Klaus Tenbergen, director of the Culinology® Program at California State University, Fresno, served aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Halsey for a week helping improve culinary practices for Navy chefs though the Naval Supply Systems Command’s Adopt-A-Ship program.
Tenbergen, an acclaimed master baker who joined the Fresno State Department of Food Science and Nutrition faculty in 2006, donated more than 200 hours to the week-long session (July 13-19) mentoring and training mess management specialists stationed aboard the Halsey.
Adopt-A-Ship furthers industry and Navy quality-of-life objectives. In this case, Tenbergen brought his decades of culinary experience aboard to help the sailors learn new ways to provide quality food service and well-balanced meals for the more than 300 crew members.
The sailors received hands-on training in food preparation techniques, plating and presentation to make breakfast, lunch and dinner aboard ship as appetizing and nutritious as possible. Adopt-A-Ship promotes the culinary profession within military food service and the professional image of Navy food service to the civilian food service industry.
“The program creates opportunities for industry chefs to mentor part of our nation’s fighting force, and my experience was very rewarding and gratifying,” Tenbergen said.
Chefs can determine the amount of time they volunteer in the program and are worked into the ship’s schedule.
The Halsey, commissioned in 2005, is an Aegis class guided missile destroyer. Its mission is sustained combat operations at sea, primary protection for Navy aircraft carriers and battle groups and escort for Navy and Marine Corps amphibious operations and auxiliary ships.
