National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Celebrates the Veterans and Military Culinarians Who Make the Restaurant Industry Stronger

From mess halls and flight decks to restaurant kitchens and corner offices, service members bring the skills that power the industry

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As America observes Veterans Day, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation is honoring the men and women of America's Armed Forces. That includes the veterans who bring their leadership to restaurants nationwide and the military foodservice professionals who feed service members every day around the world.

Military service builds the kind of experience that restaurants value most. Service members learn to lead teams, solve problems quickly, and get the job done under pressure. They develop and apply these skills in a wide range of environments, including during deployments and at sea. Those skills strengthen restaurant teams and contribute to a stronger workforce.

"Veterans bring a rare combination of character, skill, and commitment to everything they do, and our industry is stronger because of them," said Dr. Monica Parrish Trent, Executive Director of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. "On Veterans Day and every day, we're grateful for their service and proud to open industry doors to the careers and leadership opportunities that they've earned."

Celebrating Excellence in Military Foodservice

Military foodservice teams prepare and serve billions of meals each year, at home, on deployment, and at sea. Earlier this year, the Foundation recognized 36 award-winning units and individuals at the 2026 Military Foodservice Awards. Winners came from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Military Sealift Command, Air Force, Air National Guard, and Coast Guard. They were honored for mastering core industry standards in food safety, sanitation, preparation and execution.

The following units and individuals were recognized as 2026 Military Foodservice Award winners:

Philip A. Connelly Awards, honoring the Army

• Active Army Field Feeding Company Winner: 223rd Quartermaster Company, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
• Active Army (BSB) Brigade Support Battalion Winner: Headquarter and Headquarter Troop, Regiment Support Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army V Corps, Vilseck, Germany
• United States Army Reserve Field Kitchen Winner: 769th Field Feeding Detachment, 166th Regional Support Group, 1st Mission Support Command, Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico
• Army National Guard Field Kitchen Winner: 1501st Quartermaster Company, 369th Special Troops Battalion, 369th Sustainment Brigade, 59th Troop Command, Cortlandt Manor, New York

Major General W.P.T. Hill Memorial Awards, honoring the United States Marine Corps

• Best Management and Mess Attendant Mess Hall Winner: Mess Hall 303, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Installations East
• Best Full Foodservice Mess Hall: Mess Hall 3006, Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, Marine Corps Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Training and Education Command, Bridgeport, California
• Best Active Field Mess Winner: III Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Forces Pacific, Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan
• Best Reserve Field Mess Winner: Marine Wing Support Squadron 472, Marine Aircraft Group 49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Forces Reserves

Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Awards Program, honoring the Navy

• Small East Coast Platform Winner: USS Nitze (DDG 94), Mayport, Florida
• Small West Coast Platform Winner: USS Decatur (DDG 73), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• Medium East Coast Platform Winner: USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), Norfolk, Virginia
• Medium West Coast Platform Winner: USS San Diego (LPD 22), Sasebo, Japan
• Large Platform Winner: USS Makin Island (LHD 8), San Diego, California
• Aircraft Carrier Winner: USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), Norfolk, Virginia
• Submarine East Coast Platform Winner: USS Iowa (SSN 797), Groton, Connecticut
• Submarine West Coast Platform Winner: USS Mississippi (SSN 782), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• East Coast General Mess Winner: Captain Edward F. Ney Hall, Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island
• West Coast General Mess Winner: Pappy's Place, Naval Base Coronado, California
• Oconus General Mess Winner: Commodore Matthew C. Perry General Mess, Yokosuka, Japan

Captain David M. Cook Food Service Excellence Award, honoring the Military Sealift Command

• Winner Small Ship Category: USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• Winner Medium Ship Category: USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201), Norfolk, Virginia
• Winner Large Ship Category: USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4), San Diego, California

John L. Hennessy Awards for Excellence Department of the Air Force

• Missile Alert Field Feeding Operation: 341 Force Support Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana (AFGSC)
• Small Sites: 703 Munitions Support Squadron, Volkel Air Base, Netherlands (USAFE)
• Active Duty Foodservice Operations Region One Winner: 19 Force Support Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas (AMC)
• Active Duty Foodservice Operations Region Two Winner: 17 Force Support Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas (Air Education and Training Command)
• Air Force Reserves Foodservice Operations Winner: 442 Force Support Squadron, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri (Air Force Reserve Command)

SMSgt Kenneth W. Disney Foodservice Excellence Award Program

• Senior Master Sergeant Kenneth W. Disney Foodservice Award Winner: 162nd Wing Morris Air National Guard, Desert Rose Dining Facility, Tucson ANG, Arizona (ANG)

Coast Guard Rednour Program

• Large Afloat: USCGC Thetis
• Medium Afloat: USCGC Oak
• Small Afloat: USCSC James Rankin
• Culinary Support Activity (CSA) & Training Centers (TRACENs): CSA Alameda
• BASE/AIRSTA: Base San Juan
• Sector: Sector San Francisco
• Station: Station Portsmouth Harbor
• Morale, Well-Being, Recreation Food and Beverage Activity of the Year (MWRFBAOY): The Wheelhouse, BASE Portsmouth
• Senior CS of the Year: CS1Homer Gavino
• Junior CS of the Year: CS2 Alexus Fernandez

Building Pathways from Service to Success

For more than seven decades, the Foundation has supported America's Armed Forces through:

• In-Service Training: The Advanced Culinary Training Program (ACTP), offered with the Culinary Institute of America, and the Advanced Military Professional Educational Development (AMPED) initiative.
• SkillBridge: The restaurant industry's only SkillBridge program, offered in partnership with the U.S. Department of War. It connects service members with industry training, apprenticeships or internships during their final 180 days of service.
• Apprenticeship: The Restaurant Management Apprenticeship Program, which provides on-the-job training for veterans.
• Scholarships: Financial support for military members and veterans pursuing post-secondary education in restaurant and hospitality.

Visit ChooseRestaurants.org/military to learn more.

About The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation 

As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF's charitable mission includes enhancing the industry's training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

SOURCE National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation