Eating well in tent city

  • Published
  • By Capt. Regina Berry
  • 154th WIng Public Affairs
Kona, Hawaii --  Airmen and Soldiers living in tent city are eating well thanks to active-duty and Air National Guard Services specialists from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Kadena Air Base, Japan.

Deployed to the Kona International Airport, the Services team set up a single pallet expeditionary kitchen to feed more than 250 Airmen and Soldiers deployed in support of exercise Pacific Lifeline.

"The SPEK is capable of feeding up to 550 people twice a day for 45 days," said Master Sgt. Susan Robinson, a food services superintendent deployed from Hickam's 15th Services Squadron. We hit the ground one day and we're serving a hot meal the next."

The palletized kitchen is capable of being transported on a C-130, comes with everything except fuel, water and rations, and can provide warfighters a choice of three entrees, two starches and two vegetables during every meal.

"Beef burgundy, BBQ pork, meatballs and gravy, and chili macaroni are some of the items we have on our menu," Sergeant Robinson said. "We also have some awesome supplements like fresh salad and fruits."

Having deployed five times in the past 10 years to areas such as Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, Sergeant Robinson says that participating in Pacific Lifeline is a unique experience.

"I haven't deployed in an initial phase or bare base situation," said Sergeant Robinson. "Typically, during my past deployments the infrastructure already existed. Here we started with nothing and had to set up. What we are doing here during Pacific Lifeline is important because we fuel the Air Force's number one arsenal--its people,"

Feeding the force is a nine-man team of five active-duty Airmen from the 15th Airlift Wing and four Guardsmen from the 154th Wing, Hickam Air Force Base and one active-duty member from the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan. With a high operations tempo, active-duty and Guard Airmen at Hickam are not strangers when it comes to working together.

"Our Services unit back home deploys often and we are backfilled by the Guard and Reserve," said Sergeant Robinson. "The individuals that are here at Pacific Lifeline have worked with us back home at Hickam regularly."

"We're happy to be here to support Pacific Lifeline," said Master Sgt. Brunson Young, Services night shift leader from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing. "Whether it's home base support, an exercise or real-world deployment, we're here to help and ensure everyone gets fed."

Pacific Lifeline runs through Feb. 9.