JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Steam billows to the ceiling as sweat beads on foreheads and a knife closes in on fingers. In the distance, someone yells for help as the race to meet a deadline nears.
This is the daily grind for the Airmen of the 628th Force Support Squadron at the Joint Base Charleston Gaylor Dining Facility. Each year they prepare more than 211,000 meals for their fellow Airmen.
"Everybody has to get fed to start their day," said Airman 1st Class Braden Sallack, 628th Force Support Squadron services journeyman. "This is where they come for breakfast but a lot of the Airmen come here for their lunch and dinner as well. They really depend on us."
Preparing and serving so many meals daily can become stressful. However, the Airmen at the dining facility rely on each other for motivation.
"My favorite thing about working in the dining facility is the Airmen I work with," said Tech. Sgt. Doneisha Porter, 628th FSS Gaylor Dining Facility manager. "Even though the shifts are long and manning has been low, the Airmen always have a positive attitude about things."
Though the DFAC is undermanned and the staff has to work around scheduled maintenance, they know that they play a vital role in the base mission.
"I feel that I have an important role here and I have pride in what I do," Sallack said. "I want to put out a good meal because I know for some Airmen, this is where they get all of their meals, so I try to put out a good product and have a good outlook on things."
The mission at the DFAC is to feed the Airmen of Joint Base Charleston and the DFAC staff wants as much feedback as possible to better accomplish their mission.
"The staff here at the Gaylor Dining Facility works hard to meet the needs and wants of our customers," said Porter. "We are very appreciative of the support and feedback we receive base wide and we're working to continue to make improvements to the quality of service we provide."