Culinary specialist (United States Navy)


Culinary specialist is a United States Navy occupational rating. It was formerly the mess management specialist rating until January 15, 2004, and commissaryman and steward prior to 1975.

History

Food service ratings in the U.S. Navy were historically divided into two broad groupings until the merger of commissaryman and steward ratings to mess management specialist on January 1, 1975. Before 1975, stewards prepared and served meals to the officers, maintained their quarters and took care of their uniforms. They served officers in the flag mess for admirals, the cabin mess for the ship's captain and the wardroom mess for all other officers. Until the merger, the steward rating, and its predecessor ratings were largely segregated. Sailors of African, Filipino and Asian descent largely performed these functions.
Commissarymen prepared meals for enlisted sailors in galleys on the ship and shore bases in the general mess. They purchased food from approved sources, stored food stuffs and distributed to the galleys for preparation and kept accountability records.
With the consolidation, sailors in new rating became “responsible for food preparation and food service for both enlisted and officer messes.” To accommodate the change, officers were now required to assume some of the upkeep of their staterooms and personal uniforms. Other cleaning duties became the responsibility of rotational pool of enlisted personnel from the ship. This arrangement continues with the current culinary specialist rating.

Duties

Culinary specialists operate and manage U.S. Navy messes and living quarters in addition to many other duties as follows:
Navy culinary specialists operate messes for the President of the United States in the White House and at Camp David.