Mess Management Specialist Rating Name Changes

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- In a rating name change that better reflects their professional expertise, Mess Management Specialists (MS) will now be known as Culinary Specialists (CS).

"The name change more appropriately describes the duties and mission of the rating, aligns the rating with today's commercial culinary profession, and enhances the rating's professional image," said Senior Chief Culinary Specialist (SW) Joe Donellan, rating technical advisor and Supply Corps enlisted community manager.

The rating's progression from cook to commissary man, to mess management specialist, and finally to culinary specialist, is a natural one and in keeping with the Navy's tradition of defining a Sailor's occupation in modern terms.

Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Matthew Myers, aboard USS Bataan (LHD 5), believes the name change will have a positive effect when Sailors transition back to civilian life.

"We'll finally be able to compare our knowledge and training to the civilian world, which will allow an easier transition into the culinary field," he said. "I really like it."

Aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) Senior Chief Culinary Specialist (SW) Jack Slattery said he felt the change will "definitely help in enabling our civilian counterparts to better identify with our job as opposed to the term "Mess," which is a contradiction in terms when you think about the sanitation standards we're expected to maintain."

Personnel in the MS rating will be automatically converted to the CS rating effective immediately with the release of NAVADMIN 012/04. Request for conversion from Sailors or commands is not required.

The rating badge of crossed keys and quill superimposed upon an open ledger is being retained for Culinary Specialists.

NAVADMIN 012/04 will soon be available on the Web at http://www.bupers.navy.mil.

For related news, visit the Chief of Naval Personnel Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnp.