The U.S. Navy announced the winners of its annual award recognizing excellence in food service among the branch’s vessels, boats and installations.
The fiscal year 2026 Captain Edward F. Key Memorial Food Service Award was given to eight afloat and three ashore mess hall teams on Monday, according to an ALNAV administrative message.
“These annual awards encourage excellence in Navy food service programs with the objective of improving the quality of life for our Navy personnel,” said an administrative message issued by Navy Secretary John Phelan.
The service has made its troops’ nutrition a main priority over the last decade, specifically with the introduction of the military-wide Go for Green program in 2016.
The program assists service members searching for healthier food options, providing color coding to help sailors assess which meals provide the most nourishment.
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As of 2024, the Navy is working hard to address the specific dietary needs of sailors and “warfighters,” which include the absence of any fried foods and plenty of vegetable options, according to Chief Warrant Officer Jeffrey Walker, the regional food service officer for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic.
Beginning in Nov. 2025, the Navy began to test new technology to help streamline culinary practices aboard ships to ensure sailors had access to plenty of appetizing food: flavor-injection systems for ice cream flavors and an automated invention called the Breadbot that churns out 10 loaves an hour.
The winners of the fiscal 2026 Captain Edward F. Key Memorial Food Service Award include:
- USS Iowa for the East Coast submarine category
- USS Mississippi for the West Coast submarine category
- USS Nitze for the small East Coast afloat category
- USS Decatur for the small West Coast afloat category
- USS Fort Lauderdale for the medium East Coast afloat category
- USS San Diego for the medium West Coast afloat category
- USS Makin Island for the large afloat category
- USS George H.W. Bush for the aircraft carrier category
- Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, for the East Coast general mess category
- Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, for the West Coast general mess category
- Commander, Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan for the outside the contiguous United States general mess category
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.