Feb 2024 UPDATE: Culinary Program

DCMS wanted an update to post on the following CS topics for Pride in Food Service Week. The Program/RFMC response works great for the FEB Culinary Program Update Post:

The future is bright and the CS rating is still working on becoming even better. The following are some of our current initiatives the CS Leadership team consisting of the Culinary Program, SPL/CSB, “A” School, “C” School, FINCEN, DLA, RTAC, RKM, RFMC and AOs are working on:

•            Future workforce strategies with the new Workforce Realignment

With Crisis comes opportunity. Before the workforce realignment, the Culinary Program, RFMC, RTAC and Product Line came up with a plan to shut down small boat stations and increase deployable CSA billets at key locations using the CSA model. 

This plan was created in response to the catastrophic CS TDY situation. Our CSs are saying they would rather be stationed on a cutter because ashore duty is so awful with the short staffs and constant TDY requests. This crisis has shown that TDY is not a fix, it’s a band aide with lots of consequences to our people. Surge Staffing has seen an increase not only in CS requests, but also in responses of not fit for duty (NFFD) chits. Due to the shortfall, when an ashore unit is contacted for CS TDY support that unit may also be experiencing a gapped billet. This requires the CO/OIC to either reply with “no” for TDY or shut down their unit’s CGDF. Other data shows CSs are being deployed multiple times in a 12-month or less window. Many CSs who have experienced these issues are now looking at an ashore billet as “ashore stress” in anticipation of TDY selection. Ashore time should balance work-life, not create stress. All of this is leading to a movement of NFFD chits. Surge Staffing data supports either just before a CS is selected or immediately after selection a NFFD chit appears. We need to utilize the success of the CSA model to prevent irresponsible use of surge staffing of our ashore units.

With the Work Force Realignment, the first half of the mission is complete, the stations are closing. Due to sea to shore ratio complications and proper work force management, we would like to move these billets as temporary deployable billets at the key locations determined by the team above. This would not be a permanent billet change as these are deployable billets that are designed to assist the fleet not run a dining facility. When the small boat stations come back online they can take back their billets from the extra deployable billets temporally located at the new CSAs. 

•            Partnership with the American Culinary Federation (ACF)

CS Schoolhouse leadership is working with the CS Program to further expand and align ACF certifications to the CS workforce, including pursuing Certified Culinary Instructor approval for CS instructors and Culinary Support Activity leadership.  On 12 Jan 2024, CS “A” 04-24 became the first class in history to graduate with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Certified Fundamentals Cook certification. 13 CS3s and 4 Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) members earned this industry leading certification. At 17 members, this was also tied for the largest graduating class in the history of the CS rating. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) conducted a site visit at CS “A” School on July 10, 2023, supported by the CS RFMC and CS Program Office. ACF evaluators reviewed instructional delivery methods, appropriate levels of culinary equipment use, and effectiveness of demonstrations and practice to imparting instructional success. Formal notification was received by the CS Program office in December 2023, which recognized the CS Schoolhouse as an ACF certified institution for a three-year period effective 09 August 2023.

•            CS A School Revamp – Remove the Operational Requirements 

The CS rating is the only rating in the Coast Guard where “A” School students are relied on to fulfill a vital base function. In 1982 an analysis was done on the Substance Specialist rating. TRACEN Petaluma at that point had two galleys, a production galley (Haley Hall) and a training galley (Upper Galley).  The analysis indicated that the expected savings by combining the two galleys and their missions are “dwarfed by the potential disadvantages.” The combination would “severely dilute training experience and produce a much less capable average SS “A” school graduate.” Emphasis would increase on production and decrease on training. That combination would have lasting negative impacts on the rating. 

The production environment of Haley Hall is an unrealistic representation of the galley environment of the fleet. TRACEN Petaluma needs to be able to provide CS students with a realistic training environment to successfully prepare them for the fleet. 

