131st Force Support Squadron feeds Soldiers, Airmen

JEFFERSON BARRACKS, Mo -- The 131st Force Support Squadron Services section worked with the Army to feed both Soldiers and Airmen at the 157th Air Operations Group Air National Guard Dining Facility at Jefferson Barracks Sept. 12-13.

Before working with the Air National Guard over the September Unit Training Assembly, the Army did not have a dining facility on base where they could eat, explained 2nd Lt. Vincent Mantia, 1035th Support Maintenance Company electronics maintenance officer.

"We haven't had a facility for about two years now," added Lieutenant Mantia. "We just ate back at our building."

Tech. Sgt. Shannon Stewart Thompson, 131st FSS services team leader, explained, this is the first UTA where the Army and Air National Guard at Jefferson Barracks worked together to feed the troops, and it won't be the last. They will work together over the next fiscal year when their UTA's fall on the same weekend and will then both move to the new Army dining facility when it is completed.

The troops fed included about 100 Airmen with the 157th and about 275 Soldiers between the 70th Troop Command, 1035th Maintenance Support Company, 1138th Transportation Company and Detachment 5, 735th Quartermaster Company.

"We prepped [the food] the day before so the morning was an easy transition and everything went pretty smoothly," said Sergeant Thompson about working with the Army troops to feed the Soldiers and Airmen.