Sheppard continues winning streak

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Pedro Tenorio
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  

In the blue corner, training more than 60,000 graduates each year, representing the Air Education Training Command, out of the wide and beautiful northern Texas, and now SIX TIME Hennessey Award winner for AETC -- SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE.

On February 27, 2018, Jerald W. Chesser, of the National Restaurant Association, Mark S. d’Entremont, from the US Air Force Services Activity, Senior Master Sgt. Kevin D. Greensage, of the Air Force Services Activity, and Mike Sabella, of the NRA, all representatives of the HTA visited Sheppard as their last stop on the travels around the west to determine the best of the best service members that serve our military.

Sheppard’s dining team, which is made up of contractors from the Work Services Corporation, are the reigning champs at the AETC- level and now set their sights on winning the overall best dining facility across the nation. A prestigious award they have won twice before, which could be contributed to their work ethics.

"Consistency," said Miguel Copeland, food service officer for Sheppard, "Pride in taking care of the students. They (the workers) like taking care of them."

The HTA representatives also noted on the ethics of Sheppard’s team.

The team commented that Sheppard wins every time because they come day in, day out with the same "work till I drop attitude." They also noted that the only wait time they noticed was not the lines to get food, but the multiple weeks of waiting they had traveling to other bases instead of Sheppard, which they said was worth it.

In a base where about 10,000 meals are served per duty day, according to Copeland, the dining facilities play an integral part here at Sheppard.

"What we do here allows others to do much more," said Chesser. "We thank you for your service."

Chesser also said most don’t notice how long cooking a good meal could take and how the work that the WSC is doing here on Sheppard allows the base to run smoothly when they won’t have to worry too much about one of the most basic human worries.

Sheppard is grateful to the members of the WSC who, no matter rain or random ice storm in February, come out to take care of trainees and permanent party members who rely on the nutritious food of the dining facilities.