• NB KITSAP-BANGOR, Wash.

The Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound (FLCPS) Navy Food Management Team (NFMT) held a unique one-day hog processing course for Navy culinary personnel at the NFMT training facility here on Dec. 17. The NFMT conducted the class by special request from the USS Nevada (SSBN-733) (Gold Crew) to give Navy culinary specialists (CS) from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine the opportunity to learn how to hand process an entire hog into commonly used pork cuts, such as chops, ribs, and roasts.

SKILL SET

The skills taught in the course are somewhat unusual for culinary personnel serving at sea. “Meat fabrication — butchery — is outside of the normal skills that culinary specialists get to use frequently, but it is still a part of our professional development,” said Chief Culinary Specialist (Submarines) William Harris, NFMT course instructor.

“Getting CS’s into these meat fabrication classes is a great way to teach them these skill sets that are hard to learn on operational units with cramped spaces,” he noted. Students watched as Harris explained what part of the hog each of the typical cuts of pork comes from, and demonstrated proper techniques for knife handling, sanitation, and trimming to give students an understanding of the whole picture regarding how an animal is processed into food. Students then picked up their knives and went hands-on to gain

practical experience and create high-quality pork products commonly seen in grocery store meat counters and restaurants.

BROADENING EDUCATION

The NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound Navy Food Management Team provides classroom training for Navy culinary personnel and provides technical assistance visits to galley facilities on ships, submarines, and shore installations throughout the Puget Sound region.

The course, introduced in 2023, is designed to show culinary personnel a new side to their profession. The NFMT Training facility offers several classes that include seafood processing, scratch baking, wardroom mess protocols, and more. “We offer a wide range of classes, but we can also set up any training that commands request,” Harris said, adding that broadening the education of culinary specialists pays off not only in food quality for the crew, but also in terms of morale and professional development. “Raising the level of knowledge is a key part of what makes our Navy great,” Harris stated. “Giving these young CS’s a chance to learn a new skill set broadens their base knowledge and restores their passion for their craft.” For more information or to obtain a class schedule, commands can contact the NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound NFMT at (360) 396-1325 or email William.c.harris248.mil@us.navy.mil.

Source: NAVSUP FLC Puget Sound, Wash., via DVIDS

Edited by Larry Lapka