MIGHT
Mi l it ar y
Five teams battle it out in the Freedom Chef Challenge.
By Thomas Recinella, CEC, AAC
burning desire to be crowned champion at
the end of the day.
AUG. 3 in Anaheim, Calif., dawned
slightly cloudy and pleasantly cool. But
by 2 p.m., the competition kitchens in the
Anaheim Convention Center were already
heated in the wake of the Student Team
National Championship competition. Next at
those stations was America’s finest—teams
from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard,
Marines and Navy—charged with attacking
the mystery basket featuring everything
imaginable and a few things unimaginable,
such as a fish so large it hung off the table.
Coupled with the challenging basket was a
common pantry—and each service branch’s
Such was the scene at the ACF National
Championship Freedom Chef Challenge,
where soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen
and Guardians all came with one thing in
their sights: to be named champions and
win bragging rights as the armed forces’
top chefs.
chefs and cooks who are all too often
forgotten—those who feed our troops
daily. Prows sought to highlight armed
forces chefs, feeling strongly that not
enough Americans know about these
professional, competent men and women,
who, throughout their service to our
country, prepare thousands of meals
during the most rigorous of times and
under the most trying circumstances.
This unique championship, founded by
David Prows, CEC, AAC, began with
the idea of bringing to the forefront the
Matthew Flemister, left, and Rene Marquis
cook up a win to defend the Army’s title.
