116th Services Airmen Deploy to Savannah for IRT 2018 Exercise

Photo By Master Sgt. Caila Arahood | U.S. Airmen serve a hot breakfast to medical field service members during the Operation Empower Health-Greater Savannah exercise, May 9, 2018, at the Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, Georgia. Airmen from multiple Air National Guard units, including the 114th Fighter Wing, prepared three meals daily from the Disaster Relief Mobile Kitchen Trailer for over 150 troops working during the 21-day exercise. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Caila Arahood)  

SAVANNAH, GA, UNITED STATES

05.11.2018

Story by Staff Sgt. Caila Arahood 

116th Air Control Wing

SAVANNAH, Ga.— A team of four Airmen from the 116th Force Support Squadron deployed to Savannah, Ga. where they will prepare and serve meals during the Operation Empower Health- Greater Savannah Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) exercise May 7 - 21. 

Operation Empower Health-Greater Savannah IRT is an exercise intended to offer training to members of the U.S. Armed Forces as well as build relationships with local entities St. Joseph’s Candler and Georgia Southern University all while providing no cost medical, optical, dental and veterinary services to citizens of the local area, as well as surrounding cities in South Carolina and northern Florida. 

“One of the benefits to attending this exercise is the joint training aspect,” said Master Sgt. Terrance Woods, a food service operation noncommissioned officer in-charge with the Georgia Air National Guard 116th FSS. “Being able to work not only with other Air National Guard units but also other military branches as well as the local community to serve a great cause of offering medical services to the local community is rewarding”

The 116th FSS Airmen are operating out of the Disaster Relief Mobile Kitchen Trailer (DRMKT). The are making three meals per day for over 150 Airmen, Soldiers, and Sailors who will be administering services at the Savannah Civic Center location for the duration of the two-week exercise. This includes hot meals for breakfast and dinner and a cold meal for lunch which includes sandwiches and a salad bar.

Woods said the 116th is one of the very few units that has an asset like the DRMKT, so its involvement in the exercise is a benefit for other services personnel because they can train with 116th FSS Airmen during this exercise and get great on-the-job experience. 

Master Sgt. Daniel Jennings, a food services superintendent from the 111th Attack Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, who is assisting the 116th Air Control Wing Airmen in Savannah for the exercise said that the DRMKT is very comparable to the services equipment he has used in the past and it allows them a lot more flexibility overall. 

The services Airmen from the 116th ACW and the DRMKT will be in Savannah providing meals to medical personnel at the Savannah Civic Center for the duration of Operation Empower Health-Greater Savannah IRT 2018.

For information on how to make appointments or to get no cost health care during the exercise, go online to www.sjchs.org/in-the-community/operation-empower-health-greater-savannah.com. 

• Date Taken: 05.11.2018
• Date Posted: 05.21.2018 22:27
• Story ID: 277343
• Location: SAVANNAH, GA, US