Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s Admiral Nimitz Hall galley won the Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award in food service excellence in the small galley ashore category, March 19.

Cmdr. Danny King, food service director assigned to Naval Supply Systems Command, inspected the galley, Dec. 12, covering many categories including sanitation and inventory.

“The customer service, military bearing and respect they had for each other, you could tell that it wasn’t just game day,” said Chief Culinary Specialist John Alexander, from Port Henry, N.Y., leading chief petty officer of Nimitz Hall. “This is the way they do business every day, it was routine for them.”

The galley sets their day-to-day goals above the requirements of the Ney award.

“I set my standards above the checklist,” said Alexander. “So even on a bad day we’ll still be above the minimum requirements.”

The galley continually strives to offer the best dining experience possible.

“We get comment cards that critique us on how we can become better and that’s how I look at it,” said Alexander. “A comment card with a negative feedback just makes us better and shows us where we can improve.”

Lt. Jason Story, NASWI’s food service officer, also an Oak Harbor native, gives all the credit to his Sailors for this accomplishment.

“My job is to make food service happen through the sailors,” said Story. “I can’t run this place without them.”

In May, four members of the galley will travel to Chicago for the National Restaurant Association Ceremony to receive the award.