Sierra Inn Dining Facility wins AMC Hennessy, competes at AF-level

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Donald Osborn
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  While serving a Thanksgiving meal to Airmen Nov. 23, Col. Steve Arquiette, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander, had some good news to tell the employees at the Sierra Inn Dining Facility.

"He was in the middle of serving food to the troops here, when he told everyone to stop so he can make an announcement," said Master Sgt. Edward Valledor, 60th Services Squadron Sierra Inn Dining Facility manager. "That's when he informed us that we had just won the Hennessy Award for the Air Mobility Command for the fiscal year 2007."

The John L. Hennessy Award Program, established in 1956, is an annual competition where bases compete for the best food service program in the Air Force. The first step in winning at the Air Force-level, is winning the award at the major command-level. That is exactly what the Sierra Inn has done not once, not twice, but five times for AMC since 2001.

"We are the defending champions of the Hennessy award at Air Force-level," said Sergeant Valledor. "Winning it for the first time at Air Force last year was pretty special because it was the 50th anniversary for the award."

The Hennessy Award is divided between multiple and single facility bases. Travis is considered a single facility base because the Sierra Inn is the only dining facility here.

The bases are judged on five main categories made up of several items in each category.

The main categories are: kitchen operations; serving and dining operations; training, personnel and readiness; sanitation and repair maintenance; and management.

The team at the Sierra Inn is comprised of four partners working together, according to Sergeant Valledor. Employees from the military, civil service, the 349th Mortuary Affairs and Pride Industries run their program from these categories like they are in competition every day.

"I tell everyone here that every day should be a Hennessy day," said Michael Nunez, Sierra Inn dining facility assistant manager. "We run our operations like we are competing every single day."

And when a program is designed to run like a competition, it will reap the benefits it has earned and stand head-and-shoulders above its competitors.

"Even though the Hennessy award was given to our team, the real winners are our customers," said Sergeant Valledor. "They are the ones reaping the benefits from all of this hard work."
Along with the AMC Hennessy Award, there were also individual awards given.

Airman 1st Class Irene Salas, a production chef at the Sierra Inn and Airman Kelly Wert, a production chef at the flight kitchen both received outstanding performer awards for their efforts in preparation for this award.

"The key to striving for excellence is to have fun with your daily tasks and your co-workers," said Airman Salas. "Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much."

The 60th SVS will be competing for the Air Force-level Hennessy award in February 2007.