MILITARY FOOD SERVICE AWARDS TRAVELER S GUIDEBOOK INTRODUCTION: Whatever is covered in this packet is not intended to take precedence over any directions given to you by your military hosts, but rather, it is to address some of the many questions you might have and to make your travel plans a little easier. YOU ARE A TEAM: Depending upon which service you travel with, you should always be accompanied by at least one military service representative, and as many as three others. You are part of a team performing the evaluations and as such are expected to cooperate at all times with your travel companions. Your teammates are a valuable and experienced group of individuals and can answer most of your questions. Although, it should not have to be said, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AND HIGHLY VISIBLE UNDERTAKING ON YOUR PART AND YOU ARE REPRESENTING IFSEA AND THE MILITARY SERVICE YOU ARE EVALUATING. YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTING YOUR COMPANY OR LOCAL BRANCH. Therefore, you are not to sell raffle tickets, conduct business, or sell branch memorabilia or other items at any time during your travels. Also, you are not to give items other than those approved by IFSEA and the Military Chairperson to those you evaluate. PASSPORTS AND VISAS: All IFSEA travelers (except for Army National Guard and Reserve evaluators) are expected to possess a valid U.S. tourist passport. It is important that you secure your passport two months before your scheduled travel. If your travel destination(s) require a Visa, usually the military service you are traveling with will assist in getting one. If you encounter any difficulties with your passport, please contact the Military Chairperson immediately. IMMUNIZATION: You normally do not need to get special immunizations for the overseas areas you will visit. When they are needed the military service will so advise you, and in some cases will get you the shots needed in a military facility. It is important that your personal shots are current and that your physician verifies your medical form. If you have not had a Tetanus shot lately, you should get one. You will also need to make sure your personal health insurance is current. 1
DURATION OF THE TRIP: The military works hard to arrange the team s travel schedule. They are aware of the costs you will face and try hard to keep the nights you are away from home to a minimum, without making it physically uncomfortable. You normally will be scheduled to begin and continue your evaluations until they are completed. You could be on the road for up to four to six weeks. If holidays or breaks in the schedule occur the military will get you back home and then bring you back to your next evaluation site. You will normally travel via commercial air carriers, although occasionally you might use a Military Airlift Command (MAC) flight. Locally, at an evaluation site you might be transported by helicopter of fixed wing aircraft to reach a specific location. Most services conduct their evaluations from October- December. The Air Force conducts it s from January to March. It is critical to remember that you need to REMAIN FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES MIGHT CHANGE. FITNESS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: There are a number of physical requirements while you are traveling. If you have any medical or physical challenges that could restrict your ability to perform your duties, please discuss them with the Military Chairperson BEFORE a decision is made to schedule you to travel. We do have some less demanding evaluations. Listed are a number of requirements: Ability to rise early and be alert by 5AM Ability to evaluate whatever time the meal period is required Ability to stand on your feet and walk for long periods of time Ability to meet with Military Commands after reviewing and then more time to be spent with your team completing the evaluation scoring process and then hop on a plane to your next site with little time to spare. If conducting an evaluation on a ship you need the ability to go up and down numerous ladders and steps. There is also the potential that you will need to fit in some confining spaces. AIRLINE TICKETS AND GENERAL INFORMATION: Prior to your scheduled departure date you should receive via e-mail an e-ticket and any other travelers documentation from your military service. But, please be prepared for changes due to schedule conflicts the military service may encounter with the facilities being evaluated. National emergencies and/or contingencies might also change your travel status and plans. In such instances, military service representatives will be in touch with you and will make arrangements for new tickets. Some of the travelers will receive tickets and packets at the service orientation program. REMUNERATION: Our military service partners are very conscious of the financial demands on IFSEA s civilian personnel. They work hard to insure that the costs you incur are kept at a minimum. When your quarters are on base this if often possible, but when accommodations are such that you are off base and/or in a hotel, IFSEA has asked all 2
