Beans, beef, and bragging rights: Future Operations Chief wins Battle of the Bowls

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – What began as a series of friendly internal chili cook-offs across the installation culminated in a full-scale battle of beans… PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. – What began as a series of friendly internal chili cook-offs across the installation culminated in a full-scale battle of beans, beef, and bragging rights as the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Agile Sustainment and Ammunition (PAE AS&A) hosted the post-wide Chili Championship inside the Shields Conference Room, Oct. 26. Each participating organization first held its own internal competition to select a single culinary champion. Those winners then advanced to the final event, where slow cookers lined the tables like a particularly delicious motor pool formation and the aroma of simmering spices could reportedly be detected several buildings away.

Three guest judges faced the difficult mission of tasting each entry, evaluating competitors on flavor, aroma, texture, heat, and the always subjective but critically important category of “Would you risk a second bowl before returning to work?” Judges sampled each chili entry anonymously, without knowing the identity of its contestant to keep the playing field even. The panel, consisting of Col. Steve Adcock, Portfolio Management Executive for Ammunition and Energetics, Col. Joshua Headley, Project Manager Soldier Lethality, and Marty Kane, retired Picatinny Arsenal employee and member of the Picatinny Enhancement Coalition, performed admirably despite the operational