I got qualified to go FS yesterday after taking my asvab. I'm doing the delayed entry program and I leave for cape may on september 8th with guaranteed A school.I want to get an inside opinion on how much you coasties like your job as an FS. I currently live with my sister and boyfriend whom are both OS3s and my sisters boyfriend who is an MK3. So I know a lot more than the average recruit already, however I haven't actually gotten to know any FS's.
opinions/comments ?
thanks

So, you locked yourself into a guaranteed A school and NOW you are wondering what the rating is like?

Guess it doesn't matter.....whatever it is will be what YOU are...

That's why so many folks on here suggest NOT grabbing a guaranteed school. Better off going to the fleet first to find out what you might actually enjoy.

This will not be like cooking brownies at home.....I certainly hope you discover you love the job though. It is one of the ratings that is least appreciated by your shipmates much of the time.

On the other hand, a GOOD cook can be instrumental in keeping a unit's morale high.

Good luck.

no no I didn't "lock" myself into anything. It's what I wanted. I went to school for cooking and I enjoy doing so. My recruiter is also an FS1 and he made it seem like something I'd enjoy, and I've been doing it anyway. I think it's what I'd be best at therefore what I decided to do. I would never want to be a nonrate, so I would only have agreed to join a rate with a guaranteed A school.

Sam,
Congratulations on your getting into the CG FS world, I think that you will find the rate extremely rewarding. It is great that you are eager and that you know that you want to be a cook, but the eager beaver gets burnt out faster than one that calmly goes about learning the FS world. While at basic training, keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut, don't offer opinions or engage in gossip or petty ****ing matches with your shipmates. Do exactly as you are told, and know that that is never good enough. Don't get your feelings hurt if you are yelled at, just know that it is a game. FS school is a little different, since you already have some training you will find it a little easier to understand, but again since you have that training you will find it easy to get into the "I already know this" or "That is not the way I was taught in school" mind set. The CG has a particular way of doing things that don't always make sense. Again keep your ears open and your moth shut, and you will be amazed at how fast you get the respect of your instructors and superiors later on in the fleet.
I like the rate, and I did a lot of different things before I jumped in to the FS rate, and decided that cooking was the way to go. I have had some great tours and a few bad ones too, but the wheel keeps turning. I look back and realize that my worst jobs were ones where I beleived that I was always right, and I had my mouth yapping, but my ears were shut, because I knew it all already.
A last word here before I fall off my soap box:
A wise man once said that "Opinions are like A-- H---s, every body has one; And most opinions start with 'You should' or 'I should,' so don't SHOULD on yourself or others."

You will do good and go far and have fun if you remember some of these things.

Now I have to try to get down from this soap box before the sharp shooters start taking shots at me!!!

quote:

no no I didn't "lock" myself into anything. It's what I wanted.

In that case, I apologize. Your first post made it sound like you had signed up for the school and were now wondering what the rating was like.

As I said, a GOOD cook can be a very real morale booster for a crew.

good luck.

Long hours and long days. In this job you have to love what you do and that will reflect in your cooking and crews attitude. There are too many cooks out there who went FS for the bonus, or to get out of their unit and dont like their jobs. These are the ones that give us the bad name because typically they just "cook".

I didn't get a bonus, I was actually a Military Policeman in the Army for over five years, got out of the Army went into the Coast Guard where I was a non-rate at Station Belle Isle, Detroit and striking BM. Then I decided I didn't want to prep, prime and paint for the next 12 years of my career.So we had a good cook and a horrible cook and I could see what a positive influence the good cook had on the entire crew when it was his day to cook and I decided that is what I wanted to do. And I tell you what, I love my job. I am stationed aboard a '210 in Florida and cooking underway is a challenge but I love it. I am looking to try and get a patrol boat and tackle that FSO job, so we'll see what happens.

Good luck and welcome to the rate.

I agree with galleysniper on the good and bad cook deal, been there, seen it, and heard too much of it. I didn't get a bonus, didn't go to school, I was a striker under some pretty good FS's. I've been the duty cook, Jack of the Dust and now in my second FSO job and I love every minute of it! It definately takes some getting used to, and the hours are long and hard but when you get to the point (and I wish you the best of luck with) where you put out a meal and the entire messdeck is quite because they are enjoying the meal so well, it is one of the most gratifying feelings. Just get through basic and don't worry about school and then in my own opinion try to get underway first, it is a great way to learn the rate the best. Just my opinion! Good luck and just have fun.

Thanks a lot for all the advice! I'm sure it's going to help me out a lot along the way
and it's greatly appreciated

I remember many times underway and the inevitable crash of pots and pans smashing all over the galley deck due to heavy rolls (What a mess). I'll admit it always took me a couple of days to get my sea legs/stomach and was always glad I didn't have to be the person in the galley cooking eggs etc.. at o dark 30 in big seas trying to brace yourself. The cooks always had first dibs on laundry so thier uniforms were usually clean, when everyone elses were not. Their duty inport seemed pretty good, better than most other rates. I knew some cooks who were the most popular people on board because they took pride in thier proffession, a good caring cook is worth their weight in gold! Good food/good moral). And some who were the most despised because of the opposite reasons. It can be a tough job but with allot of good feelings of accomplishment...just some things I remember as an outsider (different rate) observing.

