Red River Dining Facility maintains Airmen health

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Benjamin Raughton
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Barksdale has more than 900 Airmen living in dormitories here. These Airmen require healthy meals to maintain their bodies.

The Red River Dining Facility provides a central location for Airmen to get four healthy meals a day from breakfast until midnight.

"On a daily basis, between all four meals, we might serve 600 to 800 people," said Staff Sgt. Charles Bell, food service shift leader. "Lunch is our highest tempo."

While first term Airmen are common diners at the facility, Airmen of all ranks, civilian employees and others with base access can enjoy the services of the dining facility.

"Our mission is to feed Airmen and provide them with a nutritious meal," said Staff Sgt. Carlynn Pomerlee, dining facility food service shift leader.

With a critical mission to accomplish, Airmen don't always have time to sit down for a leisurely meal.

"[Airmen] don't have to go off base," Pomerlee said. "They can come here, grab a quick meal to-go and go back to work."

The dining facility provides these services seven days a week, and Airmen recognize it for its convenience and money-saving meals.

"There's less traffic [on base]," said Staff Sgt. Charles Sawyer, dining facility food operations craftsman. "Here, you can get your food and save money."

People would otherwise have to go off base or pay more elsewhere, he said.

The dining facility offers many food possibilities which range from steak to ethnic meals and varieties of fruits, vegetables and desserts.

The dining facility also offers quarterly birthday dinners complete with decorations, cake, games and prizes for dormitory Airmen.

The dining facility not only cares about Airmen's health, they listen to customers' suggestions for menu items and other improvements.

"If there's anything we can do to make their meals more enjoyable or something new [customers] want to see, they can fill out a comment card," Sawyer said.

(Information from the 2nd Force Support Squadron website was used in this article.)