Navy Food Service ...Trying to Make a Hard Job a Little Easier

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Navy Food Service ... Trying to Make a Hard Job a Little Easier

By Cmdr. Frank Lindell, Lt. Cmdr. Al Siewertsen and Lt. Cmdr. Joe Yudiski

Food Service is one of the most important components of Navy’s Quality of Life Program. Whether it’s the boatswain mate from deck division or the messenger of the watch from the bridge, all our sailors look forward to three hot, nutritious meals a day, served on clean, well appointed mess decks. However, the challenges that face our food service professionals are many ... most complex ... and some cannot be solved at the shipboard level. As the program manager for Navy food service, NAVSUP 51 assumes the role as advocate for our afloat and ashore food service operations. We set policy and guidance for all aspects of food service and monitor the financial status of our galleys.

Lately, the emphasis has shifted from disseminating policy and guidance to exploring ways to improve the efficiency of our galleys. In that capacity we strive to improve the Quality of Life for our mess management specialists (MSs) and food service attendants (FSAs) while maintaining the highest quality food service possible. Nutrition, advance food technology, food service design, and training are several areas receiving increased emphasis in today’s dynamic environment as we prepare to enter the new millennium.

Nutrition

Nutrition and healthy lifestyles are paramount issues for our Sailors ... issues that receive considerable attention at NAVSUP. We have a comprehensive nutrition strategy designed to enhance the well-being of our sailors. One of the most critical components of our nutrition strategy is education ... improving nutritional awareness among our MSs and sailors. NAVSUP has three registered dietitians assigned to the Food Service Division to support Navy nutrition requirements. The Nutrition Team’s goal is to improve readiness through development and implementation of an aggressive nutrition program designed to increase nutritional awareness and promote a healthy Navy lifestyle. Key components of the Nutrition Program include:

Developing of a 35-day "Healthy Navy Menu" to serve as a guideline for all galleys. This menu meets or exceeds nutritional standards promoted by the Navy surgeon general. NAVSUP nutritionists, in concert with fleet staffs, have developed the 35-Day Healthy Navy Menu as a foundation for general mess menus. Seventy-nine new or updated recipes emphasizing lower fat and higher fiber have been tested and incorporated into the menu. In addition to improving Navy nutrition, this standardized menu provides several other advantages to our MSs. The standard menu eliminates the need for an individual galley to develop its own menu and will standardize ordering/loadouts. Though the use of the menu will not be mandatory, the benefits to our afloat and regional food service operations can be significant.
Develop recipes for all services … 166 new or updated recipes will be published in June 1999, featuring lower fat, healthier options.
Review afloat/ashore menus to ensure nutritional guidelines are met.
Provide a two-day course … "Nutrition at the Mess Decks" … for afloat and ashore MSs. This course focuses on general nutrition principles, the relationship of nutrition and disease (heart disease, obesity), behavior modification techniques to assist the MS in promoting good nutrition to their customers, and a hands-on session in which participants modify and prepare recipes that improve nutritional value.
Insert healthy foods into the June ’99 Consolidated Afloat Requisitioning Guide Overseas (CARGO) load list of supply ships that replenish our deployers. Recent additions include ground turkey, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat free/reduced fat salad dressings, bran cereal, and cooked turkey breast.
Routinely publish and distribute nutrition literature to Navy galleys, including National Nutrition Month promotional materials, "5-A-Day The Navy Way" information, and timely nutrition P476 articles of interest to our MSs and Sailors.
Actively participate on the Department of Defense Nutrition Committee, DoD 5-A-Day Committee, DoD Food and Nutrition Research and Engineering Board, and the Navy Nutrition Strategy Team. Though each group has a different purpose, each is dedicated to improving nutrition and nutrition education in DoD.

Advance Food Technologies

It’s no secret that we could use quite a few more MSs and FSAs in our galleys. The workload of our food service operations is staggering, and we need to reduce that workload in order to survive within our current manning constraints. We are identifying and researching labor-saving technologies that can be employed in our galleys. One such technology is advance foods.

