Honoring Excellence in Army Field Feeding: The PAC Program
Every year, culinary specialists and food service teams across the Army take on a unique but crucial challenge: proving themselves in the Philip A. Connelly (PAC) Program. More than a contest, the PAC Program is a transformative force in Army food service standards, ensuring excellence even in the most austere and demanding field environments.
Origins and Mission: The Spirit Behind the Competition
Established in 1968 and named after Mr. Philip A. Connelly — a former president of the International Food Service Executives Association and a lifetime champion of military food service — the program was instituted to drive continuous improvement in Army culinary operations. Jointly sponsored by the National Restaurant Association and the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4, and administered by the Joint Culinary Training Department, the competition brings the Army’s best food service professionals together to demonstrate mastery, innovation, and adaptability in both garrison and field kitchens.
The program’s mission statement — “the personification of food service excellence executed by Field Feeding Teams resulting in the presentation of extremely gratifying dining experiences across all Army field environments” — encapsulates its focus on professionalism, technical skill, and Soldier support.
How the Competition Works: More Than Just Cooking
Success in the PAC Program is not just about who can make the tastiest meal under pressure. The process itself is rigorous and comprehensive, designed to test technical skill, teamwork, and a deep understanding of logistical operations.
The evaluation unfolds in two main phases. In phase I, units submit a detailed virtual packet, including a mission statement, historical summary, achievements, team profiles, operational plans, and action photos from the field. This is followed by a virtual board review where evaluators quiz team members on a range of relevant topics to ensure they can apply military food service doctrine in practice.
Phase II is the hands-on assessment, in which trained evaluators arrive at the unit’s home station for a full review. Here, teams are observed and rated on a series of critical areas: in-briefs, convoy operations, food and equipment security, setup times, and of course the practicalities of food preparation and service under field conditions. The checklist is thorough, covering everything from sanitation and nutrition standards to logistical efficiency and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing scenarios, mirroring wartime or training conditions.
Why the PAC Program Matters: Training for Real-World Readiness
At its core, the PAC Program is not about pageantry; it is about preparation. According to the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, the program’s key objectives include raising the professionalism of Army culinary specialists, providing tangible recognition for excellence, driving measurable operational improvements, and ensuring that cooks are trained to deliver nutritional, safe meals whether in a modern dining facility or an expeditionary field environment.
Field feeding is a discipline with great importance. Soldiers in the field face unpredictable and often harsh circumstances that demand not only culinary expertise but also ingenuity, resourcefulness, and a deep grasp of logistical and tactical considerations. Feeding Soldiers in the field is not simply about caloric intake. Good meals are a core building block for morale, a symbol that their well-being is valued, and a literal source of energy for sustaining readiness in high-stakes training and combat environments.
The heightened focus on large-scale combat operations (LSCO) in recent years has only increased the PAC Program’s importance. As the Army prepares for a potential future fight where supply lines can be disrupted, terrain is uncertain, and adaptability is everything, the ability to deploy field kitchens and deliver hot, healthy meals quickly can make a measurable difference in both morale and sustained combat effectiveness.
Modernizing Field Feeding: Tools and Technology
One of the keys to staying ahead in field feeding is embracing innovation and modernization. For years, the Containerized Kitchen has been the backbone of Army field feeding. This kitchen in a box is highly mobile and capable of producing upward of 650 complete meals three times a day — an impressive feat that has kept countless training and combat operations supplied with hot food. With a preparation window of less than three hours, it embodies the Army’s can-do ethos.
But tomorrow’s battlefield will demand even more. Enter the expeditionary kitchen trailer, which represents a leap forward in agility, efficiency, and effectiveness. Thanks to its consolidated design, the expeditionary kitchen trailer reduces the number of vehicles and personnel needed for setup and operation, boosts tactical maneuverability, and slashes fuel and manpower requirements. In testing and field exercises, it has already shown promise in supporting LSCO and other future-oriented operations.
A Case in Point: 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Setting the Bar
No exploration of the PAC Program’s value would be complete without a spotlight on units that exemplify its standards. The 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (10th SFG [A]) is one such standout.
Every year, the 10th SFG (A) Dining Facility PAC Team enters the competition with one goal: to set the standard for excellence in Army culinary operations. With a full slate of rigorous daily training and support responsibilities — including high-profile field training like cold weather training, special forces basic combat course-support, and special operations mountain warfare training — this team manages a subsistence budget exceeding a million dollars annually and handles sophisticated logistics from containerized kitchens to tactical vehicles.
Despite persistent challenges, the team consistently provides exceptional standards, reliable meal service, and executes complex field feeding support. Their work during events such as the 2025 Thanksgiving Meal, where they served nearly 500 Service members and their families, underscores both the operational and morale benefits of elite food service.
Crucially, their commitment to continual improvement goes beyond just winning awards. Coordinating with organizations like U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Food Advisors, and industry partners, the team trains on cutting-edge gear like expeditionary kitchen trailers, experimental sanitation trailers, and advanced tracking and drone systems for supply management, ensuring their skills and technologies are on the leading edge.
Their approach: executing repeated full-scale rehearsals, participating in emerging technology training, collaborating with external experts, and prioritizing real-world readiness as much as competition performance. This relentless pursuit of mastery ensures that whatever the future battlefield demands, Army field feeding teams will be up to the challenge.
Why This All Truly Matters
So what is at stake in a food service competition? Far more than a ribbon or a medal. The PAC Program is a force multiplier for the entire Army. Here is why:
- Operational Readiness: Well-trained field feeding teams are a cornerstone of sustained combat operations, enabling units to endure, adapt, and win even when resources or supply lines are strained.
- Morale and Retention: The tangible boost in morale delivered by a hot, quality meal in tough conditions cannot be overstated. Feeling cared for sustains spirits, keeps teams focused, and reinforces a sense of purpose in the ranks.
- Innovation and Adaptability: The PAC Program fosters innovation, whether learning to use new kitchen systems, optimizing logistics, or developing procedures that translate to flexible real-world operations.
- Professional Development: By elevating the profile and professionalism of 92G Food Service Specialists, the competition provides a career-enhancing platform for culinary specialists, developing leaders who will shape future operations.
- Army Transformation: As Army operations evolve, so do the demands on support roles. The PAC Program ensures that food service keeps pace — not simply surviving but thriving as a vital part of operational transformation.
The bottom line: The PAC Program is about building forces that can fight, win, and recover, wherever and whenever needed. It recognizes and sharpens the skills that make that possible. As the 10th SFG (A) PAC Team demonstrates, the pursuit of field feeding excellence is not just about being the best at mealtime. It is about standing ready for any challenge — anytime, anywhere.
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CPT Brooke C. De Renzo currently serves as a company commander at Fort Carson, Colorado. Her previous assignments include battalion S-1 and assistant executive officer to the Adjutant General (AG) of the Army. She is a graduate of AG Basic Officer Leader Course and the Captains Career Course. She holds a Master of Arts degree in urban and public affairs from the University of San Francisco where she participated in the ROTC program, commissioning as a second lieutenant in the AG Corps upon graduation.
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This article was published in the summer 2026 edition of Army Sustainment Professional Bulletin.
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