Champions of the Armed Forces - Culinary Olympics 2000

The 2000 Culinary Olympics was an international culinary competition that took place in Erfurt, Germany, from October 14th to 19th, 2000. The event, officially known as the "IKA Culinary Olympics," is considered the largest culinary competition in the world, featuring more than 1,500 chefs from 36 countries.
The United States Army Culinary Arts Team, also known as the "U.S. Army Culinary Olympics Team," was one of the teams that participated in the event. The team was comprised of six members plus apprentices and support staff, all of whom were active-duty soldiers and trained chefs. The team's mission was to represent the United States Army in the competition and to showcase the culinary skills and expertise of the U.S. Army.
The team competed in several categories, including hot food, cold food, and pastry. They also had to prepare dishes based on a specific theme, which for the 2000 Culinary Olympics was "Theater of the World's Cuisines." The team spent months preparing for the event, practicing their techniques and perfecting their recipes.
In the end, the United States Army Culinary Arts Team performed exceptionally well, earning several medals for their outstanding performance. The team won a total of 12 medals, including the high team-gold medal for their cold food display, the high team-gold for their restaurant of nations category, the overall gold, three individual gold medals for centerpieces, four silver for centerpieces, and two bronze medals for centerpieces. They also received the "Best Military Team" award, which recognized their outstanding teamwork, professionalism, and dedication.  Each of the six primary team members received gold medals for the restaurant of nations, the cold food display where they prepared seven different three-course meals, and the overall world championship gold medal.  
The success of the United States Army Culinary Arts Team at the 2000 Culinary Olympics was a testament to the skill and expertise of the U.S. Army chefs, and it helped to raise awareness of the culinary arts within the military community. The team's achievements also highlighted the importance of teamwork and dedication in achieving success, both on the battlefield and in the kitchen.

The primary team members were as follows:
Travis  Smith - Team Captain and Manager 
Willie Meeks - Chef
Mark Warren - Pastry Chef 
Mark Morgan - Pastry Chef 
Dave Turcotte - Chef
Joshua Sperl - Chef

The United States Army Culinary Arts Team is based at Fort Lee, Virginia. Fort Lee is the home of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, which is responsible for providing the Army with food, clothing, and other supplies. The installation is also home to the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence (JCCoE), which provides culinary training and education to military chefs and food service professionals. The JCCoE is responsible for training and preparing the United States Army Culinary Arts Team for culinary competitions and events, including the Culinary Olympics. The team members are active-duty soldiers in the U.S. Army and are chosen based on their culinary skills, professionalism, and dedication to the Army's mission.​