conference
during the first week of May 2007. The contractor is required to submit his
recommendations/findings on the 3rd of July 2007. I want the analysis to identify ALL
the duties, requirements, etc, that make up the world of work for an IDFSO.
I also intend (if the analysis finds we need a training resource: road show, resident
course, job aide, etc)develop a competency code (qual code) issued by HQ vice
command level that serves as an identifier that the individual being assigned to a IDFSO
position must fulfill.
I will pass on the results and way forward on this initiative in the next edition of FS Force
Notes.
FS Uniforms
The changes listed below were approved/adopted for FS Uniforms. There is
a section at the FS SME Website that may be useful to you for the
authorization to buy these uniforms.
We are still waiting on the new change to the Uniform Regulations Manual
to be published. In the interim, what is listed below is the official FS
Uniform policy.
4.D.4. Food Service Personnel
Food service personnel working in the preparation of meals may wear the Food
Service uniform consisting of:

Shirt or Chef’s Coat – White cotton or cotton/polyester blend with clear or
white buttons.

Trousers –Black and White Hounds-Tooth checked pattern, belted or
draw string waist.

Web belt – Black (Seabag item).

Apron – White Baker’s Bib-style or “4” way style apron.

Safety Shoes – (Seabag item) Shoes must meet ANSII standards.

Cap – Ball cap (Seabag item) or chef’s hat with mesh inset. Disposable
chef’s hat is authorized.

Rank Insignia – Metal collar insignia is authorized on the Chef’s Coat, the
white cotton shirt, and ball cap only.

Nametapes – Not authorized.

Unit logos are not authorized from appropriated funds.
For special or ceremonial events, the wardroom service uniform consists of the above
uniform items.
FS Bonuses
On Monday 9 April 2007, I was given the opportunity to speak to the panel that
authorizes the bonuses paid for enlistments and reenlistments. Our account (FS) is
healthier than it was a year ago, but by no means is it health (like the HS account). For
example, we are authorized approximately 288 seats at FS “A” school per year. We will
likely only send 159 members to FS “A” school this year. We are making improvements
(slowly) that will make our rating desirable; but until we have more shore based
assignments and get our Career Path Program up and running for good, we are going to
need money in the form of bonuses to attract and retain our personnel.
I also requested that consideration be given to authorize a bonus to Independent Duty
FSOs aboard cutters. Nothing was presented as far as any guidelines or requirements; I
suggested it to see the board’s reaction. No one seemed opposed to it, but the difficulty
will be in determining who gets the bonus. The first thing we will do is establish a
competency code for IDFSO and wait and see what the Front End Analysis for the
IDFSO course reveals about our training (or lack of) for personnel being assigned to
independent duty afloat.
Dining Facility of the Year Awards Program
In March of 2007, Kansas City, MO, was the site of the annual awards/recognition
program. There were over 50 FSs attending. There were three days of training including
two days of hands-on culinary skills development organized by MCPO D’Amico. The
VIP in attendance for the CG was the Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Robert Papp.
We spent several hours talking with Admiral Papp about issues concerning the FS rating.
Representing the MCPO-CG was MCPO Bryan Clemmons. The Honor Guard/Drill
Team was unavailable to perform as they have since 2004; we are looking forward to
having them attend the event next year in Denver (New Orleans cannot accommodate us
yet).
We will be having the awards/conference in the first week of April 2008. We are going
to release the COMDNOTE 1650 announcing this year’s requirement within a few
weeks. The attachment below was provided to each attendee and the topics contained
within were discussed at length.
Dining Facility of the Year/Excellence in Food Service Awards Program
2007
Read Ahead
Overview: The FS rating has a community population of approximately 1245 Active
Duty members. There are approximately 376 Dining Facilities throughout the Coast
Guard, 135 are shore based, 241 are afloat.
Over the past few years, there have been several initiatives developed and implemented
through collaboration of Food Service Assistance and Training Teams, field units and
CG-1111. These efforts will have positive long term results and improve the health of
the FS rating. These initiatives include:
 The creation of the Culinary Training Team
 The permanent assignment of an FSCS to the Advanced Culinary Skills
Development Course at Fort Lee, VA
 Development of a software program/automation process to improve the efficiency
of the Dining Facility administration
 Incorporation of Health Promotions into FS policy, revising the Dining Facility of
the Year Awards Program
 Performing a front end analysis to determine what training Independent Duty
Food Service Officers require to perform their duties and responsibilities
 Standardized the FS uniform


