Course Description
The entry-level Culinary Specialist course consists of eight weeks, two days of extensive hands-on training (75 percent) on US Army and US Marine Corps food service-related equipment. Within this curriculum, we train over 4,000 Soldiers and Marines annually.
During the training phase, students are provided an extensive classroom and hands-on exposure to the equipment they will be operating at their permanent duty stations. This provides the students experience, knowledge, and confidence in their abilities to perform the day-to-day operations upon graduation.
The training subjects are covered in classroom, kitchen laboratory, garrison, and field training environments involving both instructor led and hands-on training areas:
Techniques of Cooking
- Students are instructed in knife sharpening, cutting, scaling, and weighing procedures
- Garnishing
- Salads and salad dressings
- Eggs, cereal, and breakfast products
- Soups, sauces, gravy, and dressings
- Vegetables
- Potato and pasta products
- Beef, poultry, and seafood
The students complete a written and performance examination on required skills and knowledge in cooking terms, utensils, measuring, weighing, recipes, and basic cooking principles. A hands-on performance oriented test is designed to evaluate student's ability to produce four standard products IAW the recipe card.
![Soldier putting food on a plate Soldier putting food on a plate](iet_basic_clip_image001_0000.jpg)
![Student mixing ingredients Student mixing ingredients](iet_basic_clip_image002_0000.jpg)
Small Quantity Baking
- Students are instructed in baking utensils and equipment
- Cookies, pies, cakes, and frosting
- Yeast and sweet dough products
The students complete a written and performance examination on baking terms, utensils used in baking, and basic principles of baking. A hands-on performance test is designed to evaluate the student's ability to produce four standard baked items IAW recipe card.
![Student setting up the mixing bowl Student setting up the mixing bowl](iet_basic_clip_image003.jpg)
![Student making pastries Student making pastries](iet_basic_clip_image004.jpg)
Garrison Operations
- Students are instructed in dining facility administration and operations
- Operation and maintenance procedures for specific kitchen equipment
- Shift work
- Meal preparation and serving
The students complete a written examination covering all areas of dining facility operations.
![Students in a cooks mount Students in a cooks mount](iet_basic_clip_image005.jpg)
![Students serving food Students serving food](iet_basic_clip_image006.jpg)
Field Operations
- Students are instructed in field kitchen operations
- The Army Field Feeding System
- Field administrative documents
- Hands-on operation and maintenance of field feeding equipment
- Prepare and serve operational rations on all Army field feeding platforms
- Field sanitation
- Ration storage
The students complete a written examination on field feeding operations and specific field feeding equipment operation and maintenance procedures.
![Collage of students during field feeding operations Collage of students during field feeding operations](/jccoe/Joint_Culinary_Training_Directorate/Photos/Basic_Training_Field_Photo.jpg)