Doug Ventre:  

ob you want to do. Then he picks out what's supposed to be available. My 1st duty station was right there also. All my classmates were from a different base and when I was told which base I was going to, they all felt bad. None of them like this base. I spent 2 years in Columbia S.C. It was actually was a nice place. I had worked with very good people and had a real good time. I wouldn't have mind being there for 20 years. In '84 I won Post Cook. I competed with about 250 other people in my MOS. there were many phases of the competition. When I made it to the last phase of the competition, I never seen who I was up against. When my Sergeant Major came up to me with the results, He told me I lost. I had asked him "by how much". He replied "by 1 point". I said that sucks big time. But then he said he was only kidding and told me I won. He went to my boses office to let him know. I never heard anyone scream so loud with delight before. He came running over to me and congratulated me. I thought my arm was going to fall off. He was Panamanian. I got orders to go to Germany soon after. The next 2 years was in South Germany. It was cold all year round. I was stationed in Hohenfels. It's up in the Bavarian Mts. A beautiful country though. I did get to travel thru-out. The people were very nice. I got to see some of the most beautiful architecture in the world. Churches and Castles that are unbelievable built. My boss there seen that I won the Post Cook and put me in the one they have there. But it's not just the post, since there was only 1. But it was the 7th ATC. I don't know how many competed but I ended up winning that also. Needless to say my boss was thrilled. He had put up another guy about 4 times and he didn't win once. Besides winning 2 Cooks awards, I also won 4 Army Achievement awards. And a final rank of E-4. (Spec 4). I was on the list to be Sgt. but I didn't stay in long enough.