Revised the curriculum for the FS Nutritional Cooking course
Produced an updated version of the FS Practical Handbook
The FS rating also faces considerable challenges to attracting a replacement workforce
and retaining the trained workforce. Most of the challenges stem from several factors:
Lack of shore based positions, lack of stability when assigned ashore and the lack of
marketability (when departing the service). Listed below are the most significant barriers
the rating is facing.
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Highest Sea to Shore Ratio (1.05 to 1.00, Deepwater will increase the gap to 1.13,
then reduce to 1.06 in 2019)
Lack of a centrally coordinated/funded career path program (culinary
accreditation)
Back to Back sea tours
Third highest attrition rate 3 out of 5 years (2002-2007 -12%)
Worst first term reenlistment rate 3 out of 5 years (2002-2007 10% below the CG
average of 52.1%)
Frequent afloat TAD assignments
Lack of quality shore based assignments(TAD requirements, not enough FSs at
the unit to take advantage of training opportunities, etc)
Lack of E-9 positions (the FS rate should have 12 MCPO positions, only 7 are
authorized)
Lack of second tier support: unit population (operators) has increased; second tier
support has not kept pace with the growth level, support staff has absorbed the
increase in patron throughput
Lack of Food Service Officer/Independent Duty course: The lack of a resident
course to prepare members for assignment as an FSO or Independent Duty FSO
has resulted in many supervisors not recommending subordinates for these
assignments, especially to the PB fleet (very difficult fill rate for EPM-2)
FSs assigned to MWR positions with no centrally funded training program
FSs assigned to Housing Officer positions
Archaic paper work management/Dining Facility administration processes
Loss of one FS1 shore based position (FS1 in PATFORSWA (00075833) to a
YN2) March 2007.
Discussion: CG-1111 has submitted several initiatives to address these barriers and
directly improve the health of the FS rating (increase recruiting and retention levels).
Conversion of Coast Guard Dining Facilities: In August of 2005, CCS (acting) and
CG-1 approved the conversion of the Dining Facility at TRACEN Yorktown from a A-76
facility to a FS staffed Dining Facility. The conversion would authorize 26 to 41 shore
based FS positions at TRACEN Yorktown. Several subsequent Resource Proposals
(RP’s) have been submitted requesting funding for the initiative (Standard Personnel Cost
for FY 2007; 34 FS positions is $1.4M). This is a Budget Category 4 initiative. There is
very little likelihood for achieving funding for this initiative without an internal
reprogramming.
Career Path: CG-1111 implemented the FS Career Path Program in 2006. The program
is an externship/certification collaboration with three commercial partners: the American
Culinary Federation and both the Founders Inn, Norfolk, VA and the Westchester
Country Club, Westchester, New York.
To date, there has been attendee (FS1 Kipp Rice, SCA to D5). The program requires a
seven week block of culinary externship conducted over 3 years (one 7 week block per
year). Upon successful completion of the externship and testing, the trainee will receive
a certificate as a Chef de Cuisine. Lack of funding (approximately 10K per trainee has
limited the number of trainees). The lack of availability for FSs to be away from their
duty stations for up to 7 weeks has severely limited the candidate pool.
CG-1111 developed a relationship with the Founders Inn to increase the availability of
the Career Path program to the operational community and virtually eliminate any costs
associated with the program. The partnership with the Founders Inn has been structured
to cost only local mileage (the attendees will be FSs attached and residing in the
Tidewater area, no lodging, per diem costs associated).
In March 2007, we will begin the training cycle at the Founders Inn, Norfolk, Va.
Rating Force Pyramid: There are 7 MCPO positions authorized for the FS rating:
Rating Force Master Chief, MLCLANT/MLCPAC Food Service Assistance and Training
