JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, is the latest installation to implement the Food 2.0 initiative to offer healthier options to customers with the reopening of two renovated dining facilities Oct. 29.
The Food 2.0 style of service gives patrons at Seymour-Johnson and other installations “finish in front” service stations, technology advancements, and robust self-serve breakfast yogurt, salad bar and “grab & go” meal and snack options. The Air Force Services Center manages the program across the Air Force.
Seymour Johnson joins 25 Food 2.0 installations with modernized facilities and food service upgrades. More bases will open Food 2.0 facilities in the year ahead. Two other Air Combat Command bases, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and Nellis AFB, Nevada, are currently closed for renovation and are due to reopen next summer.
Since 2018, Seymour-Johnson prepared and initiated the new food concepts for the Southern Eagle dining facility and the Afterburner flight kitchen. Both facilities had been closed for $1.8 million in server renovations and transformation.
“We are excited to see our customer’s reactions as both facilities have undergone an extensive renovation. Seymour-Johnson customers will see a very different style of service, commonly seen in college and university settings,” said Col. Christopher Parrish, Air Force Services Center commander. “Both the Southern Eagle dining facility and the Afterburner flight kitchen have been totally updated.”
The Southern Eagle will feature a variety of destination dining stations providing customers access to an expanded variety of healthy food options to include plant-based, vegetarian and vegan selections. The former Afterburner flight line kitchen has transformed into The Lift flight line kiosk.
“Utilizing station feeding and finishing the menu items in front of the customer means no more queuing up in one line,” said Christie Maas, AFSVC Food 2.0 program manager. “In addition to two beautifully modernized facilities it’s about delivering on what we promised to expand to a variety of healthier options, hours of operation and access to dining facilities by any and all customers at Seymour-Johnson.”
Through the Air Force Food 2.0 style of service, the convenient “grab & go” concept has been incorporated throughout the serving line and around point-of-sale systems for quick, customer convenience. The facilities are also open to all customers who have access to the base and Airmen on Essential Station Messing can use their meal entitlement when authorized by their squadron commander.
“The transition to Air Force Food 2.0 will allow our Team Seymour ESM customers value added access to our NAF Food and Beverage operations,” said Wendy Ozment, deputy director of the 4th Force Support Squadron at Seymour-Johnson. “By the end of October, (Seymour-Johnson) members authorized by their squadron commanders to transition back to ESM and validated within our FSS CAFÉ system can begin using their entitlements.”
The 4th FSS is pleased to have combined efforts with the Air Force Services Center for the initiative, said Maj. Zachary Spotts, 4th FSS commander. “Seymour Johnson leads the charge as being the first ACC installation to transition to Food 2.0 with both a modernized DFAC and a flight line FLY kiosk,” he said.