DFAC designed by Airmen, for Airmen

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Zachary Wolf
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  What would make a dining facility great? Would it be the Wi-Fi spread throughout the facility, the atmosphere or the type of food served? Airmen here got a chance to have a say in what their new facility would look like and what it would feature, in what Master Sgt. Latonga Jelks, 23d Force Support Squadron food section chief, calls a facility "designed by Airmen, for Airmen."

A group of Airmen met with dining facility personnel, Civil Engineers and architects to begin a concept design of what the new facility would look like. They traveled to a local college and visited multiple Air Force Base dining facilities to get ideas. Jelks said those ideas included an internet café, counter seating for individuals, televisions, a designated meeting room, exterior dining, streamlined service and air conditioning in the kitchen area.

"We went down to Eglin and Hurlbert Field," said Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Stuart, 23d FSS dining facility operations manager. "Most of the things we took from there were how they have things setup from front-of-house to back-of-house, what not to do and what would be better to improve things all around."

This inspired  the $5.5 million renovation of Georgia Pines Dining Facility.

"It was time for this facility to get modernized like other DFACs in the (Air Force)," Jelks said. "To give the Airmen a nice, comfortable and relaxing place to eat a home cooked meal."

While the benefits seem to be mostly for those eating at the facility, Stuart says there are benefits to those making the food too.

"It gives the DFAC staff a better cooking environment and updated utilities," Stuart said.

With new equipment, like refrigerators and freezers, getting everything up and operational took the Airmen coming together.

"One of the biggest challenges we faced was moving all the equipment back into the DFAC and making sure everything works properly," Jelks said. "But we overcame that by working together as a team."

That teamwork helped take the old DFAC and renovate it to bring the Airmen at Moody a place that they can go to eat and also bring critical training for services Airmen.

"One of my priorities is making sure we deploy skilled warriors, so the Airmen that work in the DFAC hone their skills to go down range to provide our warriors the meals they need to sustain them in the fight," said Col. Thomas Kunkel, 23d Wing commander during the ribbon cutting.

It is estimated that these Airmen will serve approximately 600 active-duty enlisted members daily, but that number will fluctuate as retirees and family members are able to eat at the facility on weekends and holidays.

Not only has the DFAC been updated, but FSS plans to do quarterly birthday meals, monthly observance meals and food competitions.

The Georgia Pines Dining Facility is scheduled serve its first meal Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015 at 8 a.m. and will serve four meals daily.