A Patriot's Plate

I am a homonym that can be spelled two ways, and I have more than one meaning. Spelled one way, I form the rows on an ear of corn. Spelled another way, I am an officer in the Air Force, Army, or Marine Corps. See if you can fill in the blanks in the following sentences:

An Army ________ knew the power of carrots, kale, and cauliflower.