442nd Airman selected for culinary training

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Wesley Wright
  • 442nd FW/PA
WHITEMAN AFB, Mo. --  A 442nd Force Support Squadron reservist was recently selected to represent the Air Force Reserve at a weeklong seminar at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif.

Airman Martina Kellums entered the Air Force Reserve July 18, 2011. Kellums said she enlisted because joining the military had always been one of her dreams.

"It's a dream I have had my entire life, one of several goals, and I have accomplished them all," she said.

Kellums said she thinks the Reserve allows members to focus on their families and civilian careers without the stresses that may come while on active duty.

Senior Master Sgt. Brian Denny works at the headquarters for Air Force Reserve Command. Denny said the selection process for this seminar is competitive; units submit a package on their sharpest Airmen at or below the rank of technical sergeant.

These packages are then reviewed by a team within the headquarters of AFRC.
Gerald Cardinal, the chief of services for AFRC, has final say on those selected, Denny said. Two Airmen are selected from this process and two are selected from the food service excellence program evaluations conducted each year.

Kellums was nominated by Maj. Joseph B. Walter, 442nd FSS commander. Denny said Kellums was chosen because she had a strong package and shows promise, dedication and potential.

Kellums cited Master Sgt. Dennis Hatch and Senior Master Sgt. Travis Stickels, both 442nd Force Support Squadron noncommissioned officers, as mentors who have helped her in her new Reserve career.

Denny said he believes attending this course will help Kellums, and thus, the unit.
"Airman Kellums will have the opportunity to learn from and pick the brains of some of the best and most well know chefs and hospitality industry leaders in the country," Denny said. "This is a once-in- a-lifetime opportunity, and she can bring her experiences and what she learns back to the unit to share."

Kellums said she believes attending this event will help broaden her skills and help accomplish the 442nd mission of training and deploying ready reservists. By making better food, morale can be improved, and food-service facilities can attract business from members who get the nutrients they need to perform their jobs well, she said.

Kellums said she plans to take advantage of every opportunity offered to her in the Air Force Reserve.