Food Service Managers

Background

The military serves food to hundreds of thousands of service members each day. Meals must be carefully planned and prepared to ensure good nutrition and variety. Food service managers direct the facilities that prepare and serve food.

What They Do

Food service managers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Determine staff and equipment needed for dining halls, kitchens, and meat-cutting plants
• Direct the operation of officers' dining halls
• Estimate food budgets
• Maintain nutritional and sanitary standards at food service facilities
• Manage the cooking and serving of food at mess halls
• Set standards for food storage and preparation

Physical Demands

No information available.

Special Requirements

A four-year college degree is normally required to enter this career.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Interest in nutrition and food preparation
• Interest in planning and directing the work of others

Helpful School Subjects

No information available.

Helpful Fields of Study

Helpful fields of study include:

• Business administration
• Food service management
• Nutrition

Work Environment

Food service managers usually work in food service facilities. They may manage facilities in field camps or aboard ships.

Services offering this career:

• Army
• Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for officers.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Job training consists of 12 to 16 weeks of classroom instruction.

Course content typically includes:

• Food service operations and management
• Hotel management
• Nutritional meal planning
• Resource management

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian food service managers work for hotels, restaurants, and cafeterias. They perform duties similar to those performed by military food service managers.

Related Civilian Careers

• Restaurant Managers

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 500 food service managers. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new managers due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, food service managers may work independently or under the supervision of other officers. With experience, they may manage one or more large facilities. In time, they may advance to senior management positions.