Craig Z. Rodarte
SAN ANTONIO – Airmen from 11 Department of the Air Force dining facilities went head-to-head in the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff culinary battle Dec. 3 at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America.
The SHEF competition, sponsored by the Air Force Services Center and its industry partner Aramark Salute Hospitality, is the marquee event of year-long quarterly competitions that give culinary Airmen the chance to display their cooking skills and creativity.
“We’d like to express our gratitude to all of our competitors, our mission partners at the Culinary Institute of America, and Aramark,” said Col. Chip Hollinger, Air Force Services Center Mission Operations director. “Competitions like SHEF provide a valuable opportunity for Services professionals to showcase their talent in a first-class training environment like the Culinary Institute of America. Under the mentorship of culinary experts and industry partners, this unique developmental opportunity make our Services airmen stronger and more capable when they return to the mission feeding platforms they operate. This improves the delivery of quality, nutritious meals to those we serve – fueling the human weapon system, which is essential to optimizing of our power projection platforms.”
Food 2.0 is part of the services center’s Healthy Food Initiative, which delivers improved, healthier food options for Airmen, Guardians and other patrons at 29 Department of the Air Force installations. The competition featured representatives from most Food 2.0 locations managed with industry partner, Aramark Salute Hospitality.
“This year’s competition was inspirational,” said Jim Krueger, AFSVC’s Food and Beverage Division chief. “You could feel the eagerness to compete and win; you could see it and taste it. Each one of the Airmen were winners in their own right.”
Airman 1st Class Ivana Inga, from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, poses for a photo after winning the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from 11 installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
James Krueger, chief, Air Force Mission Feeding Division, provides feedback for the submitted dishes during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from eleven installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Participants in the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025, get feedback from judge Jessica Parker, restaurant regional manager for the Air Force Services Center. Teams from eleven installations teams had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Finished dishes during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from eleven installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Airman 1st Class Zoe Klassen, from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., poses with the judges panel (James Kruger, Col. Chip Hollinger and Jessica Parker) during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from eleven installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Airman 1st Class Zoe Klassen, from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., coats a frying pan during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from eleven installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Airman 1st Class Ivana Inga, from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, preps her kitchen during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from 11 installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Airman Kedaeja Myrie-Mills, from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., cubes sweet potatoes during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from eleven installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook, present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte) 
Airman 1st Class Treyson Spann, from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., slices a purple sweet potato during the second annual Salute Hospitality Epicurean Faceoff held at the San Antonio Culinary Institute of America, Dec. 3, 2025. Teams from eleven installations had 100 minutes to prepare, cook and present their dishes as well as clean their kitchen spaces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Craig Z. Rodarte)