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| News > Airman named 'Junior Chef of the Year' |
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Story at a Glance
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• Senior Airman Ghil Medina of Langley Air Force Base, Va. was named Junior Chef of the Year during the 36th Annual Culinary Arts competition in Fort Lee, Va.
• Airman Medina is the first Airman to ever win the title, which is traditionally won by the Army.
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Senior Airman Ghil Medina, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., celebrates after being named Junior Chef of the Year March 11, at the 36th Annual Culinary Arts Competition awards ceremony at Fort Lee, Va. Airman Medina is the first Airman to win the title, which is traditionally held by the Army. The annual culinary competition showcases the talents of U.S. Armed Forces food specialists from worldwide.
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Airman named 'Junior Chef of the Year'
Posted 4/5/2011 Updated 4/5/2011
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by Lyna Tucker
633d Air Base Wing Public Affairs
4/5/2011 - FORT LEE, Va. -- The Air Force left its mark in the military culinary world when Senior Airman Ghil Medina of Langley Air Force Base was named the Junior Chef of the Year at the 36th Annual Culinary Arts Competition awards ceremony here March 11.
Airman Medina's win marked the first time an Airman has earned the traditionally Army-held title. The culinary competition showcases the talents of military chefs from around the world in all branches of U.S. Armed Forces.
"Now that I've got my gold [medal], I'm satisfied," said Airman Medina, a food specialist with the 633d Force Support Squadron. "I have something my home station can be proud of. It's very rare for an Airman to win an Army-dominated competition."
Although winning a top award has put him in the local spotlight, Airman Medina says he still has a lot to learn.
"I'm not an expert, yet. I have a long way to go before I get there. There are still some culinary gods out there I still ask advice from," he said.
Airman Medina competed against 22 other gourmands during the two-week competition to win the title and will go on to compete in the Western Regional Conference for a run at the title of American Culinary Federation Student Chef of the Year in Scottsdale, Ariz., April 29 through May 2.
Facing off against 229 competitors with 629 entries in more than 40 categories, the Airmen and Soldiers of the Joint Base Langley-Eustis Culinary Arts Team brought their skills, creativity and epicurean acumen to the table for an impressive showing at the largest culinary competition in North America.
Spc. Bennett Rodriguez, 368th Inland Cargo Transfer Company, 11th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sustainment Brigade at Joint Expeditionary Base - Fort Story, breathed a sigh of relief upon his return to the team's kitchen following his efforts in a live cooking challenge.
"I feel like my heart's about to jump out of my chest," Specialist Rodriguez said. "I hope I did as well as I want. This is tough and the there's a lot of good chefs here."
Specialist Rodriguez' sentiments were echoed by other members of the team, especially first-time competitor Airman 1st Class Ma Antonette Cabantog. Airman Cabantog, 633 FSS, earned a silver medal for her impressive performance in the live cooking challenge March 8.
"I was surprised," she said of her performance and achievement. "I was really under pressure during the last 10-minute window but I'm also really excited. It was my first time and I didn't know what to expect."
The team of three Airmen including Airman Medina, Airman Cabantog and Senior Airman Gretchen Sarmiento, all of the 633 FSS, and five Soldiers including Sgt. Courtney Williams, 5/159th Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army Reserves; Spc. Rashida McNeal and Staff Sgt. Cornelious Harris, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 10th Transportation Battalion, 7th Sust. Bde.; and Specialist Rodriguez and Sgt. Scott Stormer, 368th ICTC, were strong competition for the other 222 chefs. The team was captained by Sgt. 1st Class Jesse King, HHD, 10th Trans. Bn., 7th Sust. Bde.
For JBLE Culinary Arts Team coordinator and Fort Eustis Installation Food Service Advisor Delsa Green, only one word can express her feelings at competitions' end.
"Great," she said. "The team did extremely well and I was very pleased with the outcome. I have a great group of servicemembers that worked well together. Their rapport and comraderie was noticed by the judges and was a plus; if they could've given awards for that they would have," Ms. Green said.
In the past two years, Airmen and Soldiers from Eustis and Langley have competed as members of the Joint Task Force Culinary Arts Team, which also included Sailors from Hampton Roads Naval bases. This year, Joint Base Langley-Eustis competed for the first time as a joint base team. The team was one of three representing joint bases including first-time competitors Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and The Pentagon's joint service team, which won the coveted title of Installation of the Year.
Each year, hundreds of Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers from units and installations throughout the world converge on Fort Lee to compete in more than 40 categories to include ice sculpting, live cooking challenges, classes and demonstrations, and cold food displays.
Team Langley-Eustis brought home two gold medals, 10 silver medals and 15 bronze medals at the 36th Annual Culinary Arts Competition.
Gold
· Junior Chef of the Year: Senior Airman Ghil Medina
· Live Cooking: Spc. Bennett Rodriguez
Silver
· Centerpiece for Cold Food Buffet display: Staff Sgt. Cornelious Harris
· Live Cooking: Airman 1st Class Ma Antonette Cabantog; Staff Sgt. Cornelious Harris; Senior Airman Ghil Medina; Sgt. Courtney Williams
· Student Skills: Airman 1st Class Ma Antonette Cabantog; Senior Airman Ghil Medina; Spc. Bennett Rodriguez; Senior Airman Gretchen Sarmiento; Sgt. Scott Stormer
Bronze
· Appetizers: Spc. Bennett Rodriguez
· Cold Poultry Platter: Senior Airman Ghil Medina
· Field Cooking: Airman 1st Class Ma Antonette Cabantog; Staff Sgt. Cornelious Harris; Spc. Bennett Rodriguez; Senior Airman Gretchen Sarmiento; Sgt. Courtney Williams
· Fish Platter: Sgt. Scott Stormer
· Five-Course Menu: Airman 1st Class Ma Antonette Cabantog
· Hors d'oeuvres: Senior Airman Gretchen Sarmiento
· Live Cooking: Senior Airman Gretchen Sarmiento
· Nutritional Hot Food: Senior Airman Ghil Medina; Sgt. Courtney Williams
· Petit Fours: Staff Sgt. Cornelious Harris
· Six Plated Desserts: Sgt. Courtney Williams
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