New ES Specialty Track

[Dutchboy]

 I think CAP Should offer Mess Officer as a Specialty track what do you all think? Opinions? This is not for real, but for fun.

[SJFedor]

Mess Officer isn't a very PC term though.

Support Services Specialist works better.

[Cobra1597]

We're talking cooks, right?

If so, I don't see the need for it. I've never had food at a SAREX or mission that was prepared on site. Ever.

My first mission we had McDonald's brought in by the Red Cross. Most missions we either get bagels and donuts and pizza at mission base brought in, or we get to find food for ourselves somewhere (either stuff we already bought, or at the local sub shop).

Since I've started aircrew training, we've always gotten food at an airfield we decided to stop and rest at. The pilots know which field have good restaurants.

If next to none of the food is being cooked on site, just gotten by individual members, bought offsite, or trucked in by members and/or Red Cross, why should we create a specialty track for a job we don't ever do?

Anyone on a mission with a CAP drivers license can fill a van with pizza boxes.

[SJFedor]

This is not for real, but for fun.

Read the quote. It goes along with my 101 card.



Which, since we made this atrocity, I've added a few more real quals to my card.

[fyrfitrmedic]

We're talking cooks, right?

If so, I don't see the need for it. I've never had food at a SAREX or mission that was prepared on site. Ever.

Way back WIWAC, my home unit had a regularly-used field kitchen for mass feeding at SAREXes and missions, complete with the gasoline-powered stoves. That was, however, back when CAP still had deuce-and-a-half trucks and the like.

[SARMedTech]

What is the qual in traumatology? Is that convincing traumatized cadinks to stay for the duration of the encampment?

[Dragoon]

I'm a mess AS an officer.  Does that count?

[♠SARKID♠]

We're talking cooks, right?

If so, I don't see the need for it. I've never had food at a SAREX or mission that was prepared on site. Ever.

Every major training mission we do, we grill out for ourselves.  INfact, the first training mission I was ever on,  I had to stay back at base because I had no 101 card.  I was promptly assigned the title of "Grillmiester".  Bad.  Idea.  I had never in my life grilled and now I had to feed every person on the base.  I couldnt cook, and nearly poisoned half the wing...     The safety officer was a little concerned about his half pink brat...

[isuhawkeye]

Dont kid. 

The cook at Iowa's WTA is a pivital part of our organization.  The cook corps serves 200 hungry mouths 5 meals a weekend.  If they wern't on top of their game we could cripple the ability of our wing to respond to missions.  Imagine half the wing down with food poisoning. 

[RiverAux]

CG Aux already has cornered the market on the need for this specialty -- they've had a chef's program for a while.  FYI, the chefs go underway and cook on CG cutters...

[mikeylikey]

I'm a mess AS an officer.  Does that count?

Spot on!

[Matt]

We're talking cooks, right?

If so, I don't see the need for it. I've never had food at a SAREX or mission that was prepared on site. Ever.

Every major training mission we do, we grill out for ourselves.  INfact, the first training mission I was ever on,  I had to stay back at base because I had no 101 card.  I was promptly assigned the title of "Grillmiester".  Bad.  Idea.  I had never in my life grilled and now I had to feed every person on the base.  I couldnt cook, and nearly poisoned half the wing...     The safety officer was a little concerned about his half pink brat...

I seem to remember that.  No food for Turkal...

And, once upon a time... in a galaxy not so far away...  Prior to a unit known as MESS, there was a squadron named: 621st Mission Support Squadron... They were -- cooks and they manned Ben Mueller's weenie wagon.  Then they merged and slowly the specialty died out.  But we do have some members around who still have equivalent 101Ts for Cook...

[SAR-EMT1]

We're talking cooks, right?

If so, I don't see the need for it. I've never had food at a SAREX or mission that was prepared on site. Ever.

Every major training mission we do, we grill out for ourselves.  INfact, the first training mission I was ever on,  I had to stay back at base because I had no 101 card.  I was promptly assigned the title of "Grillmiester".  Bad.  Idea.  I had never in my life grilled and now I had to feed every person on the base.  I couldnt cook, and nearly poisoned half the wing...     The safety officer was a little concerned about his half pink brat...

I seem to remember that.  No food for Turkal...

And, once upon a time... in a galaxy not so far away...  Prior to a unit known as MESS, there was a squadron named: 621st Mission Support Squadron... They were -- cooks and they manned Ben Mueller's weenie wagon.  Then they merged and slowly the specialty died out.  But we do have some members around who still have equivalent 101Ts for Cook...

Sounds interesting. Got any photos or anything?

