HYDE PARK, N.Y. – Matthew Gates, of Nashua, graduated recently from the Culinary Institute of America with an Associate’s Degree in culinary arts.

Gates was a member of the Littleton (Mass.) High School Class of 2005. He entered the Army in 2007, attending basic training at Fort Knox, Ky., and advanced individual training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., with training as a pilot for unmanned aerial vehicles. He was assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, were he deployed for combat operations to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Gates was honorably discharged from the Army. With assistance from the Veteran Administration, he was accepted into the Culinary Institute of America. Upon graduation, he was accepted for the CIA Bachelor’s Degree program in applied food studies.