CAMP CARROLL, Waegwan, South Korea – Already known for setting the standard for Army Lodging, U.S. Army Garrison Daegu’s Camp Carroll Lodge earned recognition as the best in the Army, small size, for 2022 — the second year in a row —in a ceremony June 13 here.
Also garnering praise was the Camp Carroll Lodge Manager, Jesus (Jessie) Yap, whose efforts resulted in him being named the 2022 Army Installation Management Command G9 Army Lodging Supervisor of the Year.
The ceremony was hosted by USAG Daegu Commander, Col. Brian P. Schoellhorn.
The Camp Carroll Lodge has a long tradition of excellence, having won Best in the Army recognition in 2003, 2007, and 2011 in addition to 2021 and 2022. Along with the bragging rights as the best, there is a cash award for every employee, and $10,000 which can be used at FMWR’s discretion for lodge improvement projects.
The distinction comes as no surprise for the Lodge, as the workers there generated 100% positive Interactive Customer Evaluation, or ICE, comments, a true testament to their top-of-the-line customer service skills.
"We are very proud of the (USAG Daegu) Army Lodging team," said Sean Wise, director of the garrison's Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation. ""From James Kimbrel and Jesus (Jessie) Yap who manage the operation to our front-line employees – every one of them demonstrate a level of professionalism and customer service that is truly unrivaled. Winning the award multiple times indicates that excellence has become their standard."
Yap knows that his recognition as best supervisor resulted not only from his own hard work, but the efforts of the entire Carroll Lodge team.
"Here in Carroll Lodge, we do believe in the saying 'Teamwork makes the dream work,'" said Yap. "We work with one goal in mind and that is to provide the best customer service for everybody. Everyone in the lodge knows how important their role is and are willing to go above and beyond to meet and exceed our daily mission and goals. Having a motivated team like ours, I know we can achieve anything we want. Winning (the award) back-to-back is a testament of everyone’s hard work and dedication. It is not easily accomplished, but we’ve done it and we will be shooting for the three-peat next year."
Of course the focus of the lodge is taking care of Soldiers and their family members.
"Our responsibility is to give our guests the most comfortable place to stay, and that hopefully will satisfy their needs prior to checking out," Yap said "We provide accommodation to our Soldiers and their family members with the best care we can to lessen the stress and anxiety they are experiencing while transitioning to their permanent location."
The USAG Daegu FMWR team is not resting on their laurels, and plans are proceeding for opening a new lodge on Camp Walker in Daegu.
We are very excited for the new Camp Walker Army Lodging facility," Wise said. "We plan to open in May 2024. With 24 more rooms overall and 39 more suites than the existing lodge, we will be much better prepared to take care of our tired travelers."
The supervisor of the year concluded by recognizing the people that made winning the awards possible.
"I am grateful for my family, for the support and understanding," Yap said. "I am very thankful to my leaders for trusting me. Without their mentorship and support, I would not be here today talking about these awards. I am blessed to have such dedicated and driven team members, because of them, we were able to win the (Lodge of the Year) award two years in a row."
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