Photo By Ardian Nrecaj | Staff Sgt. Kimberly Kornacki, a San Diego, native, and the force health protection...... read more read more
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CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Almost every day the soldiers and civilians at Camp Bondsteel eat at the dining facility, never thinking of the work that goes into making sure the food arrives safe and is being prepared in accordance with military standards.
Most of that work is conducted by a team from Camp Bondsteel, made up of representatives from preventive medicine, force protection, the directorate of logistics and the defense logistics agency.
The team recently conducted a yearly food vulnerability assessment in Bulgaria July 30-31.
Staff Sgt. Kimberly Kornacki, a San Diego, native, and the force health protection noncommissioned officer for Task Force Medical, is a part of the team that went to the Port of Burgas, where the food is shipped directly from the U.S. in containers and to the the Fresh Logic warehouse in Plovdiv where food is kept before being delivered to Camp Bondsteel and other bases throughout the region.
“During the assessment, we are looking for food security, making sure that we are avoiding all vulnerabilities for terrorist attack,” said Kornacki.
Dan O’Brien, the force protection program manager for Camp Bondsteel, was also part of the team. He said that the Port of Burgas has recently changed ownership.
“There has been an increase in security that has brought the Port of Burgas to a higher security standard,” said O’Brien. “This was extremely important that for the first time we had all four individuals that are subject matter experts to go in there and do the inspection.”
Shane Clennon, deputy director of logistics for Area Support Team Balkans, said that all frozen foods arrive from the U.S. to the Port of Burgas and shared the process that happens to get food from the port to the dining facilities.
“From there it’s taken to the warehouse in Plovdiv, then managers of the dining facility order food as needed, and it gets delivered twice a week from Plovdiv to Camp Bondsteel.”
Both Clennon and Kornacki described the warehouse in Plovdiv as state-of-the-art. Everything at the warehouse is handled by machines.
“When products arrive [at the warehouse], the local veterinarians look at the container and they check it for customs paper work, then the pallets with food go into the machine that weighs them, scans the sticker and takes it into the back of the warehouse and stores it,” said Kornacki. “There is no human contact in the back of the warehouse, its all machines. I was extremely impressed.”
Clennon added that not only Camp Bondsteel, but bases in Romania, Bulgaria and a few bases in Turkey get their food items from the warehouse in Plovdiv.
Once the food is ordered by the dining facility, it gets loaded onto the truck and gets sealed by customs and the management personnel of the warehouse. Only Kornacki or personnel authorized by her are allowed to unseal it once the truck arrives at Camp Bondsteel.
“It stays closed the whole time for protection to ensure nobody has access to it,” said Kornacki. “When I unseal it here I inspect the truck to see if any damage has been done; if I can see any holes that can leak air or let insects into the truck.”
As the food is unloaded Kornacki checks the expiration dates on packages. “Our food is secured,” stated Kornacki.
And everyone who eats at Camp Bondsteel can rest assured the food is safe to eat.
| Date Taken: | 08.09.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 08.23.2013 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 112477 |
| Location: | CAMP BONDSTEEL, ZZ |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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