DFAC Fresh: Dining facility feeds fresh food to Tyndall

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody R. Miller
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

The food service professionals of the dining facility are  dedicated to serving Airmen the finest fresh food available in the quickest, most efficient, manner possible.

The Berg-Liles Dining Facility (DFAC) offers a balanced diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta, breads and top quality meat.

 “We have an important job in ensuring that our Airmen get the best food possible,” said Staff Sgt. Roberto Rodriguez, 325th Force Support Squadron assistance NCO in charge of the DFAC store room. “We get deliveries every day from our multiple contracted vendors, and each delivery has a quality assurance check done to ensure only the best food is served to our Airmen. We also make sure the products that are stored here are used in a timely manner; though it can vary with each item, most of our food is completely refreshed every week.”

Preparation of food at the DFAC usually begins around two hours before it is served to the public. This ensures that there is no need to reheat the food and that it stays fresh as possible.

“We have about two hours to start and finish cooking everything,” said Airman Basic Carli Johnson, 325th FSS DFAC chef. “After it is completed, it sits on a warmer until it is ready to be served. If there are any leftovers, we can only keep certain foods to serve again, nothing fried is kept and nothing that would lose its quality if it was served again. We are able to store the food for up to 72 hours, and it can only be reheated once.”

This past year, Tyndall's food service team has been honored as the Air Combat Command recipient for the 2015 John L. Hennessy Award for Excellence in Air Force Food Service Operations. This award reflects food service excellence between the military and industry experts in the service industry.

The chefs at Berg-Liles are motivated in their goal to provide Tyndall with excellent service and are constantly looking for ways to improve. The staff held a forum meeting between Airmen in the dorms on May 3 to find out ways they could better serve Team Tyndall.

 “When I first got here I really loved it,” said Airman 1st Class Frankie Young, 325th FSS DFAC chef. “I enjoy meeting new people and being able to make Airmen happy when I give them their favorite meal.”

Quarterly, an Essential Station Messing (ESM) forum is held to voice concerns, requests, and make suggestions to the Food Service Operation. Each squadron is invited to send a representative to participate in these forums.

The dining facility menu is directed by the Air Force. A 14-day worldwide menu is published that the dining facility is required to follow. If interested, Airmen can visit the Berg-Liles Dining Facility Facebook page to view their monthly menu. The menu is subject to change at any time. The DFAC will also cater to dietary needs such as gluten allergies or kosher eating habits by serving a wide variety of foods for people from all walks of life.

For more information, visit the Berg-Liles Dining Facility page at: http://325fss.com/index.php?page=BERG_LILES