I am changing my MOS in July. How bad is being a cook?

I respect anyone that can do the job of a cook. Feeding that many soldiers and civilians 3 times a day? And hear them complain. No thanks. I got a buddy who was a cook. He would have cookouts on the weekends and try new recipes out on us. We all put money In to help get the supplies. The BN and BDE CSMs would show up even. They wanted to try the food also. Even brought the COL once. He helped make lots of changes for the better in the chow hall. And he was a Specialist!! Think what you could do if you apply yourself. Don't forget your team. Mentor them, listen to them. Guide them to be the best they can be. Remember if they do great they will remember you. If they do poorly it is your fault.

As the cook you have the keys to the kingdom. It's a very nice position to be in. Everyone wants to be your friend.
BTW my ASVAB is 92. Maybe I guess the right choices that day.

In response to the question/statement are cooks dumb. Having been a cook in the late 60's nope my IQ is pegged at 140 I was sent to cook school in 1969 for refusing to be a signal guy, a punishment for not doing what I was told. when I finished I needed 6 hours to be a Chief. Now you tell me if we're dumb. Buy the way I served in Viet Nam and being in combat, we all fight in a war.

first of all, 92g is not "dumb cooks" on the civilian side I hold a journeyman electrician. A 92g MOS can be math heavy as you have to be able to break down recipes for any number of soldiers from 10 to 1000. Hours really stink but come with a few perks... one being you don't really stand any other type of watch, while others are humping and packing loads you and your team get a break in the day to rest. as previously mentioned by LTC Jason Mackay, it'll be what you make of it! I challenge my section to strive for better each and every time we set up and prepare a meal. The soldiers and leadership of my unit are pleased and grateful for a good meal whether in field or garrison. Field is where you can shine and really be the hero!! If your chow is outstanding in the field leadership will love that morale is high and your unit will accomplish more. To me, it is a very fulfilling job and is very important as a army moves on it's stomach. make it what you want it to be.

Well, I'm a cook with a GT of 132, and 99 on the ASVB. That said, the Army will slap rank on a can opener. To truly excell at taking of your soldiers will require intelligence and education equal to or greater then the average O-6. You education and skill development are your responsibility, the Army will only train you to low-grade mediocrity. Oh, buy your own chef knife, a good one can be had for $120+, I highly recommend Wustoff.

Look up Hennessy Trophy on Google. No dumb cooks winning that award. Try to get stationed somewhere you want to go in exchange for being a cook. Also with many mess halls being contracted out you may end up closer to a contracting officer than a chef. Speaking of chefs. The good ones in civilian life make big bucks.

Many end up in their MOS because of place and time. I personally wanted to be an Armorer and ended up Military Intelligence. Now I'm Quartermaster (half my company were cooks).

Every MOS has it's perks and in the field Cooks are hard working, but on par with medical staff when it comes to cleanliness. Cooks get showers. No matter what. If the field prevents it, then basically everyone gets MRE's.

A Jr NCO E5 in the field as a cook is going to have a lot of E1-E4 to task out. The work might suck, but you won't be doing most the heavy lifting.

The job is mostly keeping things clean and managing your equipment and food consumption. The actual part of applying heat in the correct amount and time to prevent sickness without destroying taste is only a small part of the job.

Ps haven't you ever heard the saying the army marches on its stomachs even in the field we loved every single green eggs and rubber bacon you guys fixed us because the next meal that day was going to be C-rations lol

Well personally I remember signing up in 1980 with one helluva score and I was told by my Recruiter that I was only qualified for three jobs inf parachute rigging or field artillery and me never researching or talking to anyone I just went field artillery but later I found it had nothing to do with my scores it was what the Army was pushing at the time but either way it turned me into a pretty good man so I just did it but I'm glad you are asking good luck soldier on what ever you decide

1) If you are a reservist or National guard? Yeah maybe, but what about admin, supply, medic? Regular army? There are a whole slew of options.
Though your GT might be too high (lol), you could always go Military police.
Needs of the Army was always a good threat.

2) One thing everyone knows about Cook, you work very long hours. Food prep, cooking, serving, cleanup, repeat.
Dumb? Like every MOS, you have your idiots, and you have your geniuses.