military services to take costs into account. If you run into any problems please don t hesitate to say something or call the Military Chairperson. MILITARY FUNDING: The military service you are traveling with will arrange and pay for all travel that is in conjunction with the evaluation of the facilities. This includes airfare to and from the closest airport to your home, airport departure tariffs and any of your out-of-pocket costs associated with movement by other conveyances (IE: bus or train) between site visits. Normally, the senior military team member will arrange for a rental car to be used to move the team at the evaluation sites when local command does not provide such transportation. You are normally responsible for your share of costs getting to airports, travel between airports, sleeping accommodations and food when not otherwise covered by the military. IFSEA FUNDING: IFSEA will reimburse you at a rate of $40.00 per day for each day you are away from home to conduct evaluations. The association does not fund for travel to and from orientation, accommodations or any part of the orientation. The association also does not fund for the day you return home from travel of for the days at the International Conference. You will need to submit a Request for Reimbursement and your Travel Summary Report to the Military Chairperson who will approve the authorized expenditures. The Military Chairperson will then send the approved form to Headquarters who will in turn issue the check. Remember NO REPORT NO REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT = NO CHECK. If your travel encompasses a period of more than six weeks, you may, with the approval of the IFSEA Military Chair, request a partial reimbursement of up to you re your completed travel entitlement. Under some special circumstances, the Military may take care of some of your expenses, but they will tell you when that is the case. You should not expect this, nor should you ask for it. If you believe the circumstances warrant it, you can make a request for additional funding support from the Military Travelers Alumni Association. PERSONAL FUNDING: You are responsible for all other costs associated with your travel. Although you will have out-of-pocket expenses during your travels, they should not be as extreme as you first might expect. Your costs are directly proportional to the locations you visit and particularly to the number of overseas sites where BOQ s are not available. In most continental U.S. locations and at several overseas sites, you will be staying in VIP Guest Officers Quarters located in the BOQ. Your nightly rate for these accommodations will range from $8-45.00. When government quarters are not available, military personnel will attempt to place you in commercial hotels/motels which offer government rate reductions. (Army National Guard and Army evaluators should normally expect to be in commercial accommodations.) While on government installations, you will have access to any available Officer s Club Dining Facility and Post Exchange food outlets. Prices at these facilities are usually less than comparable commercial facilities. On evaluation days you will normally eat breakfast and lunch in the evaluated facility and will pay the service-established rate for an officer on TDY. Your team will advise you of the rate to pay. Once you learn that rate, it is advisable to 3
have the exact change with you for each meal. They are supposed to have change, but the exact amount needed is always appreciated. While traveling with the military you will be issued INVITATIONAL TRAVEL ORDERS (ITO) which may entitle you to courtesy access to all retail facilities such as the Base Exchange, Base Commissary (grocery store) and Base Beverage Outlet. The exchange outlets carry most toiletry items, film, tobacco, clothing, and snack items that you might need during your travels. This is not available for Navy Travelers. Military Sealift Command does not have an exchange or commissary in 95% of the areas evaluated. It is advised that you bring all items needed with you at the beginning of the trip Your estimated out-of- pocket costs can be as low as $500 or as high as your personal eating and shopping habits make them. ATTIRE: As a representative of IFSEA and a professional in the Food Service Industry, it is important that you plan your travel wardrobe accordingly. The sites to be visited and the seasonal time of the year at those locations will dictate your selection. Since most of the travels are conducted in the fall and winter time frame, warmer clothing is normally recommended. Light weight jackets and raincoats may prove useful. EVALUATION DAY: Male travelers are expected to arrive at each facility wearing a coat and tie. Comfortable brown or black non-skid shoes are encouraged, especially aboard ship visits. Females should plan their evaluation day on a practical basis. Dresses and skirts are not appropriate for visits aboard ships or for field evaluations. Pantsuits are recommended. If wearing dresses or skirts in other than on board ships, they should be at appropriate lengths. High heels are not recommended for any evaluation. Medium heeled shoes are good for all evaluations, although on board ships flats work better going up and down ladders. Military Sealift Command evaluator will wear a Chef s Jacket, black pants, comfortable shoes, and a Military Sealift Command ball cap or a Chef s hat) If you choose to purchase or if the military issues you military clothing for wear during your evaluations, then it is important that the following be observed: YOU CANNOT ADORN THESE UNIFORMS WITH ANY INSIGNIA, BADGE, OR ANYTHING ELSE WHILE WEARING THEM. The military will normally issue you a nametag to be worn on the pocket flap of the uniform, or they will advise you if your nametag may be worn. Please do not violate this. To do so is a breach of military protocol. HEAD COVERS: Appropriate head covers are expected in all military food service operations as a matter of proper sanitary practices. You may wear a chef s cap, hair net, paper cap or in the field, a baseball cap. Many times the facility being visited will provide you with a head cover, and it is appropriate to wear it during the evaluation. If you have a smock or Chef s jacket, you may wear that while evaluating a kitchen. On occasion the military will provide you with such attire for use during your evaluations. You should use theirs in this case making sure they are kept clean and presentable. TRAVEL/OFF DUTY WEAR: You are usually free to wear whatever is comfortable for you when traveling or relaxing. Often times the Evaluation team is met at the airport by a host facility representative. In this case casual business attire is appropriate. You will definitely want to bring a 4
