WASHINGTON, June 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) announced the winners of the 2021 Military Foodservice Awards virtually during a Facebook Live event on Wednesday, June 9. The event, hosted annually by the NRAEF, is part of the Foundation’s commitment to support members of the military, military spouses and veterans with training opportunities to hone their skills, and provide pathways to meaningful jobs and careers in the restaurant industry.
The winning teams were congratulated by Tom Bené, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the NRAEF; Rob Gifford, President of the NRAEF; and Brett Ladd, CEO of Sodexo Universities and Government.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s best of the best in military foodservice,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF. “For more than 65 years, the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF have recognized excellence in military foodservice to mark these momentous accomplishments. Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you to each of our industry sponsons for their support in honoring our military foodservice professionals.”
Typically, representatives from the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF team up with senior military personnel and travel to installations around the globe to evaluate military foodservice operations. Due to COVID-19, the 2021 evaluations took place virtually, with volunteer evaluators spending time at night, early in the morning, and on weekends to conduct evaluations and select the best military foodservice operations for the awards.
Watch the full awards program on Facebook Live here.
The 2021 Military Foodservice Award winners:
Winners of The Philip A. Connelly Awards, honoring the Army:
Best Active Army Garrison Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 10th Group Support Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, Airborne Fort Carson, CO Company Commander: Captain Notarianni
Best Active Army Field Kitchen Headquarters & Headquarters Company, Group Support Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Airborne Eglin Air Force Base, FL Company Commander: Captain Zaldivar
Best Army Reserve Field Kitchen Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 368th Engineer Battalion, 302nd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade Londonberry, NH Company Commander: Captain Lapenna
Best Army National Guard Field Kitchen Delta Company, 634th Brigade Support Battalion 33rd IBCT, IL Company Commander: 1st Lieutenant (LT) Kamys
Winners of the Major General W.P.T. Hill Memorial Awards, honoring the Marine Corps:
Active-Duty Staff Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year Gunnery Sergeant Jonathan A. Denhem II Marine Expeditionary Force, 2nd Marine Division Camp Lejeune, NC Deputy Commander: Colonel Todd W. Ferry
Active-Duty Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year Sergeant Gabriel C. Justice I Marine Expeditionary Force, 13th Marine Expeditionary Force Unit Camp Pendleton, CA Commanding Officer: Colonel Andrew T. Priddy
Reserve Non Commissioned Officer of the Year Sergeant Mouhammed Cisse 4th Marine Logistics Group, Combat Regiment 45 Marietta, GA Commanding Officer: Michael C. Varicak
Winners of the Captain Edwards F. Ney Memorial Awards, honoring the Navy:
Best Aircraft Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Norfolk, VA Commanding Officer: Captain Paul Campagna
Best Small/Medium Afloat USS McFaul Norfolk, VA Commanding Officer: Commander Bobby Rowden
Best Large Afloat USS Iwo Kima Mayport, FL Commanding Officer: Captain David Loo
Best East Coast Ashore Gator Inn, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, VA Commanding Officer: Captain Michael L. Witherspoon
Best West Coast Ashore Trident Inn, Naval Base Kitsap Kitsap, WA Commanding Officer: Captain Richard G. Rhinehart
Best OCONUS – Outside the Contiguous U.S Ashore Ristorante Bella Etna, Naval Air Station Sigonella Sigonella, Italy Commanding Officer: Captain Kevin Pickard Jr.
Best Submarine USS Jimmy Carter Kitsap, WA Commanding Officer: Commander Brian Elkowitz
Winners of the John L. Hennessey Awards, honoring the Air Force:
Region One Winner 96th Force Support Squadron Eglin AFB Fort Walden Beach, FL Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Hilary Hedberg
Region Two Winner 374th Force Support Squadron Yokota Air Base Fussa, Japan Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Chang
USAFE Small Site Winner 702nd Munitions Support Squadron Buechel Air Base Buechel, Germany Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Brent McCraney
AFGSC Best Missile Feeding Operation 5th Bomb Wing Minot Air Force Base Minot, ND Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Michael Weeks
Air Force Reserve Winner 512th Memorial Affairs Squadron Dover Air Force Base Dover, DE Commander: Lieutenant Colonel Elenah Kelly
Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth W. Disney Food Service Award Winner 179th Sustainment Services Flight Mansfield, OH Commander: Major Maegan Sutton
Winners of the Forrest O. Rednour Memorial Award, honoring the United States Coast Guard:
Best Large Afloat Dining Facility USCGC Harriet Lane Portsmouth, VA Commander: Benjamin F. Goff Jr.
Best Large Ashore Dining Facility Coast Guard Base Los Angeles/ Long Beach San Pedro, CA Commander: William “Brian” Winburn
Best Medium Afloat Dining Facility USCGC Resolute St. Petersburg, FL Commander: Justin Vandel
Best Medium Ashore Dining Facility Coast Guard Sector Northern New England South Portland, ME Commander: Mark R. Neeland
Best Small Afloat Dining Facility USCGC Sockeye Bodega Bay, CA Master Chief: R. Shane Hooker
Best Small Ashore Dining Facility Coast Guard Station Burlington Burlington, VT Senior Chief: Charles Northcott
Winners of the Captain David M. Cook Foodservice Excellence Awards, honoring the Military Sealift Command:
Best Foodservice Operation Small Ship USNS COMFORT (T-AH 20) Norfolk, VA Captain, USMM: Andrew Lindey
Best Foodservice Operation Medium Ship USNS YUKON (T-AO 202) San Diego, CA Captain, USMM: Euceif C. Balafas
Best Foodservice Operation Large Ship USNS RICHARD E. BYRD (T-AKE 4) San Diego, CA Captain, USMM: Lee A. Apsley
Best Foodservice Operation Hybrid Ship FRANK CABLE (AS-40) Guam Captain, U.S. Navy and Captain, USMM: Albert Alaron and Dale P. Cramer
The 2021 Military Foodservice Awards were sponsored Sodexo, Ecolab, Brinker International, HMSHost Foundation, Aramark, Sysco Corporation, Computrition, Whataburger Restaurants, BJ’s Restaurant, Seaboard Foods, and Kitchens to Go.
In addition to recognizing foodservice excellence within the armed forces, the NRAEF provides military foodservice training on established industry standards of restaurant management and culinary training, connects transitioning military to apprenticeship opportunities, supports military spouses and provides scholarship opportunities.
Visit ChooseRestaurants.org to learn how to get involved with the NRAEF and its work to empower people from all backgrounds with the training and education they need to secure a better future.
About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation – NRAEF The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce.
NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community-based organizations to provide opportunity youth and justice-involved individuals with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. To learn more about the NRAEF and its work, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.
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SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation