New York National Guard Cooks in Nationwide Army Competition

Mess Section from Binghamton-Based 204th Engineer Battalion Serves up Hot Chow to Troops While Army Judges Watch

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Sgt. Shannon Boler of Beaver Dams, NY, a member of the 204th Engineer Battalion's mess section measures the temperature of raw turkeys.

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, NY (11/16/2010)(readMedia)-- The mess section from the New York Army National Guard's Binghamton-based 204th Engineer Battalion competed to be the best cooks in the Army National Guard, during a training weekend here Nov. 13 and 14.

The team, part of the 204th Forward Support Company, were judged on their ability to produce a hot and tasty meal, which met all Army nutrition requirements, while feeding troops in a field environment. The Binghamton cooks are up against five other National Guard mess teams to win the Philip A. Connelly Award of Excellence in Army Food Service.

Three top Army cooking prizes are awarded annually, one each to cooks in the Active Army, the Army Reserve, and the Army National Guard.

The New York Army National Guard cooks erected their field kitchen and fed Soldiers training at Camp Smith while a team of top cooks and Army food specialists examined everything they did.

The New York team won the regional competition following judging in June.

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Sgt. Shannon Boler of Beaver Dams, NY, a member of the 204th Engineer Battalion's mess section measures the temperature of raw turkeys before the section begins preparing lunch during weekend training here on Saturday, Nov.13.

The mess section was competing in the finals of the annual Philip A. Connelly Award of Excellence in Army Food Service competition while also feeding members of the battalion.The Binghamton, New York-based unit was competing against five other Army National Guard mess sections to win the 2010 prize.

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New York Army National Guard Pvt. Daiamy Osario, a New York City resident and a member of the 204th Engineer Battalion's mess section, prepares vegetables to accompany a turkey dinner the cooks made on Saturday. Nov. 13, as they competed to earn the Philip A. Connelly Award of Excellence in Army Food Service.

The mess team from the Binghamton-based battalion, prepared a dinner with all the trimmings for the battalion's Soldiers conducting weekend training here. They were graded on their ability to produce a hot, tasty meal to the Army standard in field conditions. The New York Army National Guard Soldiers are competing against five other mess sections to be the best in the Army National Guard.

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Spec. John Stanley of Elmira Heights, NY, a member of the 204th Engineer Battalion mess section, serves up hot turkey dinner to New York Army National Guard Soldiers training here on Saturday, Nov. 13.The mess section for the Binghamton, NY-based battalion was competing in the finals of the annual Philip A. Connelly Award of Excellence in Army Food Service competition while the unit conducted weekend training.The mess section is competing against five other mess teams from around the country to be the best in the Army National Guard.The 204th Engineer's mess section was judged on its ability to serve a hot, tasty meal in the field by cooking experts.

Photos by PFC Jeremy Bratt, Joint Forces Headquarters, New York National Guard