Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas -- The Air Force announced the winners of the 2018 John L. Hennessy Trophy Awards for best dining facilities across the service April 3.
The winning teams will receive formal recognition during the National Restaurant Association’s annual show in Chicago May 18 in front of industry professionals.
This year’s winners are:
Region 1: 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy
Region 2: 82nd Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas
U.S. Air Forces in Europe Food Service Small Site Award: 703rd Munitions Support Squadron, Volkel AB, the Netherlands
Air Force Global Strike Command Best Missile Feeding Operation: 90th Missile Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming
Earlier this year, two four-person Hennessy Traveler teams made up of two senior enlisted members and two members of the National Restaurant Association Foundation – representing the east and west regions – spent a few days at nominated installation dining facilities to evaluate excellence in management, force readiness support, food quality and production, employee and customer relations, training and safety awareness.
“All bases evaluated were excellent,” said Col. Donna Turner, Air Force Services Activity commander. “Each did an outstanding job and represented their installation with distinction.”
The Air Force’s Hennessy program is managed by AFSVA’s Operations Directorate.
This year’s region 1 nominees were Aviano; Whiteman AFB, Missouri; Shaw AFB, South Carolina; Robins AFB, Georgia; and Patrick and MacDill AFBs and Hurlburt Field in Florida.
Region 2 nominees were Sheppard; Osan AB, South Korea; Cannon AFB, New Mexico; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; Travis AFB, California; and Creech AFB, Nevada.
In addition to selecting the best units, evaluation teams also chose individual superior performers to attend training during the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence later this year at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in St. Helena, California.
Once the August training is complete, one Airman from each region will be chosen as overall 2018 Top Hennessy Traveler Award winners.
In the running for this year’s individual awards are Senior Airman Jayde Moore, Airmen 1st Class Grant Boone, Oscar Callejas, Cortez Carey, Jessica Garay, Jennifer Miranda, Marjoree Razal and Miranda Whitt; and Airman Raven Winburn.
“The high standards of professionalism, attitude and culinary skills shown by these Airmen as they went about their day-to-day duties deserved recognition,” Turner said. “(While they are at Greystone), training from highly esteemed professionals will heighten and sharpen their food service tools and ignite their love for the business.”
“Additionally,” added Chief Master Sergeant Donald Cleveland, AFSVA senior enlisted manager and region 1 evaluator, “the Hennessy Traveler award winners have the ability to take the CIA training and train others to enhance their skills and the base’s mission.”
“Although a key component of the Hennessy awards is recognizing exceptional food service programs, they also promote excellence through quality, improvements, recommendations and information exchange with industry partners,” said Bill Spencer, chief Air Force appropriated food and beverage operations.
“The interaction between National Restaurant Association team members and the Air Force is helpful for everyone,” Spencer said. “We learn from (the civilian NRA members) and they learn from us.”
The AFSVA also takes information gathered by the Hennessy evaluation teams concerning installation programs to see if initiatives can be implemented across the Air Force food service enterprise, Spencer added.
The Hennessy Award program, named for hotel and restaurant executive John L. Hennessy, was established in 1957 to promote food service excellence. (Debbie Aragon and Anthony Bernardelli contributed to this report)