Photo By Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Mundwiller | U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Hunt, 131st Force Support Squadron (FSS)...... read more read more
Benjamin Hunt had been a civilian for 17 years when a casual conversation changed the trajectory of his life.
After serving as a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crew chief on Active Duty and in the Reserves, Hunt left the service as a technical sergeant in 2004 and put the military behind him. One evening nearly two decades later, his wife mentioned that his eligibility to re-enlist was ending as he neared his 51st birthday.
Initially Hunt felt that the military chapter of his life was well and truly closed. His family was settled, he was an established business owner, and he told his wife there was no way he would uproot all of that to join back up.
After some thought though, Hunt reconsidered and decided to reach out to a 131st Bomb Wing (BW) recruiter. He wanted to be a mechanic on the B-2 stealth bomber – the “big bad bird” as he called it – but was disqualified by a hearing issue. Next he was offered a job in supply, but the spot was filled before he had the chance to officially commit.
When he received a call from Senior Master Sgt. John Williams, 131st Force Support Squadron (FSS) services flight chief, to consider him for a position in services, Hunt was unsure at first but he agreed to an interview with the FSS commander. He said that he felt it might be what he needed in his current stage of life and that his original plans falling through was a sign this was what he was supposed to do.
When the commander at the time asked why he wanted to be in services, Hunt replied that he didn’t. Understandably, that didn’t go over well. Hunt explained his backstory, including his feeling of being called to the job despite his initial hesitation. Williams and the commander were impressed.
Williams said he first wondered whether Hunt would be a good fit for the services team because of his age, but changed his mind after speaking with him.
“Honestly, when recruiting gave me those details I thought it wasn’t going to work,” said Williams. “During the interview I shared my vision for where I was trying to take the team and it was like we had worked together for years. He was so motivated to jump in and learn the craft. Someone with his attitude and excitement, I needed on my team.”
On the day he graduated from technical school, Hunt got a call from Williams, this time asking him to lead the services team at Jefferson Barracks Air National Guard Station (ANGS) as they prepared to compete for the Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth W. Disney Award.
Named after a dedicated food service Airman with over 20 years of service, the Disney Award considers factors such as manning, discipline, force readiness, and culinary proficiency. It is awarded to one Air National Guard services flight each year that displays overall excellence in all categories, and only the best of the best are able to compete.
Although Hunt felt he wasn’t qualified to take the lead on such a high-stakes project, Williams said he knew Hunt was the one for the job.
“His passion for food and customer service was recognized by everybody,” said Williams. “He is someone who you can’t help but be inspired by, which was exactly what I needed in that position.”
The challenge laid before him was not a small one. Equipment at the Jefferson Barracks dining facility was outdated and team morale was low coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hunt said he knew it would be hard, but vowed to keep a good attitude. He put a plan together to get everything ready for the Disney Award inspection, and over the next 18 months he worked with 131st BW leadership and the services Airmen to turn the kitchen around. They got the go-ahead to modernize equipment, bringing in new pieces to meet current standards. They fine-tuned recipes and allowed services Airmen to have input on menus. Hunt began to see positive changes in the Airmen’s dedication and excitement.
Williams emphasized that Hunt played a huge role in changing the culture of services for the better.
“He sets the standard, he is willing to do any job regardless of position or rank and never complains,” said Williams of Hunt. “He genuinely cares about the Airmen he works with. I’m so proud that he and they accepted the challenge of pursuing the Kenneth W. Disney Award, and they did it with a smile on their faces.”
Hunt gave credit to the teamwork and effort that everyone put in.
“I don't think the sky's the limit for just me,” said Hunt. “It's everyone here. They just gotta give a little bit extra, open their eyes a little bit wider and be open to a little bit more.”
In the midst of leading the preparations for the Disney competition, Hunt was scrolling social media during a moment of downtime when a post caught his eye that mentioned something about a chef in Arkansas. Curious, he called the number listed and introduced himself.
The person on the line stopped him as soon as they heard he was a cook with the Missouri ANG and invited him to volunteer at their upcoming Veterans Day event. Without knowing exactly what to expect, Hunt agreed.
