Food Transformation Initiative coming to Dover AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class William Johnson
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The Patterson Dining Facility located here is set to temporarily shut down and undergo improvements as part of the Air Force Food Transformation Initiative.

The dining facility will close April 1, 2015, and is schedule to reopen Oct. 1, 2015. The facility will undergo renovations to convert the institutional-style feeding platform to station feeding found on most college campuses. Additionally, the dining facility will be open for retirees, civilians and family members to utilize as well.

"The Food Transformation Innovative is a great benefit for Team Dover," said Capt. Jake Wygant, 436th Force Support Squadron operations officer. "It increases the availability, variety and nutritional content of the food on base."

FTI will also bring food options closer to where Airmen work. A flight line food Kiosk will open in Building 794 and will be available for everyone on base to use. The Kiosk will offer grab-and-go items and food prepared from the dining facility, but served at a convenient location for Airmen and civilians working on the flight line.

The FTI will offer even a wider variety of dining choices for Airmen living in the dormitories. The Campus Dining program allows Air Force Essential Station Messing (ESM), or meal card customers, to use their food entitlements at nonappropriated fund facilities at the golf course or the bowling center to purchase a meal.

"Campus-style dining has been an added benefit under FTI, allowing Airmen on EMS to eat at the dining facility or other force support squadron's nonappropriated fund morale, welfare, and recreation food and beverage outlets on base converted under the FTI concept," said Col. Mason Pigue, Air Force Services Activity director of operations. "It provides Airmen the option to use their ESM entitlement at places other than the dining facility, ensuring more options for our Airmen."

FTI first launched in 2010 at six different Air Force bases and has been shown to increase customer satisfaction. FTI installations have an overall customer satisfaction rate of eight percent higher when compared to traditional dining facilities.

"Air Force food service personnel are feeding the force of freedom around the globe and health and nutrition is mission critical to sustain the force," said William Spencer, Air Force Food and Beverage chief.

For more information about Air Force food service operations and other quality of life programs, visit www.usafservices.com or www.myairforcelife.com.