[Dutchboy]

I guess what I am refering to is I think CAP should think about getting into this when it comes to Disaster Relief Missions. When is comes to training, One Major component that I would reccommend is being nationally certified by the NRA as a Restaurant manager(no not the Gun lobby group), NRA = National Restaurant Association

[fyrfitrmedic]

I guess what I am refering to is I think CAP should think about getting into this when it comes to Disaster Relief Missions. When is comes to training, One Major component that I would reccommend is being nationally certified by the NRA as a Restaurant manager(no not the Gun lobby group), NRA = National Restaurant Association

You might want to check this out:

http://www.nvoad.org/index.php

[James Shaw]

 CC's      Culinary Commanders   
VC's       Veggie Commanders     

Colonel Sanders could be in Charge!!
Lt. Col. could be in charge of Light Hourderves
Major could be in charge of Major Meals
How about Captain Wafers for bread snacks
2nd Lt in Charge of Butter and Condiments

[BillB]

Major Shaw,  your JPG of Colonel Sanders shows him out of correct uniform. That tie is not authorized. Please get Tedda to correct it.

[Al Sayre]

I believe that he is wearing the old "Mess Dress Whites"...

[isuhawkeye]

guess what I am refering to is I think CAP should think about getting into this when it comes to Disaster Relief Missions.

There is not a tremendous mission need around here.  With the red cross, salvation army, and no fewer than three mega churches lined up to provide mass feeding it is not a great concern for my response district

[floridacyclist]

Here neither. When we deploy, we don't have time to sit around cooking gourmet food. It's MRE and canned spaghetti, half the time eaten cold right out of the can; if it's winter we use the can as a cooking pot. Cheap, fast, and leaves no dishes to wash.

[SDF_Specialist]

This is not for real, but for fun.

Read the quote. It goes along with my 101 card.



Which, since we made this atrocity, I've added a few more real quals to my card.

Is there an age limit on the naptime supervisor?

[Michael]

I think a Mess Operations specialty track would be great. 
Few things worse than poorly prepared chow on a mission.

[W3ZR]

I think a Mess Operations specialty track would be great. 
Few things worse than poorly prepared chow on a mission.

I want to be the the "Mess Operations Inspector".

My job would be to go from unit to unit and taste all
their meals to make sure the members are being well fed !

[Walkman]

^^ I want to go on the mission that has that for breakfast! 

[Al Sayre]

Just stash an ELT at Dennys...

[Bear Walling]

What is the criteria for the Emergency Services - Basic Badge, ES - Senior, and ES - Master?

I am a Firefighter / EMT and ES is obviously gonna be my specialty. But, being a newbie (Out for seven years) I know absolutely nothing on achieving those goals.

[arajca]

The information is in CAP Pamphlete 213.

[Johnny Yuma]

Major Shaw,  your JPG of Colonel Sanders shows him out of correct uniform. That tie is not authorized. Please get Tedda to correct it.

Col. Sanders is wearing the proper attire of a respectable Kentucky Colonel, suh!

[afgeo4]

The Services (please, not "Mess") Officer track would be pretty useless. At short duration missions, the members themselves are responsible for food and cooking at an incident control post is a highly bad idea. The best idea is to get professionally cooked food as delivery/take-out and bring it to the personnel. The last think you want to do is poison everyone.

On that note, it would be fairly impossible to set standards for food safety since every State has its own.

[Tubacap]

Just came back from an FTX.  Our ESO's wife made lunch for everyone.  Homemade pizza.  It was amazing!  She definitely needs a 101, and she could be the national advisor to the CC for food services! 

Needless to say it was the best FTX I ever had.

[Dutchboy]

The Services (please, not "Mess") Officer track would be pretty useless. At short duration missions, the members themselves are responsible for food and cooking at an incident control post is a highly bad idea. The best idea is to get professionally cooked food as delivery/take-out and bring it to the personnel. The last think you want to do is poison everyone.

On that note, it would be fairly impossible to set standards for food safety since every State has its own.

It is not impossible, If you look at a previous posting  I said one of the traing requirments would be to get the Restaurant Manager Certification from the National Restaurant Association. The certification would cover you in about 95% of the United States. 

So if you had this certification, you would be considered a professional.

[afgeo4]

The Services (please, not "Mess") Officer track would be pretty useless. At short duration missions, the members themselves are responsible for food and cooking at an incident control post is a highly bad idea. The best idea is to get professionally cooked food as delivery/take-out and bring it to the personnel. The last think you want to do is poison everyone.

On that note, it would be fairly impossible to set standards for food safety since every State has its own.

It is not impossible, If you look at a previous posting  I said one of the traing requirments would be to get the Restaurant Manager Certification from the National Restaurant Association. The certification would cover you in about 95% of the United States. 

So if you had this certification, you would be considered a professional.

95% in food preparation and service doesn't cut it. You have to be 100%. Imagine if you served 300 people at an encampment and the food you prepared was 95% safe? That would mean that up to 15 cadets/seniors could be poisoned each meal!

Although some members may want to be served food at missions, there is no practical need for this and if you consider the responsibility attached, I think it becomes a pretty costly and unnecessary venture.

I generally think our members need to spend more time on changing themselves to fit our missions than changing the missions to fit them.

