Eglin NCO among 21 Air Force food service professionals awarded culinary honors

Published Oct. 21, 2009

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Staff Sgt. Wendell N. Bowles II, an assistant dining facility manager at Eglin, was among 21 Air Force food service professionals who were honored at the 2009 Hennessy Travelers Association Educational Foundation Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence Oct 4-10.

The forum, held at Culinary Institute of America Greystone Campus in Napa Valley, Calif., recognized a total of 25 members of the Armed Forces serving in food operations around the world. Other Air Force winners include:

TSgt Tanya M. Sweeney, 104th FW, Westfield, Mass.
SSgt Nicole Sevigny, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
SSgt Kiana Mobley, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom
SSgt Andrew P. King, 193 SWO, Middletown, Pa.
SSgt Sherry L. Fossett, 914 Services, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
SSgt Quincy A. Cope, 104th FW Westfield, Mass.
SSgt Melissa Bolden, Youngstown ARS, Ohio
SSgt Gary Adamoyurka, Ramstein AB, Ga.
SrA Angel L. Ramirez, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
SrA Tamie Murdock, Shaw AFB, S.C.
SrA Eunice J. Mims, Duke Field ARB, Fla.
SrA Kenneth D. Fuller, Pittsburgh ARS, Pa.
SrA Jeffery L. Demers, 165th ARW, Sioux City, Iowa
SrA Claribel Najera Torres, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
SrA Sterling Jackson, Little Rock AFB, Ark.
A1C Ciara J. Horn, McChord AFB, Wash.
A1C Isylma Edge, Fairchild AFB, Wash.
A1C Bryant Davis, Scott AFB, Ill.
A1C Jason Sugimoto, Spangdahlem AB, Ga.
A1C Alexandra Burgeson, Fairchild AFB, Wash.

Honorees are nominated by evaluation teams during a month-long worldwide tour to select the "best of the best" in military food service operations. The evaluation teams consist of members from the National Restaurant Association Board of Directors, the Society for Food Service Management, the International Food Service Executives Association and military headquarters staff.

Each year since its inception in 2006, service men and women nominated during the evaluation process are invited to attend the forum where the honorees are provided hands-on classes, seminars, tours and a roundtable discussion with leaders of the restaurant and food service industries.