George Washington (CVN 73) - Naval Cruise Book

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m The Ney Award cake was one dessert GW's cooks didn't have to prepare. Instead, the ship's boatswain's mates baked and iced the commemorative cake in honor of their shipmates' excellent work. successful bid for the Navy’s highest food service award. U A ny mention of the overall team effort would be incomplete without the Medical Department and the Engineers,” CDR John Drerup, GW’s Supply Officer, said. Lt. Kock also paid tribute to the men who made the machines run right and those who inspect the food. “The engineers keep our equipment up and running every day of the year,” Kock said. “We couldn’t feed the crew if they didn't. They just kept up there usual outstanding performance during the inspection. “The guys from medical inspect our food when ever and where ever we pul it. They make sure we serve quality food...the Ney inspectors noticed that.” MSC(SW) Charles Wharton, S-2 Division LCPO, credited the men in the galley with having a winning attitude long before the inspectors arrived. “All the guys had a strong desire to be the best,” he said. “They lived the role. Their attitudes were on display at each meal, so I’m sure the Ney inspectors picked up on it.” At one point during the inspection the evaluators were backed into a comer. Continued on next page

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 “The inspectors looked at how the meals were prepared from the food coming onto the ship, out of the box. into the ovens and onto the trays,” CW02 Gordon Keith, Food Service Officer, said. “They watched everything with a very careful eye and our guys showed them that nobody can put a better meal on the table. In addition to looking at the end product, the inspectors looked at the galley and messdeck equipment and machinery. The people who use that equipment need to be qualified, well trained and have a working knowledge of all hazards associated with the machines. Safety is as much a part of turning out meals for the crew as it is making a new part in engineering. 120 Underway They looked at it all (machinery) from the mixers in the bake shop to the salt shakers on the tables. Cleanliness was the key.” LT Lindy Kock, the Principal Assistant for Service (PAS), said. After observing the movement of food from the storage spaces, the inspectors monitored how it was prepared, carefully noting the cooks’ cleanliness and flair when creating breakfast, lunch and dinner for 5,000-plus crew. The final test was to sample each component of the meal on the mess decks in the same setting George Washington Sailors eat. “The Mess Deck Master-at-Arms and the Food Service Attendants really contributed to winning,” MSC (SW AW) Darrell Anders. LCPO, S-2M Division said. “We keep the mess decks clean all the time,” he added. “So the inspection was no big deal to my guys. They just took a little more care and I kept checking more and more as the inspection got near.” One of the FSAs who lived the Ney experience had another view: “Keeping the salad bar stocked and clean was important but there was also a big push on to keep all the tables well stocked ... ketchup bottles needed to be clean and full, salt and pepper full and napkins ready, S2 and S2M were not the only contributors to George Washington’s The silverware sparkled, glasses were spotless and tabletops clean as they ate their meals over the two-day visit.

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122 Underway