The White Falcon - 25.03.1977, Blaðsíða 3
White Falcon
March 25, 1977
Page 3
Enlisted Dining Facility builds bodies; enhances morale
GALLEY EQUIPMENT must be washed and sterilized in scalding hot water.
"A bad first cup of coffee in the
morning, especially before going to work,
can very well affect a person’s disposi-
tion for that entire day. I'd put it in
the same category as getting up on the
wrong side of the bed, or getting off on
a bad start." This is how Senior Chief
Hess Management Specialist R. C. Franco,
galley chief of the Naval Station En-
listed Dining Facility, views his job
" A lot of people tend to put very
little emphasis on the importance of
having a balanced diet. Let's face it,
the human body is a complex piece of
machinery, and without the proper diet,
serving as fuel, it won't function
properly. Food and its nutritional val-
ue certainly affects the human body, and
I'm sure most people will agree with me
that a person in poor health is, more
than likely, also of poor mind."
Senior Chief Franco has a point.
The personnel who subsist in the dining
facility are certainly dependent upon it
to have well balanced meals, both in
bulk and nutritional value.
Master Chief Mess Management Spe-
cialist H. C. Parker, Assistant Food Ser-
vice Officer, agrees with the senior
chief. "The physical well being and
safety of the personnel subsisting in
this facility is on top of our priority
list," he said. "The nutritional val-
ue of the food, and serving the food at
its best is what we're most concerned
about."
But how do they know which food to
serve? "I can write a book on that,"
quipped the senior chief. "In planning
the menu, we start from the long list
of vitamins the human body needs, the nu-
trients and then the popularity of the
type of dish that we intend to serve."
"Take vegetables, for example. A
great number of people hate vegetables.
They say they don't have to eat them."
"Frankly, it worries me. Most of
these people don't even know that they
could be suffering from 'hidden hunger.
Hidden hunger is when a person is not
aware he's suffering from lack of cer-
tain vitamins. He usually doesn't know
it unless he gets sick or unless a
physician tells him so."
According to the senior chief, after
the food's nutritional value has been
given careful consideration, safety comes
next: ensuring that the food is free
of disease causing bacteria, toxins, in-
fections and poisoning. This takes
place from the time raw food is received,
stored, prepared and served.
Safety precautions are a must in
every phase of the job. The supplies re-
ceive constant safety checks while in
storage.
Canned provisions must be inspected
periodically for pin holes, bulges (an
indication that botulism poisoning,
which is sometimes fatal when consumed,
is present), rust and leaks. This in-
cludes fresh vegetables and meats which
are stored at different temperatures.
Proper storage makes it possible to pre-
pare the food at its best.
Correct storage also is a must to
assure the food doesn't become con-
taminated while in storage. Freezers,
refrigerators and dry storerooms are
constantly checked for ventilation,
temperature and humidity. This is so
the dry stores don't dry out, frozen
meats don't thaw or get freezer burn,
making the raw food susceptible to
bacterial infection.
Storing food supplies is a very
complicated process. Everything has to
be stored just right, in terms of per-
sonnel safety of those who subsist in
the dining facility, and in terms
of financial loss.
"We can almost always assume that
the stock we received is safe because
it has previously been inspected," the
senior chief said, "but assuming is not
enough. We have to check it ourselves,
double check and make doubly sure. We
can't afford to take unnecessary
chances."
" Can you imagine what would happen
if we're not careful? All we need is a
case of mass food poisoning that will
immobilize about 50 per cent of the
military personnel stationed here....
That's why we're careful...extremely
careful."
Service
The mess management personnel are
constantly trying to enhance food ser-
vice at the dining facility. But, like
most messes' problem, their budget
is limited, and the facility can only do
so much in serving popular and nutritious
meals.
Health
"As far as an individual's health is
concerned, we can only do out part," says
the senior chief. "The rest is up to
him. We can't always stand behind a per-
son like a mother, saying, "hey kid, eat
your vegetables...they're good for you. "
The choice is there for him to make.
The meal is nutritiously balanced—meat,
potatoes or other form of starch, vege-
tables and fruits, desserts and milk and
milk products—well planned and well pre-
pared. I think we're doing exceptionally
well."
Query
The senior chief is right, and a
great number of personnel seem to agree
with him.
In response to an informal query
concerning the service and quality of
food being served at the dining facility,
most comments centered on what
respondents termed "noticeable improve-
ments." A few are still dissatisfied,
and some are undecided. A few of the
responses are:
"Fairly adequate. I think it has
variety. The services and the food it-
self have improved considerably."—
Lieutenant Marco Rosa, Chief, Social
Action, Air Forces Iceland.
"Pretty good. It has definitely im-
proved a great deal in the last year. I
find the services friendly and the por-
tions adequate."—Yeoman First Class
Ruth Deussen, Naval Station Administra-
tion.
