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Proving to be well received, the Mongolian Bar is served tions. Points totaled on each judge’s assessment checklist
every Wednesday, alternating between Iwakuni’s mess halls. decide the winning teams in each category, and are not
“We didn’t anticipate Mongolian day being that successful revealed until scores are tallied.
and being that high of a priority,” said Magloire. Winning teams demonstrate leadership, culinary exper-
New meals must await approval from Headquarters tise, and the award-winning capabilities of Marine Corps
Marine Corps before they can officially be implemented. culinary specialists whose personal initiative and profes-
Among the more anticipated specialty meals being planned sional commitment are often unmatched in this difficult
is an Oriental bar and the Surf and Turf bar, which Magloire and demanding specialty.
predicts will be a customer favorite. The Surf and Turf consists Inspections for the 2017 Hill awards were conducted
of grilled-top sirloin steak, spicy-grilled shrimp, corn-on- in two stages. Active-duty team inspections began Feb. 13,
the-cob and steamed Italian vegetable blend. 2017, and concluded March 9, 2017, with the winners an-
Not only will the specialty bar change, so will the main nounced April 17, 2017. Reserve units were evaluated over
menu and snack bar. If there are any additional items that four drill weekends in 2017, Feb. 11, March 4, April 1 and
patrons would like to see they are encouraged to contact the April 7; winners were announced April 17, 2017.
food service division in building 100, or send an Interac- The Hennessy/Hill Travelers Association and the NRA
tive Customer Evaluation comment for recommendations. are sponsors of the W.P.T. Hill Memorial awards. —GFS
“We want to give service members what they want,”
said Magloire. “We take their concerns very seriously and
we’re all about listening and catering to them.”
Marine Corps mess halls work throughout the year to
improve performance and meal quality. Chef of the Quarter
competitions focus culinary specialists on demonstrating
their skills to judges while the regular routine of preparing
daily meals goes on.
Aboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., in
December, judges evaluated three food service Marines on
preparation, taste and display of dishes.
The winner was Sgt. Destany Weatherwax, a food service
specialist assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 271, BEST ACTIVE FIELD MESS
Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. When
she volunteered for the competition, her motivation was II MEF Headquarters Group, MARFORCOM,
not so much to win as to consider it a creative opportunity, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
to do something new and have fun. Commanding Officer: Col. David S. Owen
The competition focused on smaller-portioned meals, Food Service Officer: Capt. Brandon Mokris
which allowed her to explore the art of food service. Having Mess Hall Manager: Gunnery Sgt. Diordane
won, Weatherwax can share her experience and encourage Pierrelouis
other Marine Corps culinary specialists to compete, improve
their skills and raise individual performance.
Chef of the Quarter winners next compete in the Chef
of the Year competition at the end of the fiscal year.

HILL HISTORY
The Marine Corps introduced the Hill Award in 1985 to
motivate and reward the food service teams to prepare the
highest-quality food. Competition for the award aims to
encourage a commitment to excellence, and Hill evaluators
perform the job of identifying the top teams.
Evaluators select top performers in four categories: Best
Military/Contractor Garrison Mess Hall, Best Full Food Ser-
vice Contracted Garrison Mess Hall, Best Active Field Mess
and Best Reserve Field Mess. BEST RESERVE FIELD MESS
Recipients are recognized for the contribution food service 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine
makes to boosting the morale and improving the quality Division, MARFORRES, Baltimore, Md.
of life for Marines and Navy personnel. Commanding Officer: Lt. Col. Henry A.
Working independently, evaluators arrive at their deci-
Henegar
sions by relying on their subject-matter expertise to judge S-4 Officer: 1st Lt. Timothy Cowan
the food service teams. Teams are assessed in 17 categories, Mess Chief: Gunnery Sgt. Richard Zurowski
with inspections taking place during regular daily opera-
GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • JULY 2017 43