McConnell to host DFAC grand opening
By Airman 1st Class Alan Ricker, 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
/ Published July 16, 2018
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – McConnell’s dining facility is scheduled to celebrate its grand opening at 11 a.m. July 19, 2018 at the Chisholm Trail Dining Facility.
The updated facility will provide free Wi-Fi, new seating, an Airman’s corner and new food options. Any form of monetary payment will be accepted and the DFAC will be open to anyone with base access.
“Right now [the food services] Airmen are going through an eight hour work day, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the 10th until the 16th,” said 2nd Lt. Kaitlyn Ennis, 22nd Force Support Squadron fitness and sports officer in charge and sustainment flight chief. “In that week alone we will have over 270 hours of training with the Air Force services agency on Food 2.0 and all the new operations, techniques and everything needed to learn in order to be prepared for the [opening].”
Food services Airmen will be able to put their training to use with the new salad bar, sub, grill and pizzeria stations. Fresh food will be used on a day-to-day basis due to the Air Force initiative, Food 2.0. The initiative will increase food variety at the DFAC.
“[Food 2.0] is better quality food, healthier options and more of a variety,” said Master Sgt. Brian Tobias, 22nd FSS food service superintendent. “Everything is going to be made fresh. We’re giving our customers healthier options.”
Grab-n-go options will also be available for Airmen in a hurry.
“Instead of just having set hours in-between meal periods, there will be grab-n-go periods,” said Ennis. “We have a huge [selection], that no matter what time you get off of your shift, you can come in and buy a sandwich or a premade salad, which is a great option to be encompassing to all shift workers and all hours.”
Tobias explained that the facility will give McConnell’s food services Airmen practice and a stage to present their skills they received during training.
“The Airmen are going to benefit, the customers are going to benefit and the base itself will benefit from the training that our [food services] Airmen are going to get,” said Tobias.