FORT LEE, Va. - The winning units for the 2012 Philip A. Connelly Award for Excellence in Army food service have been selected for the active Army, National Guard and Reserve components.

The U.S. Army Quartermaster School, which is part of the Combined Arms Support Command, headquartered at Fort Lee, Va., manages the program through the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence. The International Food Service Executives Association and Department of the Army G-4 are co-sponsors of this awards program.

The Connelly awards program has had a major impact on the degree of professionalism now associated with Army food service. From providing nutritional meals to creating morale boosting environments, food service professionals keep the Army rolling along. This program honors those professionals, Soldiers and DA civilians, who rise above the standard and continually demonstrate excellence in food service.

2012 winning units are:

* Military Garrison winner: 1-10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Consolidated Dining Facility, Panzer Kaserne, Stuttgart, Germany.

* Military Garrison runner-up: Talon Cafe, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, Camp Humphreys, Korea.

* Civilian Garrison winner: Dining Facility #2, Fort Gordon, Ga.

* Civilian Garrison runner-up: Casey Main Dining Facility, Camp Casey, Korea.

* Active Army Field Kitchen (food service operations that support a military unit in a field environment) winner: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Fort Bragg, N.C.

* Active Army Field Kitchen runner-up: 542nd Support Maintenance Company, Joint Base Lewis/McCord, Wash.

* Army Reserve winner: 326th Quartermaster Company, New Castle, Pa.

* Army Reserve runner-up: 847th Human Resources Company, Fort Snelling, Minn.

* Army National Guard winner: 267th Maintenance Company, Lincoln, Neb.

* Army National Guard runner-up: 1032nd Transportation Company, Gate City, Va.

During the evaluation portion, IFSEA and JCCoE personnel teamed up to form committees to judge each category. They traveled the globe to obtain first-hand knowledge of how food service specialists perform in dining facility and field kitchen operations. The evaluation focuses on many areas including sanitation, nutrition, record keeping and food preparation procedures. Each committee is comprised of one IFSEA civilian and two military representatives.

"Food service specialists can make or break a unit's mission," said Teresa Ann Domeier, one of the evaluators. "Food prepared correctly will fuel the Soldiers to perform their best. This program promotes excellence and teamwork. It is a great morale booster, not only in the food service section but within the entire unit."

The Connelly program was established in March 1968 and is named for the late Philip A. Connelly, former IFSEA president, who was responsible for obtaining that organization's sponsorship with the Army.

Its objectives include: improving the professionalism of food service personnel in order to provide the best quality product and service to military members; and providing recognition for excellence in the preparation and serving of food in Army dining facilities and during field kitchen operations.

All finalists displayed the highest standards of excellence, and are to be congratulated for their outstanding performance, said Lt. Col. Rossie Johnson, JCCoE director.

The food service staffs of these units deserve special recognition for their contribution toward improving the Army's food service program and for their efforts in enhancing the quality of food service provided to warfighters.

There will be an awards ceremony in March to highlight the achievements of the winning commands.