Winners of the 2019 Capt. Edward F. Ney Awards were recognized Sept. 16 during the Military Foodservice Awards ceremony hosted by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF) via Facebook Live.
While the 2020 Military Foodservice Awards Dinner, originally scheduled for May 15, was canceled due to COVID-19, the NRAEF recognized the importance of celebrating this year’s award winners representing all branches of the military. They accomplished this by hosting the first-ever Military Foodservice Awards virtual celebration.
The program included an introduction to the NRAEF Military Program, the Military Foodservice Awards, highlights from the traveler’s program and base evaluations, announcements and recognition of each winning base, and messages from supporters as well as military leadership.
The keynote speaker of the event, Secretary Leon Panetta, former director of the CIA and former U.S. secretary of defense and chairman of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, provided opening remarks.
“You provide the essential support to making sure our men and women in uniform have the sustenance and the strength to be able to do a very tough job,” said Panetta. “Military foodservice is vital to our force readiness, it’s vital to our military, and it’s vital to our country.”
The Navy winners were announced in a February ALNAV message.
This year’s afloat winners, representing the Navy’s Undersea Enterprise, Surface Warfare Enterprise, and Naval Aviation Enterprise, were USS Scranton (SSN 756), USS Porter (DDG 78), USS America (LHA 6), and USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
This year’s ashore winners, representing Commander, Navy Installations Command, were Naval Base Coronado Galley, Coronado, California; Gator Inn, Joint Expedition Base, Little Creek Virginia; and Ristorante Bella Etna Dining Facility, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy.
Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) and Chief of Supply Corps Rear Adm. Peter Stamatopoulos congratulated this year’s winners in a video shown during the awards program.
“You have shown great skill and devotion, while serving the fleet,” said Stamatopoulos. “Be proud of this exceptional achievement. The services you provide are critical to Navy readiness and our Sailors’ quality of life. Without you, our Sailors are not fed and the Navy does not fight.”
NAVSUP oversees the development of the Navy Standard Core Menu, the Master Load List, and nutritional value of Sailors’ food options in conjunction with the Department of Defense Go for Green® initiative, contributing to Sailor readiness and their ability to operate at peak performance.
The Secretary of the Navy and the International Food Service Executives Association established the Capt. Edward F. Ney Awards Program in 1958. The awards recognize the best galleys in the Navy and encourages excellence in Navy foodservice programs with the objective of improving readiness and quality of life for Navy personnel.
Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. For more information, visit www.navsup.navy.mil, www.navy.mil/naval-supply-systems-command, or follow us at www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom.