Chadwell Dining Facility preps Warren for mission accomplishment

  • Published
  • By Airman Jason Wiese
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  As early as 4:30 a.m., before many people are awake, the Chadwell Dining Facility is bustling with people preparing breakfast.

The food service Airmen of the 90th Force Support Squadron work hard to ensure those on base are well-fed and prepared to carry out their missions. Their job is as essential to mission success as it is intricate.

"My job is to make sure everybody is fed," said Staff Sgt. Jacqueline Salcido, 90th FSS kitchen manager.

Salcido is all smiles and exudes the warmth of someone who one might expect to work a job providing for others. She said her motivation is ensuring that no one on base goes hungry.

Feeding the base is no simple task. Sometimes the food service specialists have to be able to prepare three or four food items at a time.

Salcido said that, as a manager, she also wants to instill the drive in her Airmen to create the best possible product for customers at the dining facility. Airman 1st Class Austen Briones, 90 FSS chef, is one such driven Airman.

He said one of his favorite parts of the job is his freedom to experiment with different garnishes, spices and methods of preparing food to see which the customers like the most.

"You get to be a little more creative with the dishes," he said.

Another way the dining facility personnel attempt to cater to their customers is by responding to feedback.

"If people want something reasonable, they should leave their name and a comment card," said Senior Airman Katie Herrington, 90th FSS storeroom clerk. "We'll see what we can do."

One example of the dining facility responding to requests is that the chefs there begin grilling chicken before the doors open at meal times. Prior to the change, chicken was cooked as ordered and took a long time, and many patrons suggested that they do something to speed up the process, Herrington said.

The dining facility sometimes feeds more than 300 individuals per meal, and it doesn't close for holidays, said Luis Almodovar, 90th FSS chief of food operations.

This means that the dining facility personnel work long hours and often do not get holidays off, he said.

Herrington also seeks to dispel the notion that services is an easy career field because its technical school is only six weeks long.

"Learning the skills in services is very hands on. You wouldn't gain much knowledge from a tech. school setting," Herrington said. "I took eight months to become proficient at my job."

The food specialists of the 90th FSS understand that their mission of feeding the Mighty Ninety is very important.

"We're trying to provide the best nutrition three times a day," said Almodovar. "Without us, there's a chance the mission would fail. We have to feed the troops in order for them to perform their jobs."

After many of F. E. Warren's personnel are off work, the dedicated individuals working in the dining facility will still be there ensuring they accomplish their difficult but entirely necessary mission.