Team (FSAT), FS “A” School Chief, CGC POLAR SEA, ISC MIAMI. In 2005, the
rating lost the FSCM position aboard POLAR STAR. In April 2007, the FSCS position
at ISC Honolulu will be upgraded to FSCM. CG-12A does not anticipate any increases
to the FSCM billet structure in the foreseeable future. The rating should have 12 FSCM
positions.
Frequent TAD assignments: The FS-RFMC has initiated a project to increase the
staffing at ISCs for FSs dedicated to performing at least 160 to 180 days TAD per year in
exchange for an assignment priority upgrade upon transfer. Many afloat units are sailing
without their full complement of FSs. The lack of deployable resources (lack of second
tier support and increases in base population) has limited the resources available to offset
personnel shortages aboard the cutter forces. In addition, the increased workload on the
remaining FS staff severely impacts quality of life/retention/recruiting efforts.
The resources (approximately 40 FS personnel) to provide the TAD support are assigned
to Housing and MWR positions.
These FS “General Detail” positions have had poor receivership within the rating. There
is no Service Wide Exam or Enlisted Performance Qualifications associated with the
duties and responsibilities of these positions, nor is there any centrally funded career path
plan by either the Housing or MWR program.
The FS RFMC will be submitting a RP to request the reprogramming of these positions
to ISC’s and several SECTORS as a dedicated pool of TAD support for operational units.
Independent Duty Food Service Officer Course (IDFSO): There is no course of
instruction (job aide, non resident or resident course) available to members being
assigned to IDFSO (or FSO) positions. The lack of a standardized, centrally coordinated
training venue for these positions and the juniority of the workforce have resulted in
“career fear” of IDFSO assignment. Currently, EPM-2 is short 15 IDFSOs; the high
water mark for IDFSO has gone as high as 50 IDFSO positions.
The FS-RFMC has submitted a request for analysis (FEA) to determine the appropriate
training delivery required to prepare a member for assignment to an IDFSO position.
Payment of Enlistment/Reenlistment Bonus: In September 2005, the FS-RFMC was
directed to develop and implement an enlistment initiative to improve the attractiveness
and professionalism of the FS rating. The Culinary School Graduate program (CSG) is a
collaborative effort between CGRC and CG-1111 to attract enlistees from accredited
culinary schools who have an Associates Degree in either Culinary or Pastry Arts. The
enlistment bonus ranges from 16K for a four year contract to 20K for a six year contract.
The CSG program was implemented in September 2006.
To date, CGRC has not issued one bonus. There is 200K set aside exclusively for the
CSG program, the pilot program is scheduled to operate for three years.
The FS account is allotted 110 enlistment bonuses at $10K per.
The FS account receives 10 open rate bonuses at $5K per. As of 28 February 2007, the
FS account has used $790K for Standard Reenlistment Bonuses.
Automation of the FS Dining Facility Management (DFAM): CG-1111 has
undertaken the task of automating the paperwork management associated with operating
a CG Dining Facility. We have partnered with a commercial consultant (SiloSmashers)
to acquire a COTS product, identify a hosting site (most likely OSC Martinsburg) and
work with TISCOM to ensure system compatibility.
The pilot program is schedule to roll out to shore based units in the summer of 2007.
This project started in 2003. Connectivity (and several other technical challenges) have
precluded (for the time being) using the system on deployed cutters.
The goal of the DFAM project is to get the supervisor back to supervising his/her staff
with a very minimal amount of time spent administering the paperwork management of
the Dining Facility. There is no reduction in personnel associated with this project; this
initiative provides alignment with the Commandant’s Intent Action Order (CIAO) #4,
Logistics and Organizational Alignment.