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Feature Stories

NEWS | Nov. 19, 2018

Food Service Management Board strives to improve DFAC standards

By Staff Sgt. Charlotte Reavis U.S. Army Central

It is said the quickest way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. For soldiers and servicemembers across United States Army Central Command, food is a force multiplier, meaning- as long as you feed them, servicemembers will work hard to accomplish the mission.

The quarterly meeting of the Food Service Management Board for the USARCENT area of responsibility was held Nov. 5-8, and discussed topics such as contractor performance, menu changes and position allocations.

“The Food Service Management Board provides opportunities to work out and improve food service matters across the Central Command area of responsibility,” said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Darris, the Class 1 Non-commissioned officer-in-charge for the 1st Theater Sustainment Command-Operational Command Post, based in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Members from the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, Defense Logistics Agency- Troop Support, USARCENT, 1st TSC and senior food advisory staff from each country under USARCENT attended the board meeting. Each representative presented the concerns and progresses their dining facilities are facing.

“The primary function of the board is to review the garrison menu standards to maximize implementation at each dining facility,” said CW3 Daniel Barker, the outgoing USARCENT Food Advisor. “Changes will be made as required to meet the needs of the command or installation and the desires of the diners.”

Barker and Darris both stated soldiers and servicemembers can impact their dining facility experience by filling out the customer comment cards in the DFACs letting workers know how they enjoyed the meal. Darris also requested that servicemembers take time to compliment DFAC workers when they have had a positive experience.

“92Gs and 92As work hard and rigorously every day to ensure food safety and sanitation practices are met,” Darris said. “Warfighters can expect to see an improvement in the quality and variety with the menus and entrees.”

With the holidays approaching, one of the major topics of discussion was holiday meals and ensuring each location, even remote camps and bases, will receive the appropriate items for their Thanksgiving and Christmas meals in a timely manner.

“Soldiers will receive the best meal possible so they can go out and conduct their unit’s missions successfully,” Barker said. “Soldiers can expect a nutritious and quality meal within their dining facility.”

The Food Service Management Board will continue to meet quarterly with the goal to keep the warfighter fed and accomplishing the mission.

“While others are sleeping, they are working to ensure our warfighters continue to be the best fed in the world,” Darris said.