Dining facilities to offer more dining choices, open access Published July 31, 2012 By Kevin Gaddie Team Eglin Public Affairs EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Eglin's military and civilian personnel will soon see sweeping changes in food service operations at 96th Test Wing dining facilities. The Food Transformation Initiative, scheduled for implementation Oct. 1, is designed to provide improved food quality, variety and availability for Airmen and eligible patrons, Air Force-wide. Eglin, Beale, Vandenberg, F.E. Warren, Ellsworth, Dyess and Barksdale Air Force Bases were selected for implementation of the pilot program. Many different contractors currently provide food service at Air Force bases. Under FTI, traditional dining facilities and non-appropriated fund food and beverage operations will merge under a single management team and one contract. Sodexo has been selected as the new contractor. The food service options will include a 'campus concept' seen at corporate, college and university campuses. This feature will offer more food service choices, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, said Lt. Col. Jason Delamater, the 96th Force Support Squadron commander. "The campus concept will completely revolutionize the way Essential Station Messing Airmen, our meal card customers, eat on an Air Force base," he said. "Instead of being limited to the dining facility, they will be able to visit any dining establishment that participates in FTI and use their meal card." Currently, those establishments include The Breeze dining facility, Legends, Tradewinds flight kitchen, and the bowling center and golf course snack bars, Delamater said. Also under the new initiative, 96 TW dining facilities will be open to officer and enlisted family members, retirees, civilians and contractors. Among the immediate changes they'll see are better menu choices and expanded hours of operation to accommodate different work schedules. FSS personnel will have an opportunity to hone their culinary prowess through home station training, Delamater said. "Our food service Airmen will be exposed to a more advanced, integrated operation, including working shoulder-to shoulder with executive chefs, who will be brought in to help further their skills," he said. Cost savings and effective use of infrastructure are only two of FTI's goals. "The outcome of the FTI pilot program is not specifically to save money and resources," said Steve Bedford, Air Force Personnel Center FTI portfolio management section chief. "It is to effectively use available resources to provide a viable feeding program for installation communities." For more information about Air Force food service operations and other quality of life programs, visit www.usafservices.com or www.myairforcelife.com. (Hurlburt Field was not included in the bases selected for the FTI pilot program.)