WASHINGTON, May 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) honored members of America's armed forces for excellence in foodservice with a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the annual National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago on May 20, 2016. Award winners also participated in three days of foodservice training at Kendall College and attended informative educational sessions at the NRA Show.
The awards and training program build on the National Restaurant Association's year-round commitment to military foodservice professionals. NRAEF bestowed awards on service members from across all branches of the military.
The John L. Hennessy Award, celebrating its 60th year, recognizes excellence in foodservice for the Air Force, the W.P.T. Hill Award honors Marine Corps foodservice operations, the Kenneth Disney Award recognizes Air National Guard, the Captain Edward F. Ney honors the Navy, the Philip A. Connelly Foodservice Awards honor the Army and the Captain David Cook award recognizes the Military Sealift Command.
The following installations were honored during the 2016 Military Foodservice Awards:
Winners of the Philip A. Connelly awards:
Winner for the best garrison food operation:
HHC, 21st Special Troops Battalion, 21 Theater Sustainment Command
Kaiserslautern, Germany
Winner for the best active army field kitchen:
307th Brigade Support Battalion 1st Brigade Combat Team 82nd Airborne Division
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Winner for the best Army Air Reserve:
423rd Transportation Company
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Winner for the best Army National Guard:
HHD 110th Multi-Functional Medical Battalion, Nebraska Army National Guard
Lincoln, Nebraska
Winners of the Marines W.P.T. Hill awards:
Winner for the best military/contractor garrison mess hall:
Mess Hall 5500
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Installations West
San Diego, California
Winner for the best full food service contracted garrison mess hall:
Mess Hall 3120
Marine Corps Base
Marine Corps Base Camp
Marine Corps Installations West
Camp Pendleton, California
Winner for the best active field mess:
Marine Wing Support Squadron 172
Marine Aircraft Group 36
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
Iii Mef, Okinawa, Japan
Winner for the best reserve field mess:
Combat Logistics Regiment 45
4th Marine Logistics Group
Marine Forces Reserve
Smyrna, Georgia
Winners of the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Awards:
Award for best aircraft carrier:
Aircraft Carrier USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER (CVN 69)
Naval Station Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Award for the best small/medium afloat
Afloat USS ANTIETAM (CG 54)
Naval Activity Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Japan
Award for the best large afloat:
USS WASP (LHD 1) Naval Station Norfolk
Norfolk, Virginia
Award for the best large ashore:
Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Japan
Award for the best small ashore:
Naval Base Point Loma
Naval Base Point Loma
Point Loma, California
Award for the best submarine:
USS TEXAS (SSN 775)
Naval Base Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
Winners of the Captain David M. Cook food service excellence awards:
Award for the best food service operation small category is:
USNS PECOS (T-AO 197)
USNS RICHARD E. BYRD (T-AKE 4)
Award for the best food service operation large category:
USS MOUNT WHITNEY (LCC 20)
Winners of the 2016 John L Hennessey awards:
Air Force region 1 category winner:
Patrick Air Force Base
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Air Force region 2 category winner:
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Anchorage, Alaska
Winner of the 2016 John L. Hennessey awards for Air Force Reserves:
Westover Air Reserve Base
Chicopee, Massachusetts
Winner of the Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth W. Disney food service award:
157th Air Refueling Wing, Force Support Squadron, Sustainment Services Flight
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Senior military leadership, members of the NRA and NRAEF board members and trustees, and industry leaders all attended the dinner. The Military Foodservice Awards Dinner and Training Program are generously supported by sponsors including Sodexo, Ecolab, Hobart, Anheuser Busch, BJ's Restaurants, New Chef, Rose Packing, Sysco, Skip and Gayle Sack, Hormel, Butterball, Acosta, Ventura Foods and several others.
Rob Gifford, executive vice president of the NRAEF, said:
"It's an honor for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation to recognize the most outstanding military foodservice professionals for their work, and to offer them additional training that will help them to excel in their careers. This awards ceremony comes at a timely moment, on the eve of Armed Services Day. It's a reminder for all of us to strive to thank these men and women – every day of the year – for their exceptional contributions to the military through their dedication to foodservice."
On Armed Forces Day, the NRAEF and NRA will host a toast to the troops hosted with Anheuser Busch and at the culmination of the three days, participants will receive a certificate of completion.
The NRA's decades-long partnership honoring excellence in military foodservice began in 1957 with the Air Force Hennessy Trophy Awards program. Each year, individuals representing the NRA, the NRAEF, and the Society for Foodservice and Hospitality Management travel with senior military officers to military dining facilities around the globe to evaluate foodservice operations and select the winners.
In addition to recognizing foodservice excellence within the armed forces, the NRA and NRAEF demonstrates its support for America's military by supporting military hospitality programs and supporting opportunities for veterans.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry's service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. In 2016, the restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to provide a record 14.4 million jobs, making it the nation's second largest private sector employer. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org.
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SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation