Essex Sailor Performs in Culinary Olympics

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Anglin

02 April 2024

STUTTGART (February 3, 2023) Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Larry Burns, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), was selected to join a team of joint military chefs as an apprentice to participate in the 2024 Culinary Olympics Catering Competition in Stuttgart, Germany, February 3 - 6, 2024.

The military’s top 8 chefs from across all branches competed against the world’s best chefs, both military and civilian. The competition featured 72 countries, with 1,200 chefs competing to serve 120 people in an Olympic catering competition with over 100,000 people in attendance. The teams were judged in all categories, including food quality, preparation, display, food service and cleaning the dishes. During the competition the joint military team was successful in earning a bronze medal for their performance.

Burns was scouted to join the team as an apprentice following his performance during the 2023 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Student Team of the Year cooking competition in New Orleans, Louisiana. Burns was the Navy’s first Culinary Specialist to ever be selected as a junior apprentice.

“There wasn't much of a selection process for Burns,” said U.S. Coast Guard Culinary Specialist 1st Class John Toman, a team member from the Joint U.S. Military Olympic Culinary Team, assigned to Commandants Flag Mess. “We normally use an actual standard of placing to get people to become members of the team…meaning you have to go to JCT and request to try out and perform a test, and then from there you have a panel, and you sit amongst the board and they have a meeting with you. So, in Burns case, the team was caught off guard, because we didn't expect that we would suddenly have an apprentice who came out of nowhere.”

Burns’ love for cooking started when he was a child. He grew up cooking for his siblings while his mom worked third shift as a single parent. His mother taught him the basics of cooking, and he was able to expand on his knowledge by watching cooking shows on the food network.

While in college he was able to cook in the dorms to help pay his way through his schooling. Before joining the military, Burns played college football and considered playing professionally. With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, Burns decided, instead, to take the opportunity to join the military as a Culinary Specialist.

Less than two years after he joined the military, Burns tried out to compete with the all-Navy Culinary team in the Joint Military Culinary competition in Washington D.C., March 1 - 10, 2023, and not only did he get selected, but he received silver and bronze in multiple events, with his team receiving first place in overall performance.

Due to the success of Burns and his team, they were invited to compete in the ACF Student Team of the Year cooking competition in New Orleans, Louisiana. After which Burns was selected to be an apprentice for the Joint U.S. Military Olympic Culinary Team.

“I got added to the team after they were already together,” said Burns. “So, I had to insert myself in a way that wasn't too pushy on them, but I also wanted them to realize that I was there to work and there to gain knowledge as well.”

Burns was quickly accepted and worked hard training with the team.

“It was the best thing that could happen to this team,” said Toman. “He has been an asset. I think Chief Brown made the right decision, and had the right intuition in adding him to the team. He has been the best contributor, and one of the hardest workers on our team.”

On March 4th he was able to compete in the military’s 48th annual Joint Culinary Training Exercise as an individual and took home the gold medal, earning the title Best E4 and Junior Cook in the U.S. military.

On July 14 – 17 he will participate again in an American Culinary Federation (ACF) National competition, representing the entire Armed Forces, and compete as an individual against the best civilian student chefs in the Nation.

“I want to continue to learn as much as possible,” said Burns, “and remain humble, and remember that this opportunity does not come around often.”

Essex is dry docked in San Diego conducting a maintenance period to upgrade and refurbish many key systems aboard.

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