Soldiers battle in kitchen: National culinary competition

Fort Carson soldiers are heading for battle in the kitchen, taking part in a national culinary competition.

KRDO NewsChannel 13 checked out Fort Carson’s special field kitchen, where soldiers hope to win the coveted Phillip A. Connelly Award.

“This is our chance to shine and show what we do in the field it’s a great opportunity,” said Chelsea Potterville, a culinary specialist at Fort Carson.

For the Army cooks, it’s the Super Bowl of culinary competition. The competition gives chefs in the military a chance in the spotlight.

When soldiers are in the field putting their lives on the line, not many people think about how they’re fed.

“Infantry doesn’t know when their last meal will be, so they appreciate it. That means a lot to me personally,” said Potterville.

“It’s a lot better than the regular MREs. The food motivates the people to keep going,” said a Fort Carson soldier.

The unsung soldier chefs hope their cooking skills translate into a recipe for success. They’re trying to take home first place in the nationally evaluated competition.

“I’m always a little nervous, but mostly more excited and confident to where it’s going to go,” said Potterville.

Sixteen teams representing the Army, the Navy and the Marine Corps are competing over the next month. We’ll have to wait until September to see if the chefs’ culinary skills will impress the judges enough to win the Connelly Cup.