Photo By Spc. David McCarthy | Sgt. Maj. Clark goes over procedures with Staff Sgt. Pattie Hargrave during inspection...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. - At 4:30 in the morning most soldiers are not up yet, however for the soldiers of LSA Bragg East Dining Facility, the day is already well under way. While the soldiers work to complete the numerous tasks involved in getting the dining facility ready for the day, there is an excitement in the air, today is the Connelly Competition. Described as the “Super Bowl” of competitions for soldiers who work in dining facilities, LSA Bragg East is ready to beat the heat and become the best garrison dining facility in the Department of the Army.
The judges arrived bright and early at 5 a.m. and the staff of LSA Bragg East knew they had to be ready. “We knew the inspectors were going to be coming early,” said Sgt. 1st Class Tryone D. Brown, LSA Bragg East Dining Facility manager. “We wanted to ensure that they wouldn’t have to be waiting on us when they arrived,” he said.
The soldiers of LSA Bragg East followed a very thorough checklist as they went throughout their morning, showing the inspectors their great knowledge and skill in the food service industry. While the pressure to perform to the highest standard was a constant theme during the inspection, the soldiers were ready for it.
“There is always pressure during an inspection, especially during a Department of the Army Connelly inspection,” said Staff Sgt. Willie Coleman Jr. Shift Leader at LSA Bragg East. “But when you’re competing you want to win, you don’t want that second place, you want to be number one,” he said.
While the soldiers arrive early for the inspection, there is much work to be done before any food can be made.
“We have the soldiers come in early so we can inspect their uniforms and make sure that everyone is squared away,” said Brown. “They don’t actually start cooking anything until later in the morning around 6:00,” he said.
The soldiers are quizzed by the inspectors on various areas of food service and preparation, often while performing their jobs as an added stressor. However, the soldiers are ready for the queries and are confident in their abilities as food service personnel. “I’m sure there is stress during an event like this, the evaluators are there and they’re grilling you, you’re trying to perform and answer questions at the same time, but I believe the soldiers handled that stress very well,” said Brown. “There is only so much training you can do for that situation, the best thing you can do is make them aware of what’s coming and help them build their confidence,” he said.
Confidence has been a key factor in LSA Bragg East’s winning tradition that they hope to continue with this year after winning a Department of the Army Connelly award for Field Service last year. That confidence is reinforced by a competent command team. “I think one of the reasons we are able to perform at such a high level every year is the leadership we have over here,” said Brown. “The leadership that we have at LSA Bragg East has consistently continued to achieve excellence and is determined to maintain the level of success that we have had in the past,” he said.
With the inspectors now gone to determine who will win the Department of the Army Connelly for best Garrison Dining Facility, the command staff is confident that they put their best foot forward. “I think in the past LSA Bragg East has been able to win it, but we want to do it back to back to back, keep the championship rings coming and set the stage for really putting the mark high,” said Brown. “We want to show others that we are unbeatable, with an undefeated record, that’s the next step for LSA Bragg East,” he said.
While the evaluators have said that the competition is tough this year the soldiers and staff of LSA Bragg East look forward to the announcement of results. They are confident that their hard work and efforts will pay off. “The only way we can go is up,” said Coleman. “We want to win and maintain the high standards that we operate by,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 11.28.2011 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 80626 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 127 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers of LSA Bragg East eager to succeed in Connelly Competition, by SPC David McCarthy, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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