Hey there. I am a 25 year old cook and going to join the military probably the army after i get married and get custody of my son. I was looking into becoming a food specialist because I have 5 years experience in resturants. I was just curious what kind of hours do Army cooks pull and when do they work, is it possible to get weekends off, and whats AIT like. Any info would be great, the economy in Hawaii is terrible for a young family especially one working in the hospitality industry and im tired of lowpay and bad benefits.

The days and hours of an Army Food Service Specialist can vary greatly. Depending on the facility you work in, you may or may not have weekends off. You would typically be on a rotating schedule, working either the morning or afternoon shift. A typical morning shift is from around 5am until 1 or 2pm and a typical afternoon shift is from 10:30am until 6:30 or 7pm. Now remember, that could drastically change depending on where you end up stationed. I've worked in some facilities where I had every weekend off, including many 3 and 4 day holiday weekends. I've also worked in some where we were open every weekend and short handed so we were working like dogs. Also, do remember that you will often be required to participate in daily physical fitness training as well as working your scheduled shift. There is also a possibility that you could end up in a unit where the dining facility is run by civilians, in which case you could end up working in any number of different places, for example in the motorpool, supply room, or even administration. But please, don't let all this discourage you. In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the Army is that I'm always doing something different, yet always remain a cook. There are some great opportunities here and I have had the time of my life so far in the Army and never regret joining. If you have any questions at all or just want to get a better feel about being a cook in the Army, feel free to give me a call.
Staff Sergeant Guy Winks (719) 232-4320