Best of military foodservice members attend CIA education program

During the third annual Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence, 21 top Air Force Airmen and four Marines from around the world were selected to spend the week of Oct. 3 to 10 refining and expanding their culinary skills at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, St. Helena, Calif., working under CIA chefs Thomas Wong and Victor Scargle. This annual forum is sponsored by the Hennessy Travelers Association Educational Foundation. The 25 Airmen and Marines were selected during their service's foodservice excellence evaluation program--the John L. Hennessey Awards Program for the Air Force, the Major General W.P. T. Hill Award for the Marine Corp and the Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth Disney Award for the Air National Guard.

(l to r) Air Force Senior Airman Clabirel Najera-Torres and Marine Corporal Michael Williams

During the forum, the students attended lectures in the morning followed by intensive hands-on preparation of complex recipes in the Greystone kitchens, which were then critiqued by the CIA chefs. At the end of the week, the Airmen and Marines were each awarded diplomas. For more information on the event, visit www.hennessyaward.org.

(l to r) Hennessy Travelers Association president Carmen Anthony Vacalebre, Air Force Senior Airman Angel Ramirez and CIA chef Thomas Wong