ROLAND R. WRIGHT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Utah -- The sweet smell of pineapple in the air, the snap of the fire on the grill as the bratwursts take a char, and the sounds of music and laughter of a group of diverse individuals cooking together in harmony. This is the scene that you might come across on a bright summer day with the members of the 151st Force Support Squadron, sustainment services flight, food section 151st Air Refueling Wing, Utah Air National Guard.
The Sustainment services food service section is responsible for all the perfectly prepared and well thought out, albeit months in advance, menu that they provide to their fellow members of the UTANG at the dining facility.
At the helm of the food service section and the other sections in sustainment services is Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Ford, Services Flight superintendent. Ford himself started out as a food service specialist in the sustainment services flight, the same flight he now supervises, with a career spanning 23 years, all with the Utah Air National Guard.
“Everybody in services starts off in food because that's our core area,” said Ford. “I started the same way; I started off in food when I was a traditional guardsman back in 2000.”
Over the past two years, the food service section has seen some pivotal changes in the food culture and passion it has instilled in its members to bring to the table.
“The biggest difference right now is we have a super diverse group of members who all get along great,” Ford said. “We have a few Hispanic members that have really brought in the flavor of their culture, as well influence from one of our airmen from Nigeria.” “Everybody just jives together when they're in the kitchen. You can hear them out there, [music and laughter heard in the background] they're having fun.”
The Services Flight has also been procuring new equipment, due to the fact that most of the Flights facility equipment is 30 years old. With new equipment, two new pellet smokers, this allows the services flight to bring more flavor to the amazing food and dining experience.
“Adding the smoker in has given us an ability to add additional flavor,” Ford said. “Especially when we're barbecuing and doing meats for our holiday meals, bringing in that extra kick that you want and good food.”
While the Flight can bring the flavor, there are still crucial requirements for what foods are allowed and what money amounts can be used.
“We're embracing the food that we cook,” said Master Sgt. Camn Brown, 151st FSS, Sustainment Services Flight, dining facility manager. “We really wanted to give and provide an experience not just in the dining hall or in the dining room here, but throughout anything we touch.”
A lot of thought and planning goes into completing the mission and training but FSS also focuses heavily on the airman's experience.
“Personally, what I want them to experience is a quality meal that is good enough, so that they don't have to go off base to purchase,” said Master Sgt. Andrew Wilson, 151st FSS, Sustainment Flight, food section chief. “Members are coming to the dining facility, but we want more, we want to create an environment of a great dining facility experience.”
Through the planning and the dedication of the airmen of the food section, Sustainment Flight of the 151st FSS, you might just have an opportunity to enjoy the passion and flavor of a bacon wrapped chicken cordon bleu topped with hollandaise sauce or fettuccine alfredo and a Flight presented dining experience.