Food Service Specialist - Army National Guard

It takes energy to keep the Army National Guard marching on, and that’s where you take the lead. As a Food Service Specialist for the Guard, it’s your duty to provide the sustenance your fellow Soldiers need to put their best foot forward and protect the nation.

In this role, you will take care of all dietary and nutritional needs of fellow Soldiers, ensuring their ability to face the challenges before them. You'll learn how to plan and prep menus, how to prepare and serve food, and how to ensure food safety and facility sanitation, whether you're feeding 25 Soldiers or 2,500, in the field or in a fixed facility.

Job Duties
• Bake, fry, braise, boil, simmer, steam and sauté as prescribed by Army recipes
• Operate, maintain and clean field kitchen equipment
• Perform preventive maintenance on garrison and field kitchen equipment

Some of the Skills You’ll Learn
• Standard and dietetic menus and recipes
• Food and supply ordering
• Storage of meats, poultry and other perishable items

Helpful Skills
• Interest in cooking, home economics, health, mathematics, accounting and chemistry

Through your training, you will develop the skills and experience to enjoy a civilian career in restaurants or organizations that have their own dining facilities. Depending on which specialty you pursue, you’ll be able to pursue a career as a cook, chef, meat cutter, butcher, or baker.

Earn While You Learn
Get paid to learn! Join the Army National Guard and you will learn valuable job skills while earning a regular paycheck and qualifying for tuition assistance.

Food Service Specialist job training requires 10 weeks of Basic Training, where you'll learn fundamental Soldiering skills, and nine weeks of Advanced Individual Training (AIT). Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field.