Services NCO wins AF award

  • Published
  • By Jon Ortiz
  • 1st SOSVS
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  An Airman with the 1st Special Operations Services Squadron received the Air Force Hennessy Travelers Association Award of Excellence May 17.

Staff Sgt. Janice Ladd earned the award for her work as a shift leader at the Riptide Dining Facility.

"She is an amazing NCO who has made an immediate impact on our squadron," said Maj. Paul Swenson, 1st SOSVS commander. "She cross-trained from communications last year, and in the short time she's been with us, Sergeant Ladd has made an awesome, positive and lasting impact on our food service operations. Her smile, customer service skills and technical abilities set her apart from her peers, and we're very proud of her recognition."

Sergeant Ladd came to Services in July 2007 from the 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron where she worked as a tech controller. As a shift leader at the Riptide, she ensures kitchen and serving line operations run smoothly.

"It was hard at first," Sergeant Ladd said. "Working in food service is a huge change from what I did before. I've never worked in this type of business, so I wasn't sure what to expect."

The Riptide Dining Facility averages 800 meals a day, and keeping those customers happy is a big part of Sergeant Ladd's job.

"I treat people with respect, just like the way you would like to be treated," she said.

Hurlburt Field dining facilities competed for the 2008 Hennessy Trophy in the multiple-facility category earlier this year. The award is presented to Air Force installations with the best in food service programs. Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, took the multiple-facility trophy, while Tyndall AFB won the single-facility category.

Hennessy evaluators nominated a military food service person from each Air Force base competing for the Hennessy Trophy. Sergeant Ladd and seven nominees attended the Air Force awards Air Force awards ceremony at the National Restaurant Association show May 17 in Chicago.

Along with the HTA Award, Sergeant Ladd received a $1,500 scholarship and an invitation to visit several culinary schools, among them the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.