KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- For the first time in around five years, Azalea Dining Facility patrons are being greeted and served by Citizen Airmen of the 403rd Force Support Squadron food services section during the 403rd Wing’s Unit Training Assembly weekends.
In a deployed environment, whether there is a permanent dining facility or not, Department of Defense military members, civilians, and contractors rely on the services members for their daily nourishment.
“Our key responsibilities are preparing and serving meals for members ensuring that all food is made according to the military standards for nutrition and quality all while still implementing food safety and sanitation,” said Staff Sgt. Makayla Averett, 403rd FSS services journeyman.
As part of an Air Force Reserve tenant unit, it can at times be difficult for services personnel to have appropriate time during a UTA to hone and apply the skills required by their Air Force Specialty Codes. The services career field is special and multifaceted due to it encompassing five functional core areas: Food Service, Mortuary, Fitness and Recreation, Readiness and Plans, and Community Support. Due to those challenges, Chief Master Sgt. Latoya Patterson, 403rd FSS senior enlisted leader, said the squadron is getting creative and more proactive to create opportunities by partnering with their 81st Force Support Squadron counterparts and thinking outside of the box.
By reestablishing relationships with active-duty counterparts, the food services section has a way forward working alongside the Azalea DFAC team to polish their skills and work through their upgrade training requirements during UTA weekends.
“The September UTA was the first time we’ve had 403rd FSS Airmen in the kitchen in years,” said Patterson. “Right now, Staff Sgt. Averett and Staff Sgt. Cherelle Doss are leading the way in beta testing this training program, and it will grow as they establish implementation plans, processes, and tasks.”
Breakfast is served: Reserve Food Services role in sustaining Airmen
Staff Sgt. Makayla Averett, 403rd Force Support Squadron journeyman, prepares hashbrowns at the Azalea Dining Facility at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Oct. 19, 2024. The food operations section of services is responsible for preparing, serving, and ensuring the safety of meals provided for Department of Defense service members, civilians, and contractors on base. They are also capable of setting up kitchen capabilities in the field when circumstances call for it. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Pittman)
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Breakfast is served: Reserve Food Services role in sustaining Airmen
Staff Sgt. Makayla Averett, 403rd Force Support Squadron journeyman, prepares hashbrowns at the Azalea Dining Facility at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Oct. 19, 2024. The food operations section of services is responsible for preparing, serving, and ensuring the safety of meals provided for Department of Defense service members, civilians, and contractors on base. They are also capable of setting up kitchen capabilities in the field when circumstances call for it. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Pittman)
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Breakfast is served: Reserve Food Services role in sustaining Airmen
Staff Sgt. Makayla Averett, 403rd Force Support Squadron journeyman, prepares hashbrowns at the Azalea Dining Facility at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Oct. 19, 2024. The food operations section of services is responsible for preparing, serving, and ensuring the safety of meals provided for Department of Defense service members, civilians, and contractors on base. They are also capable of setting up kitchen capabilities in the field when circumstances call for it. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Pittman)
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Breakfast is served: Reserve Food Services role in sustaining Airmen
Airman 1st Class Jalaiya Scott, 403rd Force Support Squadron food service apprentice, prepares an omelet at the Azalea Dining Facility on Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Oct. 19, 2024. The food operations section of services is responsible for preparing, serving, and ensuring the safety of meals provided for Department of Defense service members, civilians, and contractors on base. They are also capable of setting up kitchen capabilities in the field when circumstances call for it. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Pittman)
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Breakfast is served: Reserve Food Services role in sustaining Airmen
Airman 1st Class Jalaiya Scott, 403rd Force Support Squadron food service apprentice, prepares an omelet at the Azalea Dining Facility on Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Oct. 19, 2024. The food operations section of services is responsible for preparing, serving, and ensuring the safety of meals provided for Department of Defense service members, civilians, and contractors on base. They are also capable of setting up kitchen capabilities in the field when circumstances call for it. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Pittman)
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Breakfast is served: Reserve Food Services role in sustaining Airmen
Airman 1st Class Jalaiya Scott, 403rd Force Support Squadron food service apprentice, prepares French toast at the Azalea Dining Facility on Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., Oct. 19, 2024. The food operations section of services is responsible for preparing, serving, and ensuring the safety of meals provided for Department of Defense service members, civilians, and contractors on base. They are also capable of setting up kitchen capabilities in the field when circumstances call for it. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Kristen Pittman)
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For this month, Averett said the targeted skills to train on were meal preparation, serving, sanitation and waste management; but in general, the intent is to keep food operation personnel refreshed on the proper procedures to serve any group size, safely.
Airman 1st Class Jalaiya Scott, 403rd FSS food services apprentice, took advantage of the opportunity to work toward obtaining her upgrade for her AFSC during the September and October UTAs and said the real-world experience has been helpful in teaching her more about her job and keeping her skills sharp, ensuring she does not overlook procedures that could jeopardize food safety or operational efficiency.
“This experience also highlights the importance of teamwork and precision, as both are vital to our mission success in food services,” said Scott. “Mission success is essential because proper nutrition directly impacts the health and performance of our personnel, especially during missions or deployments where there’s no room for error.”
To accomplish other home station readiness requirements, the 403rd FSS regularly sends Airmen on temporary deployments to exercises such as Silver Flag at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, where they work in a mock deployed environment and essentially start from scratch to stand up operations and feed anywhere from hundreds to thousands of service members.
“When people think of food services they think of what they see in the assembly line, or Airmen doing food (prep) chopping carrots, but their capabilities and responsibilities are much more than that and serve such a critical role in mission readiness,” said Patterson.
Patterson said they are looking to capitalize on other training opportunities for food services during UTA weekends. They plan to apply their skills to support the 403rd Security Forces Squadron as they conduct off-station training in January and are planning an off-station training of their own in the local area in the spring. The unit also regularly conducts training on Single Pallet Expeditionary Kitchens, which is a tent-based field kitchen designed to support over 500 Airmen with three meals daily.
“It feels good to see and serve all of the faces that are a part of the 403rd Wing and the students that are conducting their technical training here,” said Averett. “We are very grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the growth of this program and others.”