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NEWS | April 3, 2006

Midnight chow

By Senior Airman Christian Michael 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

Midnight chow warms the heart and the belly with friendly service and a hot meal for those who work through the night to keep Langley going.

Open to anyone already allowed to use the dining facility, midnight chow offers a full entrée of either a hot meal or short order, salad bar or breakfast for nocturnal Airmen from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

“We have anywhere between 70 to 100 folks,” said Master Sgt. Dion Ishmael, the dining facility manager. “Our midnight meal is dedicated to our maintainers, flightline personnel and all other AFSCs that work through the night and can’t get somewhere to get a hot nutritious meal.”

Senior Airman Vincent Aragon, a services cook for the majority of his time in the Air Force, has worked the night shift for the past four months. Prior to his deployment last year, he worked the night shift, and again requested the nightshift upon his return to Langley.

“One of the best things about nightshift is the connection with the customers,” said Airman Aragon. “We have the same customers every night, and because it’s more relaxed and the pace is slower, we get a chance to know them and talk with them.”

The pace during nightshift is much slower, but the workload is higher in consideration for the smaller staff.

“There is a lot of preparation for the morning and lunch meals,” said Airman Aragon, whose duties include preparing the breakfast and lunch entrees, readying the salad bar items and ensuring the cooking areas are sanitary and in order. “But it’s easier with less people in the kitchen.”

One of those people in the “less people” crew includes the bakers, who are busy from early afternoon to early morning preparing fresh deserts and pastries for diners.

“Every mission has its own impact,” said Airman 1st Class Gencian Blushi, an Albanian immigrant who enlisted in the Air Force as a cook, and considers it as a great opportunity to help people. “We provide food to people -- something everyone needs -- and provide it 24 hours a day.”

He also considers his job as a baker a privilege among the dining services duties at Langley.

“Baking is for creative people,” said Airman Blushi. “It’s a fun job, one I can use my own imagination and research to improve, and they let us be creative with it.”

In addition to their typical food duties, on-the-job training, recipe preparation and reviews of the production log are performed. Supervision is low, during the evening times, as well.

“There’s more responsibility for our Airmen at night, since they’re on their own the majority of the shift,” said Sergeant Ishmael. “That’s usually the last part of their training because we know we have to leave them by themselves, there’s less supervision at night. We try to put our stronger folks on midnights, because once we leave the facility, they have to make decisions that make them accountable.”

One thing on everyone’s mind in Langley’s Food Service is the upcoming Hennessy Award.

The Department of the Air Force and the National Restaurant Association, Society for Foodservice Management and International Food Service Executives Association established the Hennessy Trophy Program in 1956 to improve food service operations and recognize the best dinning halls in the Air Force, according to http://www.seabeecook.com.

Everyone is dedicated toward giving their best not only for the award review, but also every day.

“I believe in giving 110 percent in all you do,” said Airman Aragon. “For the award we have to be approachable and be positive. Even if they day doesn’t turn out right, I’ll at least know I did everything I could to satisfy the customer.”

Airman Blushi agreed.

“I will try to give my best,” said Airman Blushi. “When they come in, they’ll see a baker they’ve never seen before.”