Pentagon Channel Fired Up to Showcase Hot Platoon of 'Grill Sergeants'

By David Mays
Special to American Forces Press Service

Sept. 24, 2007 - Cooking talents of some of the U.S. military's top chefs will be on the front burner of a new Pentagon Channel lifestyle program, "The Grill Sergeants." "I want 'The Grill Sergeants' to be a forum on how to share the most common element in life -- food," explained Sgt. 1st Class Brad Turner, an Army platoon sergeant chosen to be the show's first host.

A nationwide search is under way for other military members with a flair for food and a dynamic personality interested in showcasing their skills on the show.

"Watch out, Emeril!" warned retired Air Force Master Sgt. Jim Langdon, creator of 'The Grill Sergeants.' "We have some really talented chefs auditioning."

Besides highlighting the "superior culinary skills of military chefs," Langdon said, the show aims to introduce recipes unique to different parts of the world.

"We'd really like to see regional foods where we have troops stationed," he said. "Like gumbo from Louisiana and yakisoba from Japan."

Chef Turner explained that he hopes to turn his passion for food into a compelling half-hour of television his fellow servicemembers can enjoy.

"It will give them a way to share more intimately through something we do every day," he said.

But it's not all about food and fun, the show's creator said.

"A couple of big benefits, besides learning some great recipes, deals with nutrition and ways to avoid cross contamination of different foods like raw chicken and vegetables," Langdon said.

All episodes of "The Grill Sergeants" have been shot so far at Fort Lee, Va., home to the Army's Advanced Culinary Skills Course, where the military's best cooks earn their stripes in the kitchen. Members of an Army jazz quartet, the "Taste Buds," provide musical interludes and serve as official taste testers.

Military chefs interested in hosting the show are invited to send a proposed recipe and a photo of themselves to info@pentagonchannel.mil

'The Grill Sergeants' will debut later this fall on the Pentagon Channel. It also will be available via podcast and video on demand at www.pentagonchannel.mil.

(David Mays works in the New Media branch at American Forces Information Service.)