The length of CS A School and the curriculum is tied to the food production requirement of Haley Hall. Until Haley Hall becomes self-reliant via permanent staffing, CS “A” school will not be able to transform and be in alignment with the Ready Work Force 30 and Modernized Ready Learning. Additionally, TRACEN Petaluma will not be able to meet increased overall student throughput; Haley Hall will be the limiting factor for the future of TRACEN Petaluma. 

During all phases of training, students stand duty in Haley Hall on the weekend to support meal production. This duty consists of one 11–12-hour day. Other ratings stand shorter quarterdeck or gym duty watches. This requirement negatively impacts morale and shines a negative light on the CS rating and having to work more than others. While other “A” school students are enjoying liberty, CS students are working to serve meals to those on liberty. 

Action needs to be taken to correct a 40-year-old problem as it is negatively impacting a critical rating; we can no longer put a band aid on this problem and hope it will help heal the CS rating.

•            Realigning Sea-Time requirements for the CS Rating.

After talking with the DC and MK RFMCs on the process they undertook to change sea time requirements, Culinary Program, Culinary Support branch and RTAC have been discussing changes that would improve the CS workforce at the junior and senior levels of our rating. 

Restricting junior members with sea-time requirements early on in their careers sets uncontrollable barriers for their success. If the assignment process places a junior CS ashore, it will immediately halt their ability to advance. This may hurt retention under the new Blended Retirement System and is not in line with the agile and flexible goals of the CG.  Removal of the archaic sea time requirement for CSs, E-6 and below, will open many fair-minded, inclusive career paths for our CSs to successfully grow.  

On the flip side, the current lack of minimum sea-duty requirements for advancement to E-7 – E-9 in the Culinary Specialist rating results in insufficiently trained and experienced Senior Enlisted personnel. 

The existing sea-duty requirement has created an environment where almost all apprentices (E-4 / E-5) will achieve the minimum sea-time requirement for advancement to E-7 – E9 extremely early in their career. Very frequently, this leads to an (E-7 and above) assigned to leadership and afloat positions lacking the experience to serve as a qualifier, instructor, mentor, or member of a culinary support team. The lack of shipboard familiarity and experience has significant impacts on the Culinary department’s ability to create proper menus, load guides, work schedules and maintain dining facility paperwork. 

We are the most seagoing rating and our senior leaders should be seasoned and experienced Cuttermen who administer individual qualification programs, lead and serve in support of our junior CSs

•            Beta test converting Contracted Galleys into a hybrid concept 

The Culinary Specialist rating brand has changed. We have proven to be the best chefs in the nation. The senior Commanding Officers in the Coast Guard know this. They are also noticing the quality of contracted food is deteriorating. Our Officer Corps wants CS operated dining facilities. They want CGDFs working under the BDFA and Meal Rates with CSs making the menu and purchasing the stores. They want the food to be Coast Guard CS quality not contracted food quality. We would like to take on this mission by beta testing a contract cook/CS operated large dining facilities to see if we can make CGDF Hybrids. With hybrids we can duplicate our CS success at our large contracted dining facilities by adding a few junior CSs and changing the full service contract to a Mess Attendant/Cooking contract. 

CSs would perform the following functions: FSO/COR, JOD duties, menu development, galley watch supervisor, expediting the line/cook training. CS personnel would order the stores using BDFA as a basis, create menus, manage galley paperwork, monitor contract personnel, collect funds, expedite the line, perform culinary roles in food preparation and cooking to maintain skills (alongside contract cook augments).

Fully contracted dining facilities have never been a success. With some of the current mess cook contracts we see that a hybrid method is a proven concept. We have 13 full food service contracts that may be able to utilize this model to meet the desires of our senior officers to have CG Dinning Facilities supporting their commands.

This may also open the door to CSA Hybrids. We could duplicate the success of our CSAs and build in the capability we need while providing much needed resiliency to the CSs.