"The fish is okay, but everything
else, including service, is so-so"—
Disbursing Clerk Seaman Brian Pontius,
Naval Station Comptroller.
"Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's
bad. I'm a difficult person to please.
I'm a vegetarian."—Technical Sergeant
Thomas Houston, NCOIC, Social Action,
Air Forces Iceland.
"I realize the impossibility in
pleasing all the people all of the time,
the senior chief said, "so we try to
please most of the people most of the
time. We're very close to that goal."
"The suggestion box is very in-
strumental in achieving this goal. We
spend extra time in weighing sugges-
tions—the pros and cons. It helps in
improving the services we provide, and
in adding variety to the meals we offer.
The Enlisted Dining Facility provides
approximately 1,600 portions daily
(breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight
rations). In addition, it supplies hot
tray services to the Dispensary, Fire
Department, Power Plant, Telephone Oper-
ators, Naval Facility", Naval Security
Group Activity, Naval Communication Sta-
tion, Anti-Submarine Warfare Communica-
tions, Security, Patrol Squadron Forty-
Five and the Correctional Facility. Box
lunches are also available for Passenger
Service, VP-45, Public Works and the
Marine Barracks.
Officers' Club to host 'La* Vegas Night’
French Embassy to sponsor films
A French Film Week, organized by the
French Embassy, will be featured Monday
through April 5 at the Haskolabio in
Reykj avik.
Seven films with English subtitles
will be presented. They are as follows:
Adele H.—Monday at 7 p.m.; Tuesday at 9
and Wednesday at 5.
Based on an unrequited passion,
Adele, Victor Hugo's youngest daughter
from her exile on Guernesy to Halifax,
pursues the man she loves.
Une Femme A' Sa Fenetre—A Lady at Her
Window—Tuesday at 7 p.m.: April 1 at 9
and April 2 at 5.
Married, rich, young, beautiful and
bored, Margot Santorini finds adventure
and tragedy in Greece in 1936.
On S'est Trompe D'Histoire D'Amour—
Wrong Love Story—April 2 at 7 p.m.;
April 3 at 5 and April 5 at 9.
This love story shows the condition-
ing forces of society, which determine
your way of thinking, your reactions
and the way you love.
Mort D'un Guide—Death of a Guide—
April 1 at 5 p.m.; April 3 at 7 and
April A at 9.
A reporter, who is friendly with the
guides at Chamonix in the French Alps,
investigates the mystery surrounding
the disappearance of the guide Servoz
and his future son-in-law on a mountain-
climbing expedition.
Adieu Poulet—So Long Cop—Thursday at
5 p.m.; April 1 at 7 and April 2 at 9.
A tough cop and a ruthless politician
fight each other for what they think is
right.
La Meilleure Facon De Marcher—The Best
Way to Walk—April 3 at 9 p.m.; April 4
at 5 and April 5 at 5.
Tragedy strikes in a summer camp
when two coordinators, one a womanizer
and a bully, the other a timid homo-
sexual, clash.
Lily Aime Moi—Lily Love Me—Monday at
9 p.m.; Tuesday at 5 and Wednesday at 7.
A reporter and his friend, a washed
out boxer, try to help a worker to re-
cover his wife Lily who has just left
him.
All Officers' Club patrons and their
guests are challenged to participate
tomorrow during Las Vegas Night, spon-
sored by Naval Communications Station,
Naval Weather Service Environmental
Detachment, Naval Facility and Naval
Security Group Activity.
This fun-filled night is planned
Monitor microwave
To monitor microwave ovens for radia-
tion leakage, the Dispensary Preventive
Medicine Department continues to check
such appliance in base housing.
Occupants who own a microwave oven
may call the Preventive Medicine Sec-
tion at 4109 for an appointment.
Ice and Fire
The final performance of the Ice
and Fire's production "Never too Late"
will be held tonight at the Top of
the Rock. All ranks are welcome at
this performance. Contact the club
office for ticket information or
reservations.
around the theme "A Night at Harold's
Club," a famous Las Vegas casino.
The evening will begin with happy
hour at 7:30 p.m. in the International
Room. At 8:30 the games will begin.
This event is a non-profit affair.
Game rules will be distributed at the
onset of game time. Admission is free
New arrivals
Katherine Joan Holt was born March 15
at 2:04 a.m. She is the daughter of
Cynthia Lee and Hull Technician Fireman
Timothy A. Holt. HTFN Holt is attached
to Security.
John William Hunter was born March 15
at 4:33 p.m. He is the son of Kathryn
Helen and Engineman Third Class John T.
Hunter. EN3 Hunter is attached to Naval
Station Recreation.
Dawn Marie Crabtree was born March 20
at 2:27 p.m. She is the daughter of
Mary Alice and Yeoman Second Class Niny
J. Crabtree.