Photo By Andria Allmond | A butcher shows participants of PATRIOT North 2016 the process of properly handling...... read more read more
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Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
111th Attack Wing Public Affairs
SPARTA, Wisc. – In a seemingly unconventional training, PATRIOT North 2016 Guardsmen toured a livestock butcher shop in real-world training here July 18.
The Air National Guard’s public health and bioenvironmental Airmen surveyed the slaughterhouse, staking out the inspection and approval process for sourcing military food and drink.
“Being able see how [the livestock] go from the floor, to being butchered and through the whole process helps us know what exactly ends up on the troops’ plates in the dining facility,” said Master Sgt. Jason Gamble, 185th Air Refueling Wing public health technician from the Iowa National Guard. He stated that food inspection is a principal function of the public health career field.
Both public health and bioenvironmental Air Force specialties compose the Preventive Aerospace Medicine teams. PAM teams function in an Advance Echelon (ADVON) capacity. This means, as part of the initial deployment element of personnel, they contact and inspect local sources, at home station and abroad, that could possible supply food and drink to military forces. These assessments are based on predetermined military inspection standards.
Capt. Gyasi Mann, 108th Medical Group public health officer from the New Jersey Air National Guard, said that the Tri-Services Food Code and military standards are used to determine food criteria. By using these, it can be determined if a food establishment or processing facility can be added to the list of world-wide approved Department of Defense sources.
Gamble said that along with the tour, speaking with the on-site meat inspector aided in refining the PAM role in the expeditionary Air National Guard mission.
Travis VonRuden, a meat safety inspector for 11 years said, “We look for any abnormalities in the animals from the time they come into slaughter until the time that they go into the cooler. All the way through, we will look for anything abnormal inside, as well as on the outside the animal.”
If the meat inspector finds abnormalities on, or in, the animal, the state veterinarian is contacted immediately in order to make a diagnosis. This process helps detect and possibly mitigate tainted food from entering the DoD community.
VonRuden said that having the Guardsmen see the actual process is the only way to truly prepare them for a situation in which they would need to identify normality from abnormality. He also said that this tour offered the military members a glimpse at proper butchering practices.
So while the Guardsmen didn’t pick up a cleaver, they did pick up deeper insight while on the tour.
“Public health works closely with the bio[environmental] shop and when we deploy, we work hand-in-hand,” said Capt. Elizabeth Dragon, a 108th MDG. “We’re PAM team also, so we can carry each other’s role.”
But, it’s not just the meat itself that can bare the marking of contamination. Dragon said that there are also environmental factors when considering food sources.
“It’s important to understand that when you go to location, factors like the water, the soil and food given to the livestock are aspects that affect whether, or not, we would approve a facility as a location we can gain food for our members.”
With PATRIOT North 2016 serving up real-world training along with the annual exercise, the ANG’s PAM teams can better aid as another line of defense on the homefront and overseas.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2016 16:44 |
| Story ID: | 204267 |
| Location: | SPARTA, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 113 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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