He said he went to the event picturing a park with pop-up tents, hamburgers, hot dogs, and “older veterans with the funny veterans hats,” but was surprised to see a brand new, state-of-the-art campus.
Hunt said he was blown away, and described the remote facility as “surreal.” It turned out the event was being hosted by an organization that trains veterans for civilian careers in fitness and nutrition, to give them purpose and set them up for success.
Although he was there as a volunteer, Hunt felt it was important to wear his uniform for the Veterans Day event. He was placed front and center in the serving line, where he realized he stood out among the other volunteers and workers.
He served guests throughout the event, including civilians, veterans, and VIPs–the Arkansas governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink among them. When the event was over, Hunt helped clean up and left, not knowing if he would ever be back.
A month after the Veterans Day event, Benjamin Durham, vice president of campus operations for the organization, the University of Health and Performance (UHP), called Hunt about a job opening for executive chef. While Hunt assumed he was calling to ask for a referral, Durham surprised him by asking him to apply for the position.
Hunt reminded Durham that, while he did work in a dining facility as a drill-status Guardsman, he had no experience as a chef. He said that his family was rooted in Missouri: he had a business, a house, and a teenage daughter in school. Despite his protests, Durham asked him to apply for the executive chef job.
Soon after, Hunt found himself back at the campus to interview for a job he felt completely unqualified for.
After the interview and a tour of the facility, Durham and Brandi Harstedt, director of operations, approached Hunt with some UHP gear that he assumed was a parting gift.
As he prepared himself to accept the rejection, Harstedt pulled a black name tape from behind her back. It read, “Hunt.”
Durham said they knew they wanted to offer Hunt the job before he even agreed to the interview. Full of emotion, Hunt knew he needed to weigh the decision carefully. He headed home to discuss the offer with his wife so they could contemplate the changes on the horizon.
As soon as he arrived home, his daughter said she had made a decision on where to go to college. In a twist of fate, she had settled on the University of Arkansas.
“My daughter didn't know that I had been pursuing or being pursued for a job in Arkansas,” Hunt said. “Turns out UHP is 40 minutes from the school. Now it's becoming clearer to me that all these dots are connected for a reason.”
Hunt accepted the position as executive chef and it became evident that, while he didn’t have a traditional chef’s background, he was the perfect man for the job. He had owned a construction business for years and cooking had only ever been a hobby, but he soon learned he could cook for a large number of people and do it well.
“I still feel really awkward that I don't have 30 years of chef experience,” he said. “But when I look back at the whole thing, I realize God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called.”
Hunt said he looked back on all the circumstances of the previous two years and knew he was being called to the purpose of feeding and caring for veterans.
From that first conversation with his wife deciding to re-enlist, to being disqualified from his first choice Air Force speciality, to leading a team straight out of technical school, to answering an ad on social media about a Veterans Day event hundreds of miles from home, and finally to taking a chance on a life-changing opportunity that he was unqualified for on paper, Hunt said he finally knew he was right where he was meant to be.
“Making people food when they're not happy, literally makes them happy,” Hunt said. “Especially when you pour a lot of love into the food, and they know it, and the chef goes and sits down and talks with them. I enjoy doing that as much as I enjoyed meeting the governor of Arkansas and making her dinner.”
As for the Disney Award, the 131st FSS services team at Jefferson Barracks finished in the top three of all competing ANG units for two years in a row under Hunt’s leadership.
He said that at age 54, he feels he is leading a purpose-driven life for the first time.
“Now I'm an executive chef and it's 100% because of the Air National Guard,” said Hunt. “Had I not had that as my only resume, if I didn't have Sergeant Williams putting me in a position to lead people, lead young airmen, change their minds…I came with a fresh perspective because I had been off for 17 years. But then I also came in with gumption and ambition and excitement and I spread that around. And I'm still spreading it around.”
Hunt said he plans to remain in the unit even after moving to Arkansas. He was recently selected as a first sergeant, an opportunity that will allow him to continue serving with care and purpose.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2025 13:42 |
| Story ID: | 495674 |
| Location: | ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 303 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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