Courtesy Photo | Soldiers at Fort Irwin, Calif., cook Philly steak hoagies for a taste testing of new...... read more read more
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PHILADELPHIA - Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support is now ensuring that U.S. service members can dine on short-order entrees while on missions in locations with no dining facility.
“It’s been an amazing opportunity to be involved in the implementation of these new menus that hopefully boost morale,” Noreen Killian, a DLA Troop Support Subsistence contract specialist, said.
As of April 9, the unitized group ration-A menu has options for ordering meals that include: Philly steak hoagies, chicken nuggets, Italian sausage subs, beef enchiladas, chicken wings, pepperoni and cheese stromboli, hamburgers and hotdogs.
The UGR-A short-order is a supplement to the original UGR-A dinners that contain entrees like prime rib, chicken cordon blue, and spaghetti and meatballs, Killian said.
Joanne Jaworski, chief of DLA Troop Support’s Subsistence Group Rations Branch, and Karla Thompkins, a contracting officer, worked with Killian to manage the contract for the new menu additions.
Each UGR-A short-order contains three boxes with perishable and non-perishable items that can accommodate up to 50 people, Thompkins said.
The newly added short-order foods give service members more options for dinner, Jaworski said.
“Instead of meatloaf, they can have chicken nuggets or a hamburger,” she said.
Because the food will be served in the field, there are special requirements for storage of the meals.
The ration must be prepared and stored in a mobile kitchen containing refrigeration, Jaworski said.
DLA Troop Support worked closely with the U.S. Army Quartermaster Joint Culinary Center of Excellence and the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center to make the items available.
Alphonzo Byrd, chief of the Quality Assurance Division at the JCCOE, conceived the idea to create short-order rations.
Based on his experience working with the Army and listening to Soldier’s feedback on food, Byrd said he wanted to bring dining facility options to the field. Byrd introduced the idea to NSSC, where the meals are designed.
The JCCOE was responsible for conducting the research and testing for the new rations, Jaworski said.
Beverly Hamlette, a JCCOE quality assurance specialist, conducted a taste test over a six-month period with Soldiers at Fort Irwin, Calif.
“Variety is always a good thing for Soldiers, and they were excited about having the opportunity to have an additional choice,” she said. “The Philly steak hoagie was served hot off the grill, and the diners loved it.”
Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Javier Torres, a food adviser trainer at Fort Irwin, Calif., agreed.
“The new short-order rations are a great compliment to the other UGRs, and I will use them wherever I go,” Torres said.
Since the new menu became available, 4,493 UGR-A short orders have been ordered, Thompkins said.
All UGR-A short-order rations include a combination of nutritional food groups including vegetables, beverages, meat, poultry, desserts and condiments, which provide a balanced diet for service members working in the field, Jaworski said.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2012 12:49 |
| Story ID: | 90619 |
| Location: | PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 142 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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