Feeding Airmen: A “go to war” mission

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. David Thoreson
  • 944th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 944th Services Flight conducted home station training Oct. 4 and 5 to fulfill all requirements and standards as a team in all the specialties services personnel perform as a "go to war" package. 

The flight trained on contingency contracting, mortuary affairs, fitness, recreation, library, contingency lodging and laundry, and Survival Evasion Resistance Escape training. 

"The design of a services unit is one where everyone can perform everyone else's job. Setting up lodging, dining facilities, fitness centers, mortuary affairs, search and recovery teams, Base Exchange, laundries and any and all morale, welfare and recreation activities permitted in the field. We are small in number but huge in wartime capability," said Tech. Sgt. Melissa Decker, 944th Services Flight NCO in charge. 

To accomplish the mission-critical function of feeding Airmen three meals a day, every day, services personnel are trained to deploy with a Single Pallet Expeditionary Kitchen, which is a lightweight, quick response kitchen designed to provide hot meals using "heat and serve" UGR rations for approximately 550 people in support of AEF deployments. It includes a three-section TEMPER tent. SPEK is capable of providing hot meals within four hours after rations arrive and is best for Prime RIBS units at austere contingency locations for periods of 30 days or less. 

Attending and observing the home station training weekend was a field visit by Chief Master Sgt. Dan Kelly, Air Force Reserve Command Services Plans and Readiness chief. 

"The 944th Services Flight is the Air Force Reserve Command benchmark when it comes to utilizing its field training equipment. Some units are yet to exercise their SPEK while the 944th has gone as far as actually deploy theirs and train with it on a regular basis," said Chief Kelly, a former member of the 944th Services Flight. 

The flight was able to accomplish all the same annual training standards as the Regular Air Force does throughout the year. The 944th Services Flight has meticulously planned and executed a strategy to achieve the same standard with only 12 Reserve weekends a year. 

"A home station training weekend provides the perfect opportunity to train as a cohesive team on this critical piece of services equipment," said Maj. John Nuttall, 944th Services Flight commander.