swimsuit, shorts, and athletic or walking shoes with you, as you will normally have time to do some sightseeing. LAUNDRY/DRY CLEANING: Most BOQ s will either provide free or low cost washers and dryers for your use. A plastic container of powdered detergent is a good item to bring on extended trips. Irons and ironing boards are also available for the BOQ s. Most on base dry cleaners usually offer 24 hour and/or 48 hours service. Military Sealift Command evaluator will be responsible for the cost of washing, drying, and dry cleaning of their clothes. This is usually done through the hotel. Commercial Lodging is used during 95% of our travel. LUGGAGE: Plan to have only as much luggage as you can carry yourself for reasonable distances. ORIENTATION: Your attendance at one, two or three day orientation sessions conducted by the service you are traveling with is imperative and part of your contract with IFSEA and the military service. You along with the other members of your team will meet to review and discuss all aspects of your upcoming evaluation. A practice is often included as part of the orientation. You will be thoroughly briefed at the orientation on what to expect and any special items of importance to your particular military service. Any questions you have should be asked at this time. REMINDER YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIENTATION SESSIONS, EXCEPT FOR NAVY WHO WILL PAY ALL TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING COSTS TO AND FROM THE EVALUATOR PLANNING MEETING. Military Sealift Command does not have a orientation session. CIVILIAN MILITARY RANK: As the civilian team member, you will travel on ITO s as previously stated, and these orders will cover you movements throughout your official travel for that service. These orders indicate that you hold an honorary rank. Another term associated with this honorary rank is Senior Executive Service SES. Whenever you are asked to provide a rank when filling out the forms, such as BOQ registers or dining facility signatures sheets, you should always use the SES designation. There are many customs and honors associated with your rank and therefore you should be prepared to fulfill your duties as required. Due to your rank you will be given VIP treatment by most services and by most military personnel with whom you deal. It is a custom of the service to provide such treatment to flag officers and these honors are bestowed upon the rank as much as they are upon the individual. In some instances the military personnel you meet will not be aware of you honorary status, but they should still treat you with respect as a civilian guest of their facility. Please do not take advantage of this honor the military service has bestowed upon you, nor use it unprofessionally or with disrespect. Remember that you are the civilian member of the team and you are not in charge. You have no authority to issue orders to any military person. If you are in doubt, follow the lead of your military team member(s). NO HONORARY RANK WILL BE GIVEN TO IFSEA TRAVELERS ASSIGNED TO MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND. 5
QUARTERS: When staying on base you will usually be assigned VIP quarters. Although you will pay a small amount more for these rooms, these quarters are well worth the minor extra expense. Unless otherwise indicated you will usually find that the local officer s club may even supply snack foods in your quarters. Just as a regular hotel these items are on a reimbursable basis, and the collection envelope should be in your room along with the cost of these items. THIS DOES NOT APPLY FOR MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND WILL STAY AT A REGULAR ROOM AT THE HOTEL CHOSEN BY THE TEAM LEADER. CAMERAS: You are encouraged to bring a camera, as you will have numerous opportunities to photograph highly memorable moments. Military personnel will advise you when, for security reasons, you are prohibited from using your camera. DO NOT TAKE ANY UNAUTHORIZED PICTURES. BANKING/CHECK CASHING/MONEY EXCHANGE: You should plan your cash needs based upon your travel schedule. Use of bank charge cards or traveler s checks is recommended for hotels and most travels. Please do not take a lot of cash. Be sure to check with your team members as to locations where you can cash checks. Know that aboard ships such as aircraft carriers there are also banking facilities available. Overseas banking outlets and officers clubs provide money exchanges for dollars to local currency when needed. SECURITY OF EVALUATION DATA: Although you will be briefed upon this several times, it is repeated here due to its importance. AT NO TIME ARE YOU TO DISCUSS WITH ANYONE, OTHER THAN YOUR TEAM MEMBERS, THE RESULTS AND/OR CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE EVALUATION OF ANY FACILITY THAT YOUR TEAM VISITS. You should be aware that there is a natural tendency by those being evaluated to want to know how they performed. No matter what the rank of the person inquiring you must guard this information very closely. The announcements of the results of the evaluation is always the responsibility of the Military Service and not even the Military Chairperson knows the outcome until after the military services makes the results known. A pocket calculator for computing scores will be helpful. MEMENTOS AND GIFTS: During the visit to some facilities, as the civilian team member, the active personnel may present you with some mementos of your visit. Items such as plaques, baseball caps, insignias are common offerings. In addition, the unit may also prepare simple or elaborate folders/binders containing photos, menus, rosters, etc. You should never ask for anything that they do not offer themselves. You are not to provide mementos to any unit you are inspecting, nor are you to promote any branch-related material or memorabilia. It is suggested that the IFSEA team member take responsibility for writing thank-you notes to each command for their hospitality and any special things they did for you. 6
