NEW FOOD SERVICE COURSES AVAILABLE ON LINE

Last updated Aug 14, 2008

NEW FOOD SERVICE COURSES AVAILABLE ON LINE

New food service courses available on line.

Now you're cooking with ...computers?

by Sgt. Donald Bohanner

Combat Correspondent

Since civilian contractors began working in Marine Corps mess halls, food service specialist Marines -- the subject matter experts in their military occupational specialty -- are charged with the billet of quality assurance evaluator, monitoring the performance of the contractor. With these new responsibilities come new obstacles and training requirements, but now food service specialists have a new tool at their disposal -- food service courseware training on MarineNet.

In a 2002 move that saved the Marine Corps nearly $20 million annually and moved more Marines into operational units Corps-wide, all mess halls, with a few exceptions, were privatized as a part of the Regional Garrison Food Service contract. Now the Marine Corps can save even more money by giving their food service specialists the option of training online.

“The new food service courseware on MarineNet offers contracting officer representative, assistant contracting representative and quality assurance evaluator classes in a convenient, easy to use and quickly accessible format for our Marines,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Keith Mohn, officer in charge for the Marine Food Service courses.

MarineNet is the Marine Corps’ online learning network that provides Marines with access to both military and civilian education programs. MarineNet offers over 500 courses consisting of custom Marine Corps training courses and business and information technology courses 24 hours a day, seven days a week and allows the student to take tests online and receive credit. Some classes are transferable for college credit, depending on individual college requirements.

“This is not a required class for (food service specialists), but any cook who is in a QAE billet has to get QAE training, either classroom or through the new online class.”

According to the MarineNet Web site, this six-hour interactive course was designed for Marines in the food service field who serve as assistant contracting officer representatives and quality assurance evaluators at their garrison mess halls. These courses provide ACORs and QAEs with the training required to conduct the duties associated with the inspection of mess halls on their base or station.

“The really special thing about this course is that it acts as a bridge for those Marines who can’t come to the resident training course sponsored by the Marine Corps Food Service Course at Fort Lee, Va.,” said Mohn.

Mike Leeper, training specialist at the Marine Corps Food Service Courses, created this new technology for the Marine Corps.

“Leeper modified the Army contracting course and redesigned it to fit the Marine Corps’ needs,” said Mohn. “It’s a great tool that all our food service specialists should take, and even if you’re not in the food specialist MOS, you can still learn a lot about what they do.”

The food services course is available through the MarineNet course catalog online.

For more information, call the MarineNet help desk at (888) 4DL-USMC or submit a request at <www.marinenet.usmc.mil> .