Airmen chow down at USAFE’s award-winning dining facility

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Erica Stewart
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Collaboration has helped the United States obtain victory in many wars. In the same manner Incirlik's Sultan's Inn dining facility won its own crusade between other United States Air Forces in Europe bases garnering the 2008 USAFE Food Service Excellence Award. 

Through hard work from its Turkish and American personnel and exceptional service, Incirlik's government eating establishment has won this major command-level award. 

"This is the third year in a row and fifth out of the last six years we have won this USAFE Award," said Maj. James Turner, 39th Force Support Squadron commander. 

It is no coincidence the Sultan's Inn men and women have repeatedly won this food service award because, according to the facility manager, they deserve it. 

"The main quality that ensures our success is the hospitality and coordination of our dining facility workers," said Andrew Pastula, Sultan's Inn manager. "We also led the command in the number of meals served, and the 'above & beyond' items we offer on a daily basis. We really knocked it out of the park this year!" 

According to Air Force Form 1038 Food Service Evaluation Record, the award-winning dining facility was judged on kitchen operations, serving and dining operations, training, personnel, readiness, sanitation, repair maintenance and management. 

"We exceeded all USAFE bases in virtually every category, financially and statistically," said Major Turner. "The Sultan's Inn deserved to win this award because we provided quality service that was recognized by our satisfied customers who continually provided great feedback on our program." 

Because of the award-winning joint effort between Incirlik's host nation civilians working at Sultan's Inn and their American counterparts, totaling 107 personnel, the dining facility will compete against other bases for this year's Air Force-level John L. Hennessey Award. 

"I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to our Turkish mission partners who consistently support our program with the highest levels of dedication," said Mr. Pastula. "We will be USAFE's nominee for the Hennessey Award because of their dedication." 

According the Hennessy Award Web site, www.hennessyaward.org, the Hennessy program is sponsored by the National Restaurant Association, The Society for Food Service Management and the International Food Service Executives Association. Evaluators are handpicked from a pool of civilian restaurant professionals, who judge alongside military representatives with extensive food service knowledge. 

"We can expect to see the Hennessy Award evaluation team between March and April," said Mr. Pastula. "It's hard to give odds on our chances of winning the Air Force-level award because it's a tough competition against the winners in all other MAJCOMS worldwide but I have faith in our team at the Sultan's Inn and our performance has spoken volumes about our standard of excellence."