Fueling for fight

Airman 1st Class Raquel Hightower, 786th Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, serves breakfast at the Rheinland Inn Dining Facility, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 4, 2015. Airmen at the DFAC ensure customers are aware of what they are putting into their bodies by categorizing options with green, yellow and red nutritional cards. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski)

Fueling for fight

Senior Airman Nathaniel Clark, 786th Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, turns on a stove while preparing dinner at the Rheinland Inn Dining Facility, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 4, 2015. The Rhineland Inn DFAC provides food for more than 1,000 customers a week assigned here or on temporary duty. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski)

Fueling for fight

Senior Airman Jalyssa Holman, 786th Force Support Squadron food service journeyman, prepares food at the Rheinland Inn Dining Facility, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Feb. 4, 2015. The DFAC team is responsible for receiving and placing food orders, maintaining inventory and making sure all food is thawed for the upcoming days. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski)

Fueling for fight

Published Feb. 9, 2015
By Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The Air Force mission to fly, fight and win comes at a demand for reliable Airmen who are ready 24/7 to ensure success. Without the food services team at the Rheinland Inn Dining Facility, the mission would not have fuel for the fight.

The Rheinland Inn at Ramstein Air Base is responsible for feeding anywhere from 600 to 1,000 active duty members weekly on the base-- at little expense.

According to Tech. Sgt. Michael Fellows, 786th Force Support Squadron DFAC assistant manager, the role of the food services team goes far beyond just feeding the mouths of hungry Airmen.

"Airmen need good, nutritious food to allow them to perform at their highest level to accomplish the mission," said Fellows. " The Rheinland Inn Dining Facility works hard to ensure that happens."

Food options are categorized with green, yellow and red cards to indicate the nutritional content of that choice. With their "Go for Green" initiative, the DFAC ensures its customers are aware of what they are putting into their bodies.

The Air Force stresses upon the importance of physical fitness, which is a standard all Airmen must meet to keep a spot in the ranks and to complete their jobs both safely and effectively; diet goes hand-in-hand.

"Ultimately, nutrition decisions are the responsibility of each member; it is our job to make sure that if they want healthy choices, we provide those for them."

Airmen who serve at the DFAC are not just making a variety of different foods for the base,--but a lot of it. Even with most of their team deployed, Airmen must not slip through the cracks with the constantly fluctuating range of customers they serve, said Staff Sgt. Bernaldo Martinez III, Rhineland Inn DFAC store room manager.

"The drastic change in customers makes it hard to forecast how much food to prepare," Martinez continued. "There is no such thing as a normal day here. At most bases, it is more predictable because you know how many people are going to come in, but it changes regularly here because of how many people come through Ramstein."

The DFAC team is also responsible for receiving and placing food orders, maintaining inventory and making sure all food is thawed for the upcoming days.

Regardless of the high demand for both quality and quantity, the DFAC team strives to serve Ramstein Airmen to the best of their ability.

"No matter what the obstacle may be, we always find a way to get things done to provide quality service for Ramstein," said Martinez.