NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. – Business at the Crosswinds Dining Facility increases during Red Flag, and so does the manning to complete the mission.
Airman 1st Class Riley Farney, Grand Forks AFB, N.D., is one of five Airmen on temporary duty status augmented to 99th Force Support Squadron at Nellis AFB during Red Flag 19-3.
“I’m here for 22 days to support Red Flag,” said Farney. “This is my first time working in food service.”
The Force Support Squadron is comprised of various career fields spanning everything from lodging, food services and fitness, to military, civilian and family support.
Farney has been in the military for a little more than two years and has worked in the fitness center back at Grand Forks the entire time.
“It’s good coming here and working with new people in a different aspect of my job. They are more than willing to teach me food services,” she said.
The five additional augmentees are split between Crosswinds and the flight kitchen to ensure the missions continue with no hang ups or delays.
“Augmentees are important during the exercises, they help offset the additional bodies we feed,” said Master Sgt. Alvester Johnson, 99th Force Support Squadron dining facility manager. “We work from a ratio of one cook to every fifty patrons, so the number of personnel participating (in the exercise) dictates the number of augmentees we receive.”
The activity on Nellis is definitely different compared to Grand Forks, states Farney.
“I feel like it’s busier here than at Grand Forks, the pace on Nellis is more rapid,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to work outside my normal day-to-day job and learn another area of my career field while experiencing a new location and meeting new people. Every Airman should get this opportunity.”