Keeping food safe for servicemembers during RIMPAC

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich | Army Sgt. Lee Jeanpierre, Public Heath Command District Central Pacific Hawaii lead food inspector, and Airman 1st Class Jessika Willis, 15th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public heath technician, inspect a food before it is transferred to the USS O'Kane (DDG 77) on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, July 15 2016. Airmen from the 15th Aerospace Medicine Squadron are working alongside Soldiers from the Public Heath Command District Central Pacific Hawaii to ensure food is safely delivered to service members aboard 33 military vessels during the 2016 Rim of the Pacific Exercise. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich/Released)  

HI, UNITED STATES

07.15.2016

Story by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Oelrich 

15th Wing

RIMPAC brings an increased level of activity to the agencies of JBPHH, and the Army PHCD-CENPAC food inspection team is no exception.
According to Army Sgt. Lee Jeanpierre, PHCD-CENPAC lead food inspector, the Army team of eight inspectors normally conducts food inspections of four to five Navy and Army vessels a week.
With the increased mission tempo during RIMPAC, the Army and Air Force team carries out food inspections on three to four vessels per day, totaling approximately 50 to 80 pallets of food each week.
“It is wonderful working with the Air Force,” said Jeanpierre. “Instead of having someone come [to Hawaii] on temporary duty, we are able to use members from our sister services to assist us. They are from a preventative medicine background, so they know what sanitary conditions look like, which cuts down on training time.”
The team inspects food in three phases. First, it inspects the food vendor’s warehouse, looking at each item and examining its quality before it’s moved to the vessel.
Next, vendors transport food from their warehouses to the JBPHH docks, where food inspectors check vehicle temperature to ensure food remains fresh during transportation.
Finally, culinary specialists from each vessel help food inspectors examine items and check them against inventory to confirm the order is correct and meets strict quality requirements.
“The food inspectors are important for the safety of the crew,” said Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Joan Delfon, aboard USS O'Kane (DDG 77). “They check for expired food, bugs or mold growing on the food to keep the crew members of our vessels safe.”
According to Jeanpierre, food inspections provide the first line of defense against foodborne illness. In addition to shipboard inspections, they also conduct food safety inspections for all of JBPHH by inspecting all the food vendors on base.
Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

• Date Taken: 07.15.2016
• Date Posted: 07.22.2016 16:27
• Story ID: 204778
• Location: HI, US