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Wing Member Heading to Prestigious Culinary School

  • Published
  • By TSgt. Dan Heaton
  • 127tth Wing Public Affairs
SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. --  Milton Rogers is headed to the CIA.
Technical Sgt. Rogers was selected as an outstanding Airman in during an inspection team's visit to the Selfridge Dining Facility before and during the February 2011 Unit Training Assembly. As a result of his selection, the Air National Guard is sending Rogers to the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley of California for one week of specialized training.
"Sgt. Rogers has been one of our go-to people for a number of years," said Chief Master Sgt. Matthew DeHate, superintendent of the Dining Facility for the 127th Force Support Squadron. "This selection validates what we already knew about him."
The 127th Services section was being evaluated by a team from the Air National Guard as one of the finalists for the Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth W. Disney Award, which honors the best dining facility team in the Air National Guard.
During the inspection visit, Rogers worked as a shift supervisor and also lent a hand in a variety of capacities, picking up the duties of Services Airmen who were deployed and not in attendance during the inspection visit.
"The inspection visit was one snap shot in time," Rogers said. "We try to provide a quality meal with good service to the Wing every time we open the door. To do that, everyone has to pitch in."
The Culinary Institute, known as the CIA in the food services world, is regarded as one of the premier, if not the premier, training facility for chefs in the United States. Rogers said the exact details on his trip to the CIA are still being finalized, but he expects to be able to earn a CIA certificate in food service training.
DeHate said the training Rogers receives at CIA will not only make him a better chef, "but it will only make him an even stronger leader. We see him as a future leader of the entire organization. "
Rogers joined the Michigan Air National Guard about five years ago, after spending eight years on active duty in the Army, all of it in food service units. He served on three Army deployments, including about 18 months in Iraq.
"How we perform in food services has a big impact on the morale of a unit," Rogers said. "To be able to do it well, you need to plan as much as you can, but then be flexible enough to go with the flow."
In addition to his duties helping out with meal preparation and service, Rogers serves as the fitness NCOIC for the unit and works full-time at Selfridge managing the Wing's Honor Guard program.