Advance food technologies exist in the private sector that can be employed afloat and ashore to offset existing manning shortfalls. Cook/chill products, i.e., soups, sauces, gravies, entrees, salads and meats, have a shelf life of 30-45 days. Similar cook/freeze products have a shelf life of 6-12 months. We are identifying affordable, highly acceptable advance foods such as premade lasagna, precooked bacon, and frozen bread dough for insertion into fleet menus. These foods require less preparation and cooking times than "cook from scratch" products. Precooked bacon, for example, costs less per ration than traditional bacon. All you do is pan it up and warm to serve ... very little grease to clean up ... fast turnaround from reefer to serving line.

Many ships are currently using advance foods to some degree. Additionally, NAVSUP has prototyped advance foods at several activities in an effort to identify those products that deliver the best labor savings return on investment. These tests measure food cost, acceptability, waste, and labor savings. Several items tested have been incorporated into the CARGO to replace traditional labor intensive items and make them available to deployers. Once we have enough budget quality supporting analysis, we intend to request an increase in the basic daily food allowance (BDFA) to support increased usage of advance foods as a means for the fleet to survive within existing manning shortfalls. Highlights of some recent studies include:

NAVSTA Mayport
Start Date: March 2, 1998
End Date: June 30, 1998
Product: Cook/Freeze
Product Source: Beaver Street Foods (prime vendor)

Advance foods were prototyped in NAVSTA Mayport’s galley to measure labor savings, food cost, food acceptability, and nutrition. Cook/freeze products obtained from the subsistence prime vendor replaced menu items traditionally prepared from scratch. Labor savings were approximately 143 hours per week ... about three personnel. Food costs were 20 percent higher than the BDFA. The higher cost was absorbed by NAVSUP as part of the study. Food acceptability was high. Most advance foods contained higher levels of sodium, sugar and fat than items prepared from scratch. The most significant savings were realized through increased use of bakery products, soups, gravies, premade salads (i.e., potato salad), and prepared entrees such as lasagna, meat loaf, and Salisbury steak.

USS Rainier (Phase I)
Start Date: June 22,1998
End Date: Sept. 30, 1998
Product: Cook/Freeze
Product Source: SYSCO Foods (prime vendor)

USS Rainier volunteered for this prototype as part of the SMARTSHIP manning initiative. Phase I of the prototype consisted of replacing 40 percent of traditional menu items with advance foods ... primarily cook/freeze products. USS Rainier utilized these products from late June through the beginning of her recent Gulf deployment. Crew acceptability was very high. Labor savings due to reduced preparation and cleanup times were realized for many items. Use of advance foods allowed USS Rainier to live within manning reductions already taken. Food costs were approximately 12-15 percent above BDFA, again absorbed by NAVSUP. Though plastics waste increased, food waste decreased as advance foods permit cooking on demand. Analysis of USS Rainier’s data is ongoing ... several food items with a significant payback in labor savings have been identified to the fleet for replacement of traditional food items.

USS Rainier (Phase II)
Start Date: Nov. 1, 1998
End Date: May 30,1999
Product: Cook/Freeze
Product Source: SYSCO Foods (prime vendor)

Upon completion of Phase I, permission was extended for Rainier to demonstrate the feasibility of using advance foods in a deployed environment. Three shipments ... five 40-foot reefer vans ... 1,581 cases of cook/freeze product ... shipped from the prime vendor ... prepositioned in the Gulf. Food costs and labor savings remain consistent with Phase I findings. Food costs above the allowed BDFA are being absorbed by NAVSUP. Upon return from deployment USS Rainier will provide data for analysis.