[Bear Walling]

I have lived in Kentucky all my life, and I still can't figure out how you become a colonel. I guess you gotta know fried chicken. 

[Dutchboy]

The Services (please, not "Mess") Officer track would be pretty useless. At short duration missions, the members themselves are responsible for food and cooking at an incident control post is a highly bad idea. The best idea is to get professionally cooked food as delivery/take-out and bring it to the personnel. The last think you want to do is poison everyone.

On that note, it would be fairly impossible to set standards for food safety since every State has its own.

It is not impossible, If you look at a previous posting  I said one of the training requirements would be to get the Restaurant Manager Certification from the National Restaurant Association. The certification would cover you in about 95% of the United States. 

So if you had this certification, you would be considered a professional.

95% in food preparation and service doesn't cut it. You have to be 100%. Imagine if you served 300 people at an encampment and the food you prepared was 95% safe? That would mean that up to 15 cadets/seniors could be poisoned each meal!

Although some members may want to be served food at missions, there is no practical need for this and if you consider the responsibility attached, I think it becomes a pretty costly and unnecessary venture.

I generally think our members need to spend more time on changing themselves to fit our missions than changing the missions to fit them.

First off sir, your thinking on this whole thing is focused on just the CAP members.

We don't go on missions in CAP to serve the members, I don't anyway. We go to serve the country(USA). Maybe it is different where your from.

What I am pondering is beyond just serving CAP members. I am thinking in a disaster relief mindset. You may think it is a

pretty costly and unnecessary venture

, thats OK, that your right to think that. But what you need to keep in mind is your in a region of the country where you can find a place to deliver no matter where you are rather easily.

Now if you have a mission out west in the desert,mountains or valleys where you can go 50-100 miles without any restaurants of any kind around , my option  is a good one. Good enough for some higher ups to seriously consider it.

I would never propose an idea that would be a budget concern. When planning something like this, it takes alot of experience. I have alot of experience and exposure to this subject. You also need to be creative and resourceful in putting this together.

I would never put or reccommend a operation like this at a incident command post


(

incident control post

is incorrect terminology). 

There are practical needs if you take the time to think about them.

I could go on but I won't. But I will say that I would never tell another CAP member their idea is a useless one. Maybe a "Bad Idea" or "not a good idea" is more appropiate thing to say.

[afgeo4]

Umm... if you have a disaster in the middle of the desert where no one lives and thus there are no restaurants, then please tell me, who are you cooking for???

The role suggested was a support role for CAP.

We aren't professional cooks. Our parent organization, USAF, isn't a pizzeria or a caterer. None of our "customers" are in the food service. Food happens to be one of the easiest things to find in the US. In fact, in times of disaster, it is one of the first things flown into the area in overabundant amounts. I know you probably have no experience in disasters, but I understand.

Usually, within 12 hours of an event there is too much food in the area and it clogs up the logistics chain. This food is almost 100% prepared and/or ready to eat. Why? Because there aren't many field kitchens available (think canned/catered/MRE).

Add to that the fact that people do just fine without food for quite a while and you'll find that in an actual emergency, COOKING isn't a concern.

[SAR-EMT1]

I have lived in Kentucky all my life, and I still can't figure out how you become a colonel. I guess you gotta know fried chicken. 

From what little material Ive read concerning Mr Saunders it was basically the same setup as the Nebraska Admirals with a little bit of the Better Business Association thrown into the equation.
The program if memory serves has since been retired.

[isuhawkeye]

mess officer. 

Don't try to  push cap outside of its box.  The organization is not capable of evolving to meet the emergency response needs at a local level

[afgeo4]

mess officer. 

Don't try to  push cap outside of its box.  The organization is not capable of evolving to meet the emergency response needs at a local level

What makes you say that? Many squadrons work with local first responders and offices of emergency management and meet their needs quite well.

[isuhawkeye]

I'm from Iowa

Someone might be able to fill you in on the details over pm

[BlueLakes1]

I have lived in Kentucky all my life, and I still can't figure out how you become a colonel. I guess you gotta know fried chicken. 

To be a Kentucky Colonel, you have to get someone who already is one to nominate you to the Governor's office. I still can't get anyone to nominate me!

The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is alive and well. They perform a number of charitable functions throughout the Commonwealth. Check them out at http://kycolonels.org/.

(Don't let the tag fool you. I belong to INWG, but I've lived in Louisville almost my entire life.)

[pixelwonk]

topic please.

[DNall]

I have lived in Kentucky all my life, and I still can't figure out how you become a colonel. I guess you gotta know fried chicken. 

To be a Kentucky Colonel, you have to get someone who already is one to nominate you to the Governor's office. I still can't get anyone to nominate me!

The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels is alive and well. They perform a number of charitable functions throughout the Commonwealth. Check them out at http://kycolonels.org/.

(Don't let the tag fool you. I belong to INWG, but I've lived in Louisville almost my entire life.)

PM me.