KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – The 405th Army Field Support Brigade provides theater sustainment and logistics support to Army and joint forces across Europe and Africa by operationalizing U.S. Army Materiel Command’s materiel enterprise. Everything from the Army Prepositioned Stock-2 program, Logistics Assistance Program, Logistics Civil Augmentation Program and more – the 405th AFSB directs, manages and supports a wide variety of activities and programs.
One program the 405th AFSB directs, manages and supports in Europe is the U.S. Army Philip A. Connelly Program. According to its mission statement, the program is the personification of food service excellence executed by culinary specialists resulting in the presentation of extremely gratifying dining experiences across all Army food service platforms in garrison and field environments.
Jonathan Nolan, the food service program manager at the 405th AFSB’s Installation Logistics Directorate, said there are 13 garrison dining facilities in the U.S. Army Europe and Africa footprint, and the food service program for those DFACs is managed by the 405th AFSB. Each year, during the 2nd quarter food service management meeting, the 405th AFSB sets a date for the competition in Europe and requests that all the dining facilities compete.
“It’s our program in the U.S. Army Europe and Africa area of operations, said Nolan. “It’s our responsibility to manage the program and ensure its success. We do that to support the bigger Army-level Philip A. Connelly Program.”
Recently, the 405th AFSB announced its nomination for the 54th Annual Philip A. Connelly Military Garrison Award Competition to represent U.S. Army Europe and Africa and compete at Army level. The 405th AFSB nominated the Defender Café Warrior Restaurant, Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Kaiserslautern, Germany, which is part of the 55th Quartermaster Company, 16th Sustainment Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jacqueline Luurtsema, the Defender Café Warrior Restaurant manager, and her team will represent U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the 405th AFSB in the upcoming Department of the Army level Philip A. Connelly Competition, said Nolan.
“I know what was involved in getting these culinarians prepared to participate and to surpass the standards,” Nolan said. “I'm so proud of Sgt. 1st Class Luurtsema and her culinarians for setting their sights high and making every effort to achieve that goal.”
The team at Defender Café Warrior Restaurant on Rhine Ordnance Barracks, who on top of their normal mission also supported thousands of Afghan travelers during Operation Allied Welcome, is truly leading by example and ensuring their continued reputation for excellence, said Nolan. They deserve this nomination and chance to compete and win at Army.
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