JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
According to a recent report from Randolph AFB, Texas, Airmen at six bases in the Air Force may soon see greater quality and variety in their dining venues and food and beverage options.
The Air Force Services Agency's Food Transformation Initiative is gearing up to bring a new way of dining on Air Force bases around the U.S., beginning with six pilot bases.
Unfortunately, Joint Base Charleston didn't make the cut for FTI - but members shouldn't sigh just yet - the 628th Force Support Squadron's food service officer is going the extra mile to make sure dining at Charleston isn't forgotten, FTI or not.
"It's not that FTI won't get to us eventually, we're just not one of the pilot bases," said 1st Lt. Julie Teffeteller, the 628th FSS food service officer. "We're still looking for ways to make things better."
Case-in-point was the recent Force Support Squadron Food Show held in the Charleston Club here Feb. 18.
During the show, Team Charleston had the opportunity to cast their votes for favorite foods from a smorgasbord put on display by food vendors. The event was a hit. Hardly a single parking spot could be found as more than 800 attendees piled into the Charleston Club to lay their hands on the pickings.
With the word "food" bearing moderate significance in her duty title, Lieutenant Teffeteller made sure not to miss the annual food show, lending her ear to all the opinions flying around the room.
"[The food show] is something we started last year as an annual tradition, and it includes vendors that can provide food for the dining facility, Charleston Club, golf course, bowling center and others," she said. "For that reason, not all of the foods tested last week were Air Force approved, so not all those foods can be served at the DFAC.
"However," she continued. "The purpose of the food tasting was to see what the Airmen enjoyed so that we can update and modify our menus accordingly. In that sense, we are already working to increase menu variety and to support the FTI, but we were doing that before the FTI asked us to."
The excellence in service doesn't stop there. Not only is the 628th FSS pushing menu improvements that precede Air Force-level programs, they are also accommodating the dining needs of Charleston's vast retiree community - one of the primary goals of the FTI.
According to the Randolph AFB report, the FTI program will open military food service establishments to all members of the base community, including civilian employees, family members, contractors and retirees.
"We are one of very few bases that already authorize retirees and their family members to eat at our facility, so Team Charleston is ahead in that aspect as well," Lieutenant Teffeteller said.
Currently, the Charleston dining facility offers retiree dining during the breakfast, dinner and midnight meal hours, and paperwork is currently being reviewed to allow retiree dining during lunch hours as well, she said.
When it comes to Joint Base Charleston, excellence in food service is simply how business is done. If anyone were ever in doubt, statistics tell a compelling story.
During the surge of Haiti relief operations, the Charleston dining facility conducted 24-hour operations due to greatly increased messing needs. Additionally, the 628th FSS coordinated with the 437th Aerial Port Squadron to provide more than 70,000 bottles of water and nearly 6,000 cases of Meals, Ready-to-Eat to Haiti.
Even during normal operations, said Lieutenant Teffeteller, there is no such thing as a weekend, and no holidays either.
"Our Airmen do an amazing job," she said. "We're constantly looking for ways to improve ... I think everyone on Team Charleston is."