Food to Fight: port dawgs get it done on a full stomach

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Steve Lewis
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. --  As C-130 aircraft began touching down for the 22nd Air Force Aerial Port ROUNDUP, March 13-15, here, the services team was waiting with a hot meal in hand. 

Close to 180 participants from Reserve aerial port squadrons throughout the 22nd came to Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., to compete in the ROUNDUP, which was geared to test the abilities of APS members. 

And playing in the ROUNDUP exercises, like offloading cargo from a C-130 with running engines and a "Fit to Fight" competition in the pouring rain, will make any port dawg hungry. 

By providing meals like scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast or lemon pepper chicken for dinner, services team members from different units worked as one to deliver the fuel necessary for aerial porters to get through the competition. 

Lt. Col. John Hayes, Director 22nd Air Force Services, said getting the single pallet expeditionary kitchen set up and providing meals for the ROUNDUP was great training. He said SPEKs are temporarily set up at forward operating bases before more permanent facilities are established to provide meals. 

In his previous services position with the 512th Memorial Affairs Squadron, Dover Air Force Base, Del., Colonel Hayes said he had never been involved in operating a SPEK before. 

"Having this first-hand experience will be helpful when we (22nd AF) go to other services units to help prepare them for unit compliance inspections," said Colonel Hayes.
Before the aerial porters began arriving for the ROUNDUP, services team members received training on setting up and operating the SPEK from 94th Airlift Wing combat services training personnel. 

Tech Sgt. John Joyner, a CST instructor, said operating the SPEK and serving meals is part of the overall training given on how to build a bare base. He said the training also includes implementing areas like laundry facilities and a recreation center at a forward location. 

"Services is first to come, last to leave and we get up early to get everything out on time," said Sergeant Joyner. " There's no room for error." 

For Airman 1st Class Donna Marshall, 94th Services Squadron, preparing and serving meals out of the SPEK was a new experience. 

"It was the first time I've done something like this," said Airman Marshall. "I had fun serving everyone food and meeting new people." 

The ROUNDUP also brought in members from the 908th Services Flight, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., who are preparing for an operational readiness inspection scheduled for December 2009. 

Senior Master Sgt. Trey Godwin, 908th Services Flight, joined other members from his unit to help serve food and get ready for the ORI. 

"The ROUNDUP offered good preparation," said Sergeant Godwin. "Everything that we did was directly related to our training for the ORI." 

Despite challenges with the weather, the services team was able to keep the port dawgs moving throughout the competition, right up until it was time to fly home. 

For some of the team, running the SPEK was a first-time experience, while others found the training valuable in preparation for upcoming inspections. 

For whatever reason, serving food to Airmen, according to Colonel Hayes, is otherwise, "business as usual."