FORT LEE, Va. –
White-clad chefs streaked through the brushed aluminum and stainless steel maze of a kitchen, pouring over their delicate dinner creations with both haste and patience. At the head of the room, a chef labored on a large chocolate castle, complete with the intricacies of medieval construction, including banners, towers and a drawbridge. The artist's face twisted into an uneasy frown - he could not figure out how to affix the drawbridge to the candy citadel.
"How about these? These would make great chains for it," a youthful voice offered from behind the chef. A teenager emerged and presented the chef with licorice for the castle's gate.
The young food architect is 16-year-old Adam Eudy, an aspiring culinary artist from Hilton Head, S.C. Adam joined the Joint Base Langley-Eustis Culinary Arts Team during the 37th Annual Military Culinary Arts Competition at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence at Fort Lee, Va., Feb. 26 to March 9.
The JBLE team invited Adam into the kitchen during the competition to swap insights and ideas in their bid for gold medals. The youngster is no stranger to the fine art of food, with five years experience in crafting delicacies from his mother's South Carolina home.
Adam's bond with JBLE's top chefs began in 2010 during a visit to Washington, D.C., to meet congressmen with his Civil Air Patrol unit. As a result of meeting the staff at an event in his hometown months prior, he received an invitation from the Pentagon's culinary arts team to visit the school at Fort Lee. What he saw changed his mind about military food forever.
"I was blown away by the skill they showed. I thought the military only served powdered mashed potatoes and eggs," Adam said. "It was definitely an experience to see the service members work together and produce food like no other."
As Adam returned home, he continued his rising star status, even gracing the cover of Hilton Head Monthly Magazine as a "Most Intriguing Person of 2012." He began taking classes to improve his grasp on the minute details of culinary artistry, and began specializing in pastries. Adam created specialty cakes for a variety of functions around town, including special designs for his CAP squadron.
In December 2011, he answered the military's call, assisting Sgt. 1st Class Guy Winks, the enlisted aide to the commander of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine command, Gen. Robert Cone, in preparing baked goods for the general's Christmas party.
When Adam arrived to work on the holiday treats, he met the JBLE Culinary Arts Team, already entrenched in training for the upcoming competition at Fort Lee. More than 800 designer cupcakes later, the team members were convinced of the skills and drive the youngster possessed.
"Sergeant Winks told us about Adam, and we were pretty hyped ... I heard he's the best," said Senior Airman Axl Fallesgon, a 633rd Force Support Squadron chef and JBLE Culinary Arts Team member. "He taught us a lot of stuff. We made over 800 different mini-cupcakes, and he helped out with all of it.
"The kid is incredible. He's got skills ... he's no joke," Fallesgon continued.
Astounded by Adam's skill set and willingness to learn, the team invited Adam to join them at the competition at Fort Lee. With another trip to Washington scheduled concurrently, Adam took full advantage of the opportunity, making the drive north with his mother, Crystall.
"He was so excited when (Sgt. 1st Class Winks) invited him in, and even more so when the (JBLE Culinary Arts Team) wanted him to work with them," his mother said. "His first passion was music, but after meeting the military chefs, he genuinely fell in love with cooking.
"It's awesome when he cooks at home," she added. "What else could a mother ask for?"
Adam joined the JBLE team during their feverish run to create edible masterpieces, at one point working 24 hours straight. His pure creativity, and unwavering positivity, fueled the team as they labored into the early morning on their cold-dish presentations and showpiece. Adam quickly proved his presence to be valuable, swapping ideas and suggestions with the team.
"He's always positive. He's a go-getter, and has character. No matter how long it takes. He keeps his eye on the goal, and thinks we're going to win gold every time," Fallesgon said of Adam. "We need that positive attitude, and he keeps us motivated.
"When we started building the chocolate fondant castle, it was really difficult. I'd hit a wall creatively and maybe get a little frustrated, but Adam was right there, telling me 'don't worry, well get it,'" he continued. "If we don't know what to do or were missing something, he comes up with crazy solutions. He makes what seem like ridiculous things work with his creativity."
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Russell Campbell, the chief of the Advanced Food Service Training Division at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, attributed Adam's devotion to his connection with CAP, and from the tutelage of the military chefs he worked with.
"His family is heavily involved in the CAP. That instills pride, discipline and esprit de corps, and falls right in line with military values and the brotherhood we share with each other," Campbell said. "We're glad to be a part of the process, and look forward to working with him in the future. We want him to continue to be a member of our family."
While Adam brought his pastry skills to the kitchen for JBLE's aspiring chefs to glean insight, the most important lesson the Airmen and Soldiers imparted to Adam was the value of teamwork.
"The guys here definitely taught me working as a team is way better than working as an individual," said Adam.
"He's still so young, and how he dedicates himself inspires us. He wants to stay and work with us just to be in the kitchen, a part of the team," Fallesgon said. "His work ethic gave us a chance to hone our leadership skills. We're going to be training others one day, and we can use these skills as leaders to become better NCOs."
To Adam, the trip to Fort Lee was more than an opportunity to build beautiful food. It was a chance to make a difference in the lives of military members that had given him so many opportunities in his young life. The best way to repay their inspiration was to inspire them, as well.
"I taught them to believe in themselves and have confidence in what they do, otherwise you won't be able to accomplish anything," Adam said proudly. "These guys are an inspiration to me. It's been a rejuvenating experience to come here and experience something else out there besides mashed potatoes and salad."