Westover Club wins AFRC 2011 Fer de Lance award

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Andre Bowser and SrA Charles W. Hutchinson IV
  • 429 AW/PA
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  Club workers on bases across the country are often the first to show up to prepare food for troop feedings and the last to leave long after the masses have been fed.

But all that changed for the entire staff of the Westover Club here, and for a select group of club workers from two other Air Force Reserve Command bases.

Westover Club workers were honored June 11 with a gala after receiving first place in the 2011 Fer de Lance competition, which judged the overall efficacy of 10 base clubs, including March ARB, Homestead ARB, Dobbins ARB, Grissom ARB, Westover ARB, Minneapolis-St. Paul ARS, Youngstown ARS, Pittsburgh ARS, Niagara Falls ARS and Duke Field.

AFRC Services Chief of Business Operations Sheila Idigpio said the Westover Club placed a pretty big feather in its cap by winning the competition, which distinguished the facility from a vast sea of clubs across the country.

"They were judged on their overall club operations, from food to behind the scenes management, such as recipe and menu writing, troop feeding and sanitation processes," Idigpio said, also applying the translation of the Fer de Lance award to describe the club. "They truly are the 'Tip of the Spear.' "

AFRC Services Deputy Chief Alan T. Ray said the club beat out stiff competition to win the gala, as well as $5,000 to improve the club, a crystal trophy, and a veritable feast cooked by a celebrity chef.

"We try to do something every year that's going to benefit the club and the base population," Ray said, noting that Homestead came in second place and received a $2,500 grant. "The program's goal is to provide an avenue through competition to improve our club operations and customer service."

Ray added that club workers often operate behind the scenes. "We truly wanted to serve those who serve us every day across AFRC," he said.

Celebrity Chef John Besh, who owns several high-end restaurants across the country, was on hand Saturday for the invite-only dinner, which garnered about 75 guests.

The celebration, which started with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m., was regarded by AFRC Services officials as their largest event to date.

Behind two sets of the doors in the club's kitchen, with only minutes to finish and serve an impressive array of dishes, Besh plied his trade with a deft familiarity, although it was his first time in this kitchen.

Besh said he was contacted by headquarters AFRC services department regarding the opportunity to cook for the club workers.

"I was told about the culinary competition and that I would be cooking for the team that won," said Besh, who has had his own share of culinary competitions, including "Top Chef Masters" and "The Next Iron Chef."

The former Marine said he recalled flying into Westover nearly two decades ago on his return from the Persian Gulf. He said hopped at the opportunity to serve the club workers after their impressive achievement, and he described the night's fare as "a taste of New Orleans."

Westover Club manager Erin Lahart said the experience was a veritable feast of the mind and eyes: "The food was unbelievable, it was by far the best meal I have ever had," she said, "I couldn't have asked for a better celebration dinner, from the décor, the food, to the company."

Lahart said she dined on a succulent spread: "Shrimp Remoulade with Mirliton Salad; chicken and Andouille Gumbo; Roast Managalista Pork with Crabmeat, Truffle, Silver Queen corn, Marqe Chow, Bananas Foster pot de creme."

Lahart said of her staff: "We put a lot of hard work and effort in this."

Among the night's honorees, which included the club workers and a few notable club employees from Youngstown and Homestead, the 439th Airlift Wing Commander Col. Robert Swain Jr. and his family were recognized, along with Command Chief Master Sgt. Michael Thorpe and his family, as well as the former Command Chief Master Sgt. Zigmund Skawaski (retired).

Allan Burns, a custodian at the club who received the royal treatment Saturday night, said the award was a long time in coming. "We came in second place in 2006," he recalled. "Finally, we won."