903rd QM wins 2nd Annual OKGuard Culinary Excellence Competition

CAMP GRUBER, Okla. — Culinary specialists from the 903rd Quartermaster Company, 345th Combat Sustainment Battalion, 90th Troop Command won the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s Annual Culinary Excellence Competition for the second year in a row on June 7, 2025.

Four teams from the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 90th Troop Command competed in the second annual OKNG Culinary Excellence Competition at Camp Gruber Training Center.

Established to elevate the professionalism of the Guard’s food service operations, the event emphasized nutrition, presentation and practical field skills, while also fostering esprit de corps amongst participants.

Staff Sgt. Sonia Ortiz-Sierra, 903rd Quartermaster Company, 345th CSSB, 90th TC, who led the winning team, said her team’s communication skills and camaraderie is what set them apart.

“Train your Soldiers as best you can, know their strengths and weaknesses,” said Ortiz-Sierra. “Learn from them as well, and let them learn from their own mistakes so they can teach others.”

The teams were required to establish their field kitchens, then prepare and serve a dinner meal within a four-hour window using only standard-issue gear and military rations. The event concluded with equipment cleanup.

Teams were evaluated across ten areas, including food safety, site layout, troop acceptability and equipment use and maintenance. The competition also serves as preparation for the upcoming Philip A. Connelly evaluation.

With their second consecutive victory, the Soldiers of the 903rd and their fellow culinary specialists demonstrated Warrior Ethos in action by delivering critical support under field conditions and reinforcing that every Soldier, in every role, strengthens our collective readiness and lethality.