Engineer support company cooks in regional food service competition

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Petersburg-based Forward Support Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 91st Troop Command prepare an evening meal for the regional-level Philip A. Connelly Awards for Excellence in Army Food Service in the Army National Guard Field Kitchen Category June 8, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

Judges watched as the Soldiers prepared a meal for 100 people and asked questions about the ingredients, oven temperatures and field sanitation procedures while testing the knowledge of the kitchen staff. Teams start the competition with 1,000 points. From there, points can be deducted for not following recipe cards, regulations or proper procedures as well as for maintenance or sanitation issues.

Established in 1968, the Connelly program aims to recognize excellence in Army food service and is named for the late Philip A. Connelly, former president of the International Food Service Executives Association. The program seeks to improve the professionalism of Army food service personnel in order to provide the best product and service to military members and to provide recognition for the excellence of Army kitchen staffs in dining facilities and during field kitchen operations.

Soldiers will learn the results of the competition within the next few months.

Region 2 includes Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D. C.