USS Vinson BG
Start Date: Nov. 1, 1998
End Date: May 30, 1999
Product: Cook/Freeze
Product Source: U.S. Foods (prime vendor)

Similar to the support provided for USS Rainier, advance foods were prepositioned in the Gulf to support the USS Vinson BG. Seven 40-foot reefer vans were shipped from San Diego ... two shipments ... 141,000 pounds of cook/freeze products such as frozen bread dough and frozen sandwiches ... 21 separate food items designed to ease manning shortfalls. Additional cost of these advance foods is being absorbed within the existing ship’s BDFA ... much more affordable since a deployed unit receives 100 percent ration count while deployed.

USS Tarawa
Start Date: Jan. 5, 1999
End Date: Jan. 10, 1999
Product: Cook/Freeze
Product Source: U.S. Foods (prime vendor)

USS Tarawa was underway transiting between availability sites. Due to MS manning shortfalls and an inoperative scullery, permission was granted to use

advance food technology during this transit to validate the utility of advance foods in a specific short duration situation. Average cooking time for cook/freeze entree products was 45-55 minutes ... without required preparation. Cooking times for frozen vegetables, pastas, and rice products averaged 10-15 minutes. Acceptability of the food was high ... waste was minimal. Cost per ration was 27 percent above authorized BDFA ... absorbed by NAVSUP.

Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
Start Date: Jan. 25, 1999
End Date: Feb. 20, 1999
Product: Tray Pack Meals
Product Source: Y. HATA Foods (prime vendor)

A COMSUBPAC study was chartered to determine if submarine galleys can be closed while in port. USS Greenville (SSN 772) nonduty section personnel subsisted at the shore galley. Duty section personnel subsisted from commercially provided "frozen microwaveable meals." Cost is $13 per day ... $7.03 over BDFA ... absorbed by NAVSUP. USS Greenville successfully fed the duty section for the entire test period. Drawbacks included lack of variety as well as high food expenses. COMSUBPAC is continuing to research additional alternatives.

USS McFaul
Start Date: March 15, 1999
End Date: May 2, 1999
Product: Cook/Chill and Cook/ Freeze
Product Source: PYA Monarch (prime vendor) and a local food broker

In partnership with Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, a seven-week prototype of advance food technologies on board USS McFaul (DD 74) evaluated storage requirements, labor costs/savings, acceptability, equipment life-cycle costs, and waste generation. A surface combatant was chosen in order to accurately gauge the stress on storage and replenishment requirements for one of our smaller platforms. Data collection will be refined. This test was designed to accomplish two major goals ... identify food items with high return of investment in terms of reduced labor requirements for insertion into fleet menus and to aid in future new construction food service designs. Food costs above the allowed BDFA were absorbed by NAVSUP.

We encourage the use of these labor saving foods in the fleet today. Additionally, future galley designs will focus on increasing reliance on advance food technologies. Although use of 100 percent advance foods would exceed the authorized BDFA by 15-20 percent, judicious use of lower cost, high labor saving advance food products would improve the Quality of Life for our MSs. NAVSUP encourages the use of these advance foods, within financial constraints, as a means of reducing workload.

Food Service Design

NAVSUP’s Food Service Division is a member of the Food Service Integrated Process Team (IPT) for CVX, In-Service CVNs, LPD 17 and DDG 51 … also on the ground floor of DD 21 design. Our efforts focus on reducing the workload for our food service personnel by designing efficient new construction food service operations and redesigning existing operations so that they successfully operate with minimal manning. We advocate designs with clustered storerooms that provide for faster and more efficient breakout of stores. Centralizing the food service operation in one area on the ship also reduces workload by collocating the general mess, CPO and Wardroom galley. Placing the bakery and scullery in close proximity to this centralized galley also reduces manpower requirements.

In addition to space design, we are also intensifying our efforts to identify the newest food service equipment for our galleys. To that end, NAVSEA established the Affordability Through Commonality (ATC) Program to determine commonalities between all ships to reduce design and equipment costs. Food Service ATC is a major part of this program ... leveraging state-of-the-art commercial food service technologies and practices to reduce life-cycle costs, workload, and space requirements.

