1st SOFSS wins Hennessy award for 2011

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. William Banton
  • 1 Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD Fla. --  The 1st Special Operations Force Support Squadron garnered its second Air Force-level award for 2011 by winning the John L. Hennessy trophy in the Multi-Unit Operations category.
 
The award is presented annually to the installation with the best food service programs in the entire Air Force. It looks at installations that exhibit excellence in management effectiveness, force readiness support, food quality, employee and customer relations, resource conservation and safety-awareness training.

"It makes me very proud to say that we are the best in the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Janet Evans, 1st SOFSS assistant Riptide dining facility manager.

This year's win marks the sixth time the 1st SOFSS earned the Hennessy trophy. They previously won the award in the Multi-Unit category in 2005, 2001, 1999 and 1998, and in the Single-Unit category in 1997.

"We got together in September and made a commitment that we would compete and it would be a team effort," said Dave Mickler, 1st SOFSS food service officer.

Fellow Force Support Airmen said that Mr. Mickler played a significant part in keeping his team focused.

"Mr. Mickler played a huge role in keeping us motivated and never letting us forget that we are the best and it is time for us to shine," Sergeant Evans said.

Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Peoples, 1st SOFSS food service apprentice, echoed the sentiment.

"He told us what to do, he told us what it took to win," Airman Peoples said.

Hurlburt Field's dining facilities submitted an audiovisual package as part of the competition that included video footage of the base food service program and photos of the food service team.

Evaluators, comprised of two military personnel and two civilian advisors, reviewed the facilities' capabilities and then asked key personnel questions in five separate categories: kitchen operations, serving and dining operations, personnel and readiness training, sanitation and repair maintenance, and management.

For many at the 1st SOFSS winning the Hennessy trophy was only a secondary reward.

"Knowing that our hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed is truly the highest reward," Sergeant Evans said.

The 1st SOFSS will receive the award at the annual National Restaurant Association awards ceremony in Chicago, May 21.