A "good food" story. I was on my 5th High Endurance Cutter. Some had some pretty lousy cooks. many just did not seem to care what they served or what the quality was.

So, we are on out way to Vietnam and I'm drinking a cup of coffee on the mess deck. The Chief Commisaryman (what they used to be) walks into the galley and looks into a big tureen of tossed green salad a 2nd class is preparing. He picks up the whole thing, throws it at the 2nd class and bellows "WE WILL NOT SERVE BROWN, WILTED LETTUCCE OUT OF MY GALLEY!!!"

He set the tone for all of the cooks and we ate really well throughout the whole deployment.

quote:

WE WILL NOT SERVE BROWN, WILTED LETTUCCE OUT OF MY GALLEY!!!

Then why did the dumbarse put tossed green salad on the menu? That's not a "good food" story for the poor CS2. Was he supposed to gather fresh leafy greens off of the fantail or something? Maybe the chief should have got off his fat, lazy duff and culled through the produce before he signed the menu? I'll bet he couldn't even find his way from the chief's mess to the reefer flats and back without leaving a trail of coffee stains and donut crumbs. Boy I'd a liked to work for that guy huh. If he pulled that $hit with me I'd a stuffed his fat ass through the slop shoot with the rest of the swill.

quote:

Originally posted by Anusaurus_Rex:

quote:

WE WILL NOT SERVE BROWN, WILTED LETTUCCE OUT OF MY GALLEY!!!

Then why did the dumbarse put tossed green salad on the menu? That's not a "good food" story for the poor CS2. Was he supposed to gather fresh leafy greens off of the fantail or something? Maybe the chief should have got off his fat, lazy duff and culled through the produce before he signed the menu? I'll bet he couldn't even find his way from the chief's mess to the reefer flats and back without leaving a trail of coffee stains and donut crumbs. Boy I'd a liked to work for that guy huh. If he pulled that $hit with me I'd a stuffed his fat ass through the slop shoot with the rest of the swill.

Different ERA and I seriously doubt you would of "thrown his fat ass through the slop shoot" during that ERA and if you tried I am sure you would have found out what "bosun hole justice" was, especially from the Chief's Mess.

For the one who asked about being a FS, from a GM's perspective, it can be a very rewarding job or not a very satisfying job. Remember when cooking for a crew, "everyone is a food critic". Personally, I tried to say positive things to the cooks when the meal was good and when it was not, I said nothing. Cooks generally have one of the longest hours on a WMEC/WHEC. The duty cook is up before anyone else and is usually the last to "go home" for the day. I have seen some very good cooks and some who only seemed to know how to open a "#10 can" and put it on the steam line.

GUNS

Haha wow
I wasn't expecting to get this many replies
and as for wilted green lettuce, I was always taught to never serve something I wouldn't eat myself, and that's something I wouldn't put in my mouth so I think I'm goo as far as that goes haha

correction; brown* lettuce ( it's late )

quote:

Then why did the dumbarse put tossed green salad on the menu? That's not a "good food" story for the poor CS2.

Anasaurus-

We were not long out of port and there was plenty of fresh lettuce available. The CS 2 was lazy so just threw the wilted lettuce in rather than actually looking it over first.

And the CSC was a big guy, I doubt you would have had much luck trying to "throw him down the slop chute".

You missed the message completely. Let me try to simplify it for you.....

The CSC was committed to making sure the food coming out of his galley was quality stuff. The CS 2 was not....

Got it now?

As Kodiak pointed out, it was a different era. We (the crew) were able to enjoy GOOD food because the Chief was actively managing the galley and the quality of the food that came out of it; not sitting in the CPO mess drinkig coffee.

Got it. First time through it sounded like the chief had an attitude problem. Back in the day there were some whose behavior was nothing short of abusive and often for no good reason. Many were alcoholic and couldn't function sober. Others were nasty SOB's for no reason other than that they could be. I'm glad that kind of behavior is no longer tolerated.

Probably just an error in my phrasing. The CPO was cool, the CS 2 was not only lazy, his personal hygiene was not up to par either.

Or my comprehension. In any event I'm glad we got it squared away.

quote:

I would never want to be a nonrate, so I would only have agreed to join a rate with a guaranteed A school.

Thats most idiotic thing I have ever heard and is highly offensive to those of us who actually worked our butts off as nonrates. The work may not have been fun but I learned more about leadership as a nonrate than anywhere else in the CG, and from the attitude you have displayed perhaps being a non rate is what you need because sadly good ol Chief Starace aint in Cape May to whoop it into shape.

I think that this is the opinion of that particular individual and I think it is smart. Leadership will come...If I could go back and do it now, I would go directly to school. What is the difference in a rated E3 and an E3, I would say job description. Leadership ability is about the same...minimal at best. It is our job to assist in that department.