The ATC Food Service Team is comprised of representatives from NAVSUP, Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station, Natick Research and Development Center, and NAVSEA. Team members survey the marketplace for food service equipment that will reduce workload and is multifunctional. Equipment meeting this criteria is purchased and sent to Natick Research and Development Center for testing and evaluation. Evaluations include applicability for shipboard use, production capabilities, and safety issues.

Several pieces of equipment have been tested at Natick, including the Combination Oven (Combi), the Clam Shell Grill, the Skittle, and the Condiment Dispenser. These pieces of equipment have been well received aboard test platforms. Each of these pieces of equipment represents significant reductions in cooking and cleaning times. The Combi Oven, for example, is a combination steamer and oven. Cooking times for many food items are reduced 33 percent through use of the Combi Oven.

ATC efforts to reduce manpower and life-cycle costs are critical to successfully operating our galleys of the future. A major thrust of the ATC Program is retrofitting of this equipment on board ships in overhaul, as well as installation on board new construction hulls. NAVSEA funds these installations.

Navy Culinary Training

As we’re well aware, training is the cornerstone of success in all our efforts. Culinary training in Navy is second to none. We offer a wide variety of "A," "C," and private sector courses designed to improve the skill sets of our professional chefs. Highlighted below are several of our more prominent training programs.

Navy Food Management Teams

Training, not inspection, is the motto of our seven Navy Food Management Teams (NFMTs). These teams are manned by MSs, engineers, hospital corpsman, and Army veterinarians and are located at fleet concentration areas throughout the world. NFMTs provide shipboard and classroom training in all facets of food service. The most common afloat topics include nutrition, sanitation, food inspection, food production, and record keeping. Training is ship specific, designed to improve each ship’s food service operation. Classroom training focusing on bread baking, cake decorating, menu planning, proper equipment maintenance, and equipment operation is also offered. Over 6,000 Navy food service personnel were trained by our NFMTs in FY ’98. NFMT assist visits can be scheduled by contacting NAVSUP 51.

Culinary Internship Program

MSs work side by side with world-class chefs at high caliber restaurants and hotels located in fleet concentration areas, free of charge. Hilton, Sheraton and Radisson hotels are the major participants in this program. More recently, NAVSUP has entered into agreements with the San Diego Convention Center, Hilton LaJolla Torrey Pines, and The Fisherman Restaurant in the New London area. The two-week course of instruction exposes our MSs to a variety of civilian culinary skill areas, including banquet and restaurant meal preparation, pastry preparation, healthy meal preparation, and improved service techniques. The culinary internship program is open to top performing MSs. Over 400 MSs have completed the Culinary Internship Program since 1996. Efforts are under way to expand this program to some of the smaller fleet concentration areas. Your local NFMTs can schedule training quotas for your command.

Culinary Institute of America

MSs from each finalist category of the Ney program are funded by NAVSUP to attend a 10-day culinary excellence course at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. Annually, over 150 of our best MSs attend this course, trained by master and executive chefs ... earning six college credits. Efforts are under way to shift from campus to shipboard training to maximize the benefit to the ship’s food service operation.

Outsourcing MS "C" Schools

Historically, several MS "C" schools have been taught exclusively on the West Coast. Recently, CNET contracted Tidewater Community College in Norfolk to teach General Mess Operations, Private Mess Operations, and Public Quarters/Flag Mess in the Tidewater area. These classes were previously taught in San Diego only. TAD savings in excess of $900,000 per year are projected by having an East Coast training site.

The change in venue for these courses represents the first example of a new concept called "geographically distributed training." The first class convened Jan. 25, 1999, with 20 students. The initial classes are being monitored by NFMT and education specialists from CNET and Fleet Training Center Norfolk. Quota control for the course is administered by BUPERS 405EC (MS Detailer). The local training authority fills unused quotas through the local commanders in chief and type commanders.

The list of "geographically distributed training" will grow. In the Puget Sound area a new General Mess Operations class at Olympic College is planned for the fall of 1999.

On the Horizon ...

