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CONNELLY AWARDS

Performance Has Team said. “I had all the layers right, it looked

good and then I had my kids taste it. They
Optimistic for Next Year loved it! And everyone knows how difficult
it is to please teenagers.”
Foust and her team of culinary special-
Experience and Teamwork Fulfill Connelly Goal of ists had to please the judges here to beat
Raising Standards the other National Guard finalists for the
title, but Davis said this is much more than
he 49th Multifunctional Medical Battalion (MMB) reached an elite level of the Philip just about picking a winner.
TA. Connelly awards by March 2017, having advanced through several preliminary “We treat this as a normal field feeding
rounds of the competition as other contestants were eliminated. exercise,” Davis said. “Everything is done as
Working in a field feeding environment, the 49th MMB distinguished itself as one it should be done if we weren’t here. This
of only four Army Reserve units still active at that point in the competition. It stood ensures that the culinary specialists are in
just a few months away from the selection of winners and presentation of awards at compliance with regulations and receiving
the Military Food Service Awards Dinner in the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, Ill., during the adequate training to perform in a field
the National Restaurant Association Show. environment.”
When winners of the 49th Philip A. Connelly Awards program were announced Davis said from these events they are
May 19th, Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 49th Multifunctional Medical able to identify any deficiencies in the train-
Battalion, Puerto Nuevo, Puerto Rico, finished as the Runner-Up in the Army Reserve ing, equipment or even logistics and make
category behind Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 391st Military Police Bat- recommendations for change.
talion, Columbus, Ohio. “At these competitions we see firsthand
Still, competing for the Connelly and reaching the final round was a rewarding what these Army culinary specialists are
experience that united the entire unit and motivated a higher standard of performance. dealing with. We are then able to com-
“This is the Super Bowl of food service for field feeding,” said Chief Warrant Officer municate that to the Department of the
3 William Goebel, the food program manager for the 3rd Medical Command Deployment Army and make better chefs,” Davis added.
Support. “It’s also a unit exercise, not just cooking. The entire unit contributes in this Regardless of whether the team advances
training and is evaluated by graders for logistics, security, site layout, power and water.” or goes on to win the Connelly, they are
The soldiers of the 49th MMB were inspired to reach the competition’s final proud of their accomplishments so far and
round. “We are at the Department of the Army level,” said Sgt. Liza Baez, the dining will continue to take care of soldiers, Foust
facility manager for the 49th MMB. “We never thought we were going to be here. In said.
the beginning it was really hard; we didn’t feel like we were prepared, but now I’m “Our main concern is keeping our sol-
comfortable because our team has experience from last year, and things run smoothly. diers fed,” Foust said. “Regardless of what
I notice a big difference from when we first started.” kind of day they had out in the field, if they
Experience is always a plus, but it doesn’t negate the challenges presented by the come to us and say, ‘that food was awe-
field environment. “We do most of this stuff on a regular basis, but the environment and some,’ then we have done our job. They will
terrain present the biggest challenge,” said the team’s 1st Cook, Sgt. Israel Mendez. go to bed with a belly full of good food.”
“Prior to this competition, it rained for a month, making engineer support a necessity
to ensure our equipment remained level throughout operations.” EVALUTIONS
As competition reached the final round, two evaluators from the Army Reserve Evaluators primarily assess food produc-
Command, CW5 Pamela Null and CW4 Kim Shiner, and one evaluator from the Na- tion quality and service to all diners, then
tional Restaurant Association Military Foundation, Samuel Stanovich, tested, observed, observe the effectiveness of command sup-
inspected and scored the 49th MMB Food Operations Team to decide its rank and port in order to determine winners.
ensure it remained in compliance with all standard procedures. Garrison evaluations are scheduled two
As the competition in Puerto Nuevo closed, the 49th MMB Food Operations Team per week and conducted Monday through
earned a golden plate from the evaluators for making it to the Department of the Army Friday. The garrison evaluation encompasses
stage of the 2017 Philip A. Connelly Competition. two complete meals, breakfast and lunch.
Evaluators conducted identical testing and observation with the other three reserve All facets of the operation are examined
units that reached the final round before selecting the Department of the Army Level during this period with the greatest em-
2017 Philip A. Connelly United States Army Reserve champion in May. phasis placed on food quality and customer
The 3rd Medical Command Deployment Support is a senior deployable medical acceptance.
command and control headquarters, providing support to U.S. Army Africa and U.S. Active Army Field Kitchen evaluations
Army Central areas of operation. The division provides support and technical supervi- are conducted in accordance with training
sion for more than 6,515 soldiers and civilians located in 21 states and Puerto Rico dates provided by Army commands. Garri-
to prepare and provide trained and ready soldiers and units to U.S. Army Reserve son and field units on the same installation
Command for mobilization. Capabilities include health care specialists, X-ray techni- are evaluated during the same week. During
cians, ophthalmology, nurses, physician assistants, physicians, dentists, surgeons, the Active Field Kitchen category evalua-
and veterinarians. tion, two consecutive meals are prepared,
consisting of a heat-and-serve breakfast
46 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • JULY 2017