Culinary competition heats up for 1st MEB Soldiers

FORT POLK, La. " When walking into the mobile kitchen trailer of 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s Bayou Bistro Inn, the warm aroma of tender chicken breast fillets, savory country-style steak, crispy bacon strips, hot buttermilk biscuits, fluffy scrambled eggs, fresh hash browns and thick country style gravy would make anyone’s stomach growl.

Cooks Pfc. Erica Hamilton, 88th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st MEB, and Spc. Juan DeJesus, 46th Engineer Battalion, 1st MEB, greet patrons with a smile and a good morning, while asking them their preferred selections from the impressive breakfast menu.

Soldiers can choose either to eat in the air-conditioned dining tent, equipped with its own salad bar, or have their meals in the designated outside seating area.

The lucky Fort Polk Soldiers who had the opportunity to taste the fine dining at the Bayou Bistro Inn July 7, can thank the efforts of 1st MEB’s nine-member dining facility team for making it possible.

For four months, the team has trained rigorously for the Philip A. Connelly Awards Program. From perfecting the dining menu to building the field feeding site from the ground up, to designing the 1st MEB insignia and the seven Army values on the ground with painted rocks, the team is vying for one of three spots to compete at the competition’s Department of the Army level.

Fort Polk is considered the underdog of the competition against Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Lewis, Wash., and Fort Hood, Texas, who have competed in the event for years.

Considered to be one of the Army’s most prestigious competitions, the Philip A. Connelly Award Program, named after the former president of the International Food Service Executives Association, was established in 1968 to recognize excellence in Army Food Service.

The competition, co-sponsored by IFSEA and the Department of the Army, helps Soldiers improve their culinary arts skills and instills a sense of pride for food service workers.

For Sgt. Armando Hernandez, 46th Eng Bn, who was non-commissioned officer in charge of the mobile kitchen trailer, the arrival of the competition came as a relief.

“I think we all put in hard work. There’s a lot of things we can fix, but to this point, I think everyone’s done a great job, especially the Soldiers that are out here with all of their hard work and dedication,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ve done enough to move on to the next round and compete at the DA level.”

Capt. Gabe Araujo, commander, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st MEB, said the team has done a tremendous job.

“I think it’s always great when you have an opportunity for Soldiers to actually do their job and work with their military occupation specialty,” he said. “I had a chance to eat here two weeks ago while they were training and I talked to all the Soldiers. Everyone agreed that this is, by far, the best meal to come off a mobile kitchen trailer. Everything was cooked to perfection.”

Brenda Parks, a civilian logistics management specialist, U.S. Army Forces Command, was one of two judges sent to evaluate the site and said Fort Polk did a great job for their first time in the competition.

“They have a wonderful site layout and great command support,” she said.

Parks said the DA level of the competition is similar to FORSCOM’s level " with a few exceptions.

“At the Headquarters DA level they will evaluate with three judges " one sergeant major, one warrant officer and a civilian from IFSEA,” she said. “As far as the standard, we’re all fighting for the same standards. Whichever three units are selected for DA level, will also be competing at an international level against Hawaii, Europe and Japan.”

Fort Polk will know if they move on to the next stage no later than Aug. 1. Whether they make it or not, Staff Sgt. Patrick Hiebert, 46th Eng Bn, the NCIOC of the site, said the team did its best.

“I feel that we did the best we could with the resources that we have available,” he said. “We’re as prepared as we’re ever going to be.”