Military Hospitality Alliance Military Enlisted Aide of the Year 2007
All services were represented very well at the fifth Enlisted Aide of the Year Award program, held as part of the USO Salute to
Military Chef's dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City last night.
The winner was CSC Benny Brockington, Senior Enlisted Aide to Admiral Fallon, CENTCOM.
Chief Brockington's award was presented in front of 130 mostly 3 and 4 star officers from all the services. Rear Admiral Moira
Flanders was the President of the judging panel. She is thePresident of the Inter-American Defense College. Interestingly, she
was previously Commander, Naval Personnel Development Command, and thus was responsible for the $5.3 Navy Voucher
program that includes IFSEA's certifications. Admiral Flanders loved this program and offered to help us to move that program to
enlisted personnel in ALL services.
The other services were very well represented by:
Army - MSgt Kathleen Willis, Enlisted Aide for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Marine Corps - SSgt Charles Cox, Enlisted Aide to
the Commanding General, MCRD, San Diego Air Force - SSgt Lori Kelly, Enlisted Aide to the Vice Chief of the Air Force Coast
Guard - FS1 Eric Williamson, Enlisted Aide to the Superintendant of the Coast Guard Academy.
Chief Brockington won: $1000 cash, a $4000 package from Starkey Institute for all expenses trip to their Restoring the Arts
Conference, a $2500 course from Dale Carneghie, a $1000 course from the Culinary Institute of America, a $500 IFSEA Food
Safety Symposium from E. H. Manley and Associates and IFSEA An engraved silver platter.
Each of the finalists received $500 and a set of carving knives and garnishing set from Hubert Corp. The cash came from Otis
Spunkmeyer ($500), Pepsi-Co Foodservice ($500) and the Military Evaluators Alumni Association ($500).
We will be doing a press release with a photo of the finalists and high power brass that were there, and hope all the services will
publicize this widely. As good as it is, we still drag some services to the table,, so our mission for next year is to get the program to
be better recognized within the services so there is a more structured information distribution and finalist selection process.
Several flag officers in attendance have pledged to support that mission, feeling this is a great program that deserves more
support internally.
Co-sponsors of the award are the Starkey Institute, represented by Chief of Staff Gary Smith and the Military Hospitality Alliance
Branch of IFSEA, represented by 2nd Vice President and event Chairman, CMSgt Steve Ray, Senior Enlisted Aide to the Chief of
Staff of the Air Force. I
represented IFSEA.
HUGE thanks to the USO Metro President Elaine Rogers and our hero Kathy Carroll who takes such great care of us.
All services were represented very well at the fifth Enlisted Aide of the Year Award program, held as part of the USO Salute to
Military Chef's dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City last night.
The winner was CSC Benny Brockington, Senior Enlisted Aide to Admiral Fallon, CENTCOM.
Chief Brockington's award was presented in front of 130 mostly 3 and 4 star officers from all the services. Rear Admiral Moira
Flanders was the President of the judging panel. She is thePresident of the Inter-American Defense College. Interestingly, she
was previously Commander, Naval Personnel Development Command, and thus was responsible for the $5.3 Navy Voucher
program that includes IFSEA's certifications. Admiral Flanders loved this program and offered to help us to move that program to
enlisted personnel in ALL services.
The other services were very well represented by:
Army - MSgt Kathleen Willis, Enlisted Aide for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Marine Corps - SSgt Charles Cox, Enlisted Aide to
the Commanding General, MCRD, San Diego Air Force - SSgt Lori Kelly, Enlisted Aide to the Vice Chief of the Air Force Coast
Guard - FS1 Eric Williamson, Enlisted Aide to the Superintendant of the Coast Guard Academy.
Chief Brockington won: $1000 cash, a $4000 package from Starkey Institute for all expenses trip to their Restoring the Arts
Conference, a $2500 course from Dale Carneghie, a $1000 course from the Culinary Institute of America, a $500 IFSEA Food
Safety Symposium from E. H. Manley and Associates and IFSEA An engraved silver platter.
Each of the finalists received $500 and a set of carving knives and garnishing set from Hubert Corp. The cash came from Otis
Spunkmeyer ($500), Pepsi-Co Foodservice ($500) and the Military Evaluators Alumni Association ($500).
We will be doing a press release with a photo of the finalists and high power brass that were there, and hope all the services will
publicize this widely. As good as it is, we still drag some services to the table,, so our mission for next year is to get the program to
be better recognized within the services so there is a more structured information distribution and finalist selection process.
Several flag officers in attendance have pledged to support that mission, feeling this is a great program that deserves more
support internally.
Co-sponsors of the award are the Starkey Institute, represented by Chief of Staff Gary Smith and the Military Hospitality Alliance
Branch of IFSEA, represented by 2nd Vice President and event Chairman, CMSgt Steve Ray, Senior Enlisted Aide to the Chief of
Staff of the Air Force. I
represented IFSEA.
HUGE thanks to the USO Metro President Elaine Rogers and our hero Kathy Carroll who takes such great care of us.
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| In a star-studded room at the USO Salute to Military Chefs dinner at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, our Enlisted Aide of the Year candidates are pictured with some of the most senior military personnel in the room, and in a few cases with the officer they work for. (l-r) Starkey's Gary Smith, RADM Raymond Spicer, Winner CSC Benny Brockington, SSgt Charles Cox, General James Cartwright, General Richard Code and his Aide, MSgt Kathleen Willis, FS1 Eric Williamson, Vice Admiral Robert Papp, SSgt Lori Kelly, General John Corley, IFSEA's Ed Manley, CMSgt Steve Ray. |