FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Sept. 20, 2011) - At a field site near Sicily Drop Zone here today, the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Deputy Chief of Staff, G4, hosted a ceremony recognizing one of three units that will represent FORSCOM this year at the 44th annual Department of the Army Philip A. Connelly excellence in food service awards.
Brig. Gen. John R. O'Connor congratulated the food service team of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 307th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB), 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, for their superior performance in the FORSCOM competition.
"The fundamentals are what it's all about. It's about taking care of Soldiers, it's about being safe," said Brig. Gen. O'Connor. "We've added a whole new layer of complexity in the competition. You represent our Army, you represent FORSCOM, and all of that is good,"
Each year, the Philip A. Connelly Program honors top culinary teams from across the Army for excellence in the preparation and serving of food in Army dining facilities and field kitchen operations. The program is co-sponsored by the International Food Service Executives Association (IFSEA) and the Department of the Army.
"When you walk away from this, regardless of what happens" said O'Connor. "The fact that you may or may not make it, that's not the objective, the objective here is to learn about your equipment, to learn how to go into combat, to learn how to feed Soldiers the right way, to keep them healthy and to learn about the environment you are in. "
One of the goals for any field-feeding team is the ability to work with existing rations and continue to make interesting meals. Earlier this year, Sgt. Maj. Randy J. St. Cyr and Ms. Brenda Parks, FORSCOM G4 Food Service Team, evaluated several FORSCOM units to determine the command's representatives at the Army finals.
"You want to entice the Soldiers, so that when it's time to eat, they want to go," said St. Cyr. "There is nothing that happens in any restaurant that can't also happen in a dining facility, someone just has to have the initiative and creativity to make it work."
The Soldiers of the 307th BSB are finalists in the active Army field kitchen operations category. The contest judges both a breakfast and lunch meal service at a field location.
The 307th BSB will remain at the Sicily Drop Zone training site over the next month; preparing, refining and feeding the Soldiers of their battalion.
"I think our intent in competing at Army level for field feeding is to get back to the basics, to regain complete MOS proficiency," said Chief Warrant Officer Two J. D. Ward, 1st BCT food service technician. "There is no better way to do it than to drill and drill and drill with food service production. In other words, you drill to the point where working in this environment is second nature."
The Army finals occur October through December this year. There are six total active Army field kitchens from across the globe competing -- from Germany to Korea and throughout the nation.
Evaluators from the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, Fort Lee, Va. will return to Fort Bragg in October to judge the 307th BSB field kitchen, set up and operating in a field environment.
"I think we have a real good chance. We are ahead of schedule in all our preparations," said Sgt. 1st Class Willie Poole, the 307th BSB dining facility manager.
"Since learning we would go on to the Army competition, we've been brainstorming, putting our heads together, sharing ideas -- all to take it to the next level," added Sgt. James Belton, a member of the 307th BSB team. "We're looking good. We'll be ready."
Belton received special individual recognition for his ingenuity and innovative contributions to the team during this year's competitions.
This year's other FORSCOM active Army field kitchen finalists are Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas and the 542nd Support Maintenance Company, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
When asked about his expectations for the Army competition, Ward said, "What would you expect from paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division…I expect to win!"
"You've accomplished this level and I know you can go on and win the Army competition, that's how good you are," said O'Connor. "You're going to represent FORSCOM and you are going to do exceptionally well."
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