EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- This is the second  in a series on Eglin Airmen who supported the inauguration.

Feeding the masses of security personnel needed to protect the President during his recent inauguration was a formidable task. 

Two food handlers assigned to the 96th Services Squadron took on that challenge by being part of a team who ensured approximately 5,200 military personnel got three square meals a day. 

Staff Sgt. Angela Grady, a shift leader at the Breeze Dining Facility, and Airman First Class Kevin Rucker were selected from a committee of 780 qualified personnel from all service branches to support the inauguration. They served as two of 13 team members stationed at three different food venues throughout Washington, D.C. 

The Airmen were notified in September that they would be part of this historic event and would feed service members who provided crowd control along the parade route. They left Jan. 3, and returned Jan. 28.

Both Airmen actually expected to be cooking for events, but according to Airman Rucker, their role was more logistical in nature. Their tasking was undertaking the duty of providing Heater Meals, a mobile, hot meal for the security detail. 

"Our mission was to make sure they were fed and well taken care of during the day because they couldn't leave the secure area," Airman Rucker said. 

A lot of pre-planning, ensured "all our meals and supplies were in place for inauguration day," Airman Rucker said. "We had to get them ready and disperse them." 

That meant long days and long hours, working Inauguration Day itself from 7:30 a.m. until 8 a.m. the next day. They were housed at Bolling AFB, D.C., but operated out of the Mary Switzer Building in the heart of the federal area right across the street from the Capitol Building. 

"It was extremely busy; getting them their meals set the tone for the whole day," Sergeant Grady said. "We were the first ones they saw each day and if it didn't go right, it was a long day ahead for them." 

The end of the parade didn't mean the end of the Airmen's work schedule. For the next eight days, they spent their time accounting for supplies and returning them to their respective units. 

"There were between three and four thousand meals left that had to be inspected by public health to deem them cleared for storage," Sergeant Grady said. "Then they had to be separated by type." 

In the daily routine, the Airmen are used to feeding hundreds during their shifts at the Tradewinds flight kitchen and the Breeze instead of the thousands they encountered. Sergeant Grady said it was great to work with Airman Rucker in Washington as they work "really well together" here. She was pleasantly surprised they were chosen for this event because the Air Force liaison expected logistics personnel to handle their duties. 

"It was a different perspective on food service, more like the management side," Airman Rucker said. 

Sergeant Grady agreed. 

"Except for the 10 degree weather, it was great, great stuff," she said. "I love my job and this was one of the things I looked forward to--it was definitely an experience."