MEDICAL ITEMS AND OTHER NECESSITIES: If you are required to use special medications or food supplements be sure to bring an adequate supply of such medications with you. You should also carry a copy of your prescription with you. In an emergency, such as loss or damage of your medicine, military medical facilities can usually provide you with replacements. Non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines are normally carried in the Base Exchange. If you use a very specific brand, then you may want to carry extra with you. If you burn easily in the sun, you may want to bring sun block with you. CELEBRATE PEOPLE AWARDS: One of the many pleasurable functions associated with your travels is the opportunity to seek out and recognize individuals in each facility you visit to receive the IFSEA CELEBRATE PEOPLE AWARD. The person(s) selected should portray all of the qualities that we in IFSEA associate with this award. Some hints and guidelines are listed for your use in the decision making process: Normally you should not select the unit s Food Service Officer or Lead Mess Management Specialist to receive this award, as they are recognized in other ways. Be sure to have your teammates assist you in the selection. It is ok to have selected more than one individual in a unit, when it is warranted. Before making your selection known always check with the Food Service Officer or Lead Mess Management Specialist to insure that your selection is a good choice. We do not want to embarrass the Command by selecting someone who is just putting on a good show for the evaluators. Qualities to look for are those individuals who are exceptionally friendly and helpful not only to you and your other team members, but more importantly they display those same characteristics with their fellow workers and the customers they serve. They should clearly show they are team players and demonstrate a true love for their work and for the food service industry. Ask the Unit Commander, senior enlisted member or food service officer if they have someone with calligraphy skills, or a computer available to fill the awardees name(s) in on the certificates. You should carry enough certificates with you to cover all the units you visit. You may get the certificates from your military partners. If the unit cannot fill in the names on the certificates, you will need to complete them as legibly as possible using free hand. For units that use civilian contract companies as part of the staff you should consider two awards; one for a military crewmember and one for a civilian crewmember. You should always award a certificate to a military person unless after conferring with your teammates you felt that no one deserved one. You should present your award(s) at the unit formation normally held just prior to your departure from the facility. Along with your teammates you will normally be asked to say a few words. You should always thank them for their hospitality and any mementos you may have received, and you should say a few positive things about the performance of the unit. A form is included in the appendix of this guide covering Celebrate People Award. It needs to be completed after each unit visit. It is important to your military service and to 7
IFSEA that we get all the names of the awardees. You should forward your completed form to the Military Chair when you submit your end of action report. ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCE: One of your assumed responsibilities when you agree to be a military traveler is that you will attend the IFSEA Conference (NRA Food Show in Chicago for the Air Force). The Military Services expect you will be there to help honor the winners you selected. IFSEA and the Military Services would also like to take a moment to thank you for the time you devoted to the program. The costs associated with your conference attendance are yours, although IFSEA will pick up the cost of the Awards Ceremony Meal. The Military Services have no responsibility for conference costs. IF YOU CANNOT MAKE THE CONFERENCE WE ASK THAT YOU RECONSIDER TRAVELING. CONGRATULATIONS UPON YOUR SELECTION FOR THIS HONORARY POSITION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVORS IN HELPING EVALUATE SOME OF THE VERY FINEST AMERICANS YOU WILL EVER HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING. THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE REAL HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR LIFE. ON BEHALF OF IFSEA AND THE MILITARY SERVICES THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS MOST IMPORTANT PROGRAM. 8
MILITARY TRAVELERS END OF ACTION REPORT TRAVELER S NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP PHONE NUMBER CELL NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS HOME BRANCH IFSEA CERTIFICATIONS MILITARY TRAVELER ASSIGNMENT BRANCH OF SERVICE TRAVEL DAYS FIRST DAY OUT RETURN DATE TOTAL DAYS X $40 PER DAY TOTAL REMINDER: DO NOT COUNT THE DAY(S) YOU RETURN HOME: ANY EXCEPTION WILL NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE INTERNATIONAL TREASURER. SIGNATURE OF TRAVELER 9
MILITARY CHAIR NOTES FROM TRAVELS: DATE SUBMITTED SIGNATURE OF TRAVELER: (BE SURE TO ENCLOSE CELEBRATE PEOPLE AWARD WITH THIS REPORT) 10
CELBRATE PEOPLE AWARDS FORM - RECORD OF AWARDS GIVEN TRAVELER'S NAME SERVICE: NAME OF AWARDEE UNIT 11
PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT FORM (WHEN TRAVEL EXCEEDS (6) WEEKS TRAVELER S NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP PHONE NUMBER CELL NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS HOME BRANCH IFSEA CERTIFICATIONS MILITARY TRAVELER ASSIGNMENT BRANCH OF SERVICE TRAVEL DAYS FIRST DAY OUT RETURN DATE TOTAL DAYS X $40 PER DAY TOTAL REQUESTED NEXT DATE DUE TO TRAVEL: EXPECTED REMAINING DAYS OF TRAVEL: 12
SIGNATURE OF TRAVELER APPROVED DATE: MILITARY CHAIR: INTERNATIONAL TREASURER: 13