We are also partnering with the fleet to shape the afloat food service operations of the future. As part of the fleet’s Afloat Supply Department of the Future (ASDOF) Team we have identified several opportunities to reduce workload afloat … moving record keeping off ship, eliminating private mess accounting, improving stateroom management, shifting inventory management to other ratings, and outsourcing FSAs while in port. Though these proposals are in the developmental stages, they appear very promising. Food Service is also being addressed as we develop our SUP 21 vision … striving to institutionalize technological and business practice changes that will minimize the food service footprint afloat and reduce workload to meet the reduced manning levels.

As the Navy’s program manager for Food Service, NAVSUP’s objective is to optimize the use of commercial business practices wherever the application is most practical. Our efforts will continue to stay focused on the procurement of nutritious and high quality food products, insertion of advance food technologies, installation of labor saving equipment and the professional growth of our MSs. The well-being of our Sailors is of paramount concern … Quality of Life is vital to maintaining readiness well into the 21st century.

Commander, Submarine Force,

U.S. Pacific Fleet

Start Date: Jan. 25, 1999

End Date: Feb. 20, 1999

Product: Tray Pack Meals

Product Source: Y. HATA Foods (prime vendor)

USS McFaul

Start Date: March 15, 1999

End Date: May 2, 1999

Product: Cook/Chill and Cook/ Freeze

Product Source: PYA Monarch (prime vendor) and a local food broker

Food Service Design

NAVSUP’s Food Service Division is a member of the Food Service Integrated Process Team (IPT) for CVX, In-Service CVNs, LPD 17 and DDG 51 … also on the

ground floor of DD 21 design. Our efforts focus on reducing the workload for our food service personnel by designing efficient new construction food service operations and redesigning existing operations so that they successfully operate with minimal manning. We advocate designs with clustered storerooms that provide for faster and more efficient breakout of stores. Centralizing the food service operation in one area on the ship also reduces workload by collocating the general mess, CPO and Wardroom galley. Placing the bakery and scullery in close proximity to this centralized galley also reduces manpower requirements.

The ATC Food Service Team is comprised of representatives from NAVSUP,

Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station, Natick Research and Development Center, and NAVSEA. Team members survey the marketplace for food service equipment that will reduce workload and is multifunctional. Equipment meeting this criteria is purchased and sent to Natick Research and Development Center for testing and evaluation. Evaluations include applicability for shipboard use, production capabilities, and safety issues.

Navy Culinary Training

Navy Food Management Teams

Culinary Internship Program

Culinary Institute of America

Outsourcing MS "C" Schools

The list of "geographically distributed training" will grow. In the Puget Sound area a new General Mess Operations class at Olympic College is planned for the fall of 1999.

On the Horizon ...

Cmdr. Frank Lindell is the director of Navy Food Service, providing policy and guidance to over 400 afloat and ashore galleys. A graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School and the University of Rhode Island, his previous afloat tours include supply officer, USS Connole (FF 056); supply officer, USS Estocin (FFG 15); and stock control officer and services officer aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1). Shore tours include Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Ships Parts Control Center, Mechanicsburg, Pa.; PRECOMMUNIT Wasp, Pascagoula, Miss.; and executive officer of Readiness Support Group, Newport, R.I.

Lt. Cmdr. Al Siewertsen, a member of NAVSUP’s Food Service Division, has oversight responsibility for the Advanced Food and Equipment Technology Branch. A Medical Service Corps officer and Navy dietitian with a master of business administration, his previous tours include department head, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., admin officer for deployed Medical team aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1), department head, Naval Hospital Naples, Italy; and department head, Naval Hospital, Orlando, Fla.

Lt. Cmdr. Joe Yudiski, a member of NAVSUP’s Food Service Division, is responsible for the Accountability and Fleet Support branches. He has a master of business administration in finance and in hospitality business from Michigan State University. Tours afloat include USS McCandless (FF 1084) and USS Alaska (SSBN 732B). His previous ashore tours were at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay and Naval Inventory Control Point, Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Article is from the May/June issue of the Navy Supply Corps Newsletter.


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