Airman honored for culinary excellence

by 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs


Along with 24 other food service professionals in the armed forces, one Ramstein Airman food services specialist assigned to the 86th Services Squadron was honored for culinary excellence at the 2009 Hennessy Travelers Association Educational Foundation Armed Forces Forum Oct. 4 through 10.

Staff Sgt. Gary Adamoyurka and 20 other Air Force members from around the world were recognized for their efforts in food operations at the forum held at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone Campus in Napa Valley, Calif. The Air Force winners are as follows:

Tech. Sgt. Tanya M. Sweeney, 104th Fighter Wing, Westfield, Mass.

Staff Sgt. Nicole Sevigny, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

Staff Sgt. Kiana Mobley, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom

Staff Sgt. Andrew P. King, 193rd Special Operations Wing, Middletown, Pa.

Staff Sgt. Sherry L. Fossett, 914th Services, Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Staff Sgt. Quincy A. Cope, 104th FW, Westfield, Mass.

Staff Sgt. Wendell Bowles II, Eglin AFB, Fla.

Staff Sgt. Melissa Bolden, Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio

Senior Airman Angel L. Ramirez, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska

Senior Airman Tamie Murdock, Shaw AFB, S.C.

Senior Airman Eunice J. Mims, Duke Field, Fla.

Senior Airman Kenneth D. Fuller, Pittsburgh ARS, Pa.

Senior Airman Jeffery L. Demers, 165th Air Refueling Wing, Sioux City, Iowa

Senior Airman Claribel Najera Torres, Tyndall AFB, Fla.

Senior Airman Sterling Jackson, Little Rock AFB, Ark.

Airman 1st Class Ciara J. Horn, McChord AFB, Wash.

Airman 1st Class Isylma Edge, Fairchild AFB, Wash.

Airman 1st Class Bryant Davis, Scott AFB, Ill.

Airman 1st Class Jason Sugimoto, Spangdahlem AB, Germany

Airman 1st Class 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.

Every 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.

Sergeant Adamoyurka also represented Kapuan in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Top Chef competition in August at the Lindberg Hof Dining Facility on Kapaun.


(This article was compiled with information from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, AFNS.)