Air defender troops compete in ‘Super Bowl of food service’

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Heather Denby | Sgt. James Parham, a food service specialist assigned to 2-1 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, serves a Soldier during the last of two meals evaluated by the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence at Training Area 60 April 10 for the 46th Annual Phillip A. Connelly Awards Program. This team of food service specialists from the 35th ADA Brigade is one of three teams selected to compete in the Department of the Army Active Army Field Kitchen category.  

CAMP CARROLL, SOUTH KOREA

04.10.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Heather Denby 

35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade

CAMP CARROLL, South Korea - More than 20 Soldiers assigned to 2-1 Air Defense Artillery Battalion took part in the 46th Annual Phillip A. Connelly Awards Program competing against two other teams in the Active Army Field Kitchen category.

Senior leaders from the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence visited Training Area 60 April 10 to evaluate the team’s food service skills in areas such as food preparation, management, equipment operation, sanitation, and overall knowledge.

“We were very impressed with their performance,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Princido Texidor, Department of the Army food adviser. “They did exceptionally well, especially with such a large number of young Soldiers.”

Seventy percent of the team are ranked specialist and below with less than 18 month's time in service.

One of those young troops is Spc. Yasmine Washington, a food service specialist from Goldsboro, N.C.

“I chose this profession because it’s kind of like the underdog of [military occupational specialties],” Washington said. “There’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make our food service top-notch.”

Despite hours of preparation for the Connelly competition, Washington has also been preparing for the Eighth Army Chef of the Quarter competition.

“For me, the two just go hand-in-hand,” she said. “There’s a lot of knowledge that can be shared and learned through field feeding, but it’s important to also pick up the books. The rules of the kitchen should be applied no matter where you’re cooking.”

Texidor and his team recognized Washington’s professionalism in the field with a certificate of achievement.

“You’ve reached the Super Bowl of food service and that’s something you should all be very proud of,” Texidor said. “What each of you do during food service can determine the success of your unit; Soldiers need a nutritious diet to perform at their best, which is why you’ve got one of the most important jobs in the Army.”

The Soldier’s performance evaluations will be sent to JCCoE representatives at Fort Lee, Va., and tallied against the field feeding performances of food service specialists from Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Bragg, N.C.

“Regardless of the results next month, you are the best in the Army, never forget that,” said Texidor.

• Date Taken: 04.10.2014
• Date Posted: 04.10.2014 21:40
• Story ID: 125455
• Location: CAMP CARROLL, KR
• Hometown: GOLDSBORO, NC, US