The famous LA Fleet Week® “grill off” between U.S. military branches returns to Battleship IOWA May 29, and U.S. Army is joining the competition for the best surf-and-turf bragging rights
SAN PEDRO, Calif. – May 17, 2022 – Tie on the aprons, fire up the grills and get the spatulas ready! The famous LA Fleet Week® Galley Wars grilling competition is back in action after a two-year hiatus, taking place over Memorial Day Weekend on the LA Waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles.
Sponsored this year by Fox Entertainment and Weber grills, the event will pit active culinary specialists from the United States Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army against each other in a 30-minute grilling showdown. Two-member teams from each of the branches will grill their best surf-and-turf masterpiece for the competition, with a side dish for each.
This year’s judging panel includes three high-profile celebrity chefs to be announced. Winners receive a special Galley Wars plaque, handcrafted by five-year Army veteran and Calvary Scout Thomas Montgomery, in addition to owning the all-important bragging rights as the best-in-the-west armed services’ culinary team.
Galley Wars 2022 will be hosted by Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason Thompson, host of “The Ear Candy Update” podcast, along with co-host Athena Fleming, U.S. Coast Guard veteran and United States of America’s Ms. California 2022. Kicking off the day’s culinary activities will be U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Larry Watkins, deputy commander of the U.S. THIRD Fleet.
Fox Entertainment is this year’s presenting sponsor. In support of the competition, Weber has donated several of its popular Genesis II grills for the cook-off, in addition to mitts, tongs and other barbeque essentials that every master griller should have.
Galley Wars will take place Sunday, May 29 at 1:00 p.m. on the fantail of the Battleship IOWA on the Fleet Week EXPO footprint. Like many LA Fleet Week events, Galley Wars is free and open to the public, while audience seating will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
LA Fleet Week is a multi-day celebration of our nation’s Sea Services that takes place annually on the LA Waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles. First held in 2016, the event has become a Southern California tradition attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. The Port of Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles, Battleship IOWA and LA Fleet Week Foundation are founding sponsors of LA Fleet Week, which is now among only a handful of Navy Fleet Weeks in major U.S. coastal cities. LA Fleet Week’s move from Labor Day weekend to Memorial Day weekend makes it concurrent with New York Fleet Week.
For the latest updates on LA Fleet Week 2022, sign up for news announcements at LAFleetWeek.com, follow the event on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @LAFleetWeek, or search the official hashtag #LAFleetWeek.
The busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere, the Port of Los Angeles is North America’s leading trade gateway and has ranked as the number one container port in the United States for 22 consecutive years. In 2021, the Port facilitated $294 billion in trade and handled a total of 10.7 million container units, the busiest calendar year in the Port’s 115-year history. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.