DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Air Combat Command recently named the Longhorn Dining Facility as the 2008 best dining facility and will go on to represent the command at the Air Force-level for the best food service operation worldwide.
A team of Air Force food service experts will visit here in the spring to rate the facility against others across the Air Force as part of the 2009 John L. Hennessy Trophy competition.
"The Hennessy award is the highest honor a food service operation can attain," said Master Sgt. Dan Bigornia, superintendent of the 7th Force Support Squadron Longhorn Dining Facility. "It's a combined effort throughout the year from a multitude of people and agencies. It's a lot of team work."
Established in 1956, the Hennessy Trophy goes to the base with the most impressive food service program in the Air Force, according to Sergeant Bigornia. Awards are based on the entire scope of an installation's food service program. Winners must display excellence in management effectiveness, force-readiness support, food quality, employee and customer relations, resource conservation, training and safety awareness.
This year marks the fifth time the base has vied for the Air Force honor since 2000. It also marks the fifth year the base's food service operations earned top honors in ACC's competition, which leads up to the Air Force-level contest.
In its quest for the Air Force title, the base faces off against nine other nominees across the service with the official announcement scheduled for release in the spring.
This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the single- and multiple-facility category competition. Multiple- category entries includes a base that has two or more dining facilities not including a flight kitchen that is open for at least three meals per day, five days a week. Single-category entries include bases with one dining facility that serves three meals a day. Dyess competes in the single-facility category.
The Longhorn Dining Facility and the flight kitchen serve 800 to 1,000 meals a day and nearly 20,000 people a month. The staff offers some services not available at facilities, such as holiday and birthday meals each month in addition to Air Force food services' standard 14-day worldwide menu.
"Our highly motivated team of professionals at the Longhorn Dining Facility take great pride in providing outstanding, first-class food service to Team Dyess," said Maj. Nolan Corpuz, 7th Force Support Squadron commander. "Winning at the ACC level is a testament to their commitment to excellence, and we look forward to the Hennessey team's arrival next spring."
The winners will be announced during the Air Force awards ceremony at the National Restaurant Association show in May.