Real Hero Report |
A judge watches meal preparation during this year’s Hennessy
competition held at the Force Support Silver Flag training facility on
Dobbins Air Reserve Base on February 9-12, 2019.
Top Chefs Compete in Hennessy
Competition at Dobbins
Force Support Airmen from squadrons across the Air Force
Reserve Command participated in the Hennessy competition
at the Force Support Silver Flag training facility at Dobbins
Air Reserve Base on February 9-12, 2019. The Hennessy
Award program, named for hotel and restaurant executive John
L. Hennessy, was established in 1957 to promote food service
excellence.
A team of judges made up of enlisted members and
civilians from the National Restaurant Association Foundation
visit installation dining facilities to evaluate excellence
in management, force readiness support, food quality and
production, employee and customer relations, training, and safety
awareness.
Each year, a trophy is awarded to teams representing the best
food service programs in the Air Force and is based on the entire
scope of an installation’s food service program.
Master Sgt. Latoya Patterson, a Force Support Silver Flag
training instructor with the 622nd Civil Engineer Group,
highlighted some of the history of the Hennessy competition.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower tasked John L. Hennessy with
programs he implemented as a solution was a competition, which
highlighted the importance of Services and demonstrated what
competition has evolved since, and now includes Reserve and
National Guard units.
“Active duty, Reserve, and the Guard are all broken down into
special recognition groups,” said Patterson. “We are excited to
be hosting the Air Force Reserve Command special recognition
program.”
Early in the program’s history, the competition among reserve
units focused less on culinary arts than that of their active duty
counterparts. The Hennessy competition has evolved since then
to focus more on culinary arts at the Reserve level as well. All
of the elements involved in the active duty experience are now
included in the Reserve program: using a grill, using a frying pan,
chopping up food, and plating and presentation. The judges and
viewers examined these culinary techniques during the Hennessy
competition at Dobbins.
Tech. Sgt. Jason Williams, Force Support Training Monitor,
919th Special Operations Group Duke Field, spoke about his
experience participating in the competition and its importance in
“I enjoy the team camaraderie the most, and I have competed
teams,” said Williams. “I think this competition is important to
the mission because it illustrates teamwork and our core values.”
Patterson said the responsibilities of force support Airmen
extend well beyond providing food to troops. They’re responsible
for everything from allocating funds, to ordering the food, to
maintaining an inventory of food items, to eventually cooking and
serving it. They are also involved in safety, decoration, plating,
and customer service. All of these subcategories are highlighted
and scored in the Hennessy competition.
“We always want to excel in what we do as a services troop,”
said Patterson. “Not only do we provide Airmen with a place to
stay and a place to work out, but it is also our job to feed Airmen
and we want to do a great job at that.”
Participants peel potatoes
during this year’s
Hennessy competition.
Each year, a trophy
is awarded to teams
representing the best food
service programs in the
Air Force and is based
on the entire scope of an
installation’s food service
program.
photo/Senior Airman
A group of
participants
rally during
this year’s
Hennessy
competition.
Force photo/
Senior
Airman Justin