Dyess begins food transformation initiative

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Peter Thompson
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Beginning Oct. 1, Dyess AFB will undergo a food transformation initiative to improve the Longhorn Dining Facility, which will provide Airmen with improved food quality, variety and dining availability.

The change comes as part of an Air Force wide initiative to improve food options provided to Airmen.

"Our goal is to increase variety and nutritional value of food base-wide," said 2nd Lt. Jeffrey Hartshorn, 7th Force Support Squadron dining facility chief. "Customers, including meal card holders, will not only have access to the updated Longhorn dining facility, but also our base's facilities financed by non-appropriated funds."

Most of the visible alterations will take place in the dining area, with the seating and cooking areas remaining the way they are. The improved area will add five new service stations to include: a grab-and-go section, deli, pizza serving station, salad bar and Mongolian grill. In addition, a made-to-order grill will provide healthy dining options for more contemporary items.

In the past, the Longhorn dining facility produced food on a two week schedule. Once a rotation was completed, the cycle would begin again, using the same menu from the previous period.

Hartshorn said that the new system will allow customers to choose from a larger variety of menu items, which will provide options for varying diets.

Dyess' food transformation will go beyond increasing variety and nutrition for just Airmen, now anyone with access to the base will be capable of eating at the dining facility.

"We are opening our doors to Airmen, but also civilians and contracted workers," Hartshorn said. "I'm most excited about families being able to come on base and enjoy a meal together. Now anyone with access to the base will be able to eat at any of our locations."

During the transition, 7th FSS Airmen will be training, preparing for future menu items, learning new culinary techniques and logistics training for food flow. Portions of the training will be under the guidance of executive chefs from Sodexo, the contracted company providing services for the transformation.

"Most people won't see how much work goes into this process to make it possible," Hartshorn said. "Our Airmen have already begun the process of planning and researching, now we begin the implementing and training phases, working towards achieving the best possible end result."

With the Longhorn Dining Facility closed through March 2014, Airmen who would regularly have access to the meal-card program will receive full Basic Allowance for Subsistence or BAS, beginning Oct. 15.