Above left: Pictured is a meal from the THOR3 Tactical Performance Nutrition Prepped Meal Program prepared by the Odin Cafe 1st Special Forces Group Warrior Restaurant at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2019. Sgt. 1st Class Jurelle Williams helped to implement the program when he worked at the restaurant. Above right: A flyer shows available Meal Prep options for Soldiers at the Flightline Warrior Restaurant on Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield. Meals are prepared by culinary specialists from the 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade. (U.S. Army images)
Fort Drum Food Service leaders think outside the box to improve dining options
Sgt. Jamie Robinson
10th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs Office
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (April 3, 2024) – How do you maximize resources in the dining facility for hungry Soldiers in the 10th Mountain Division (LI) on Fort Drum? That's a question that the G4 Nutrition Working Group has been trying to answer for the past year.
Formed from the result of an internal division study, the group is composed of food services stakeholders throughout Fort Drum. Nutritionists from Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) Centers, Warrior Restaurant managers, and food advisers meet monthly to discuss and assess ways to feed Soldiers on Fort Drum. The Meal Preparation program is one of the latest implementations from the working group.
Chief Warrant Officer Eric Mills, senior food adviser for 10th Mountain Division, is the first to admit that while it’s not a new idea, it has value for Fort Drum.
“The concept first came into standardization within the Special Forces and Ranger communities, which have a greater emphasis on the Soldier-athlete concept, along with those that are placed on a diet program,” Mills said. “Standardizing Meal Prep within 10th Mountain Division is an effort to make enhanced performance nutrition available to the entire population.”
The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, through its Flightline Warrior Restaurant, is one of four brigades implementing Meal Prep for Soldiers on Fort Drum. It’s a change for the facility, but for Sgt. 1st Class Jurelle Williams, Flightline Warrior Restaurant manager, it’s a familiar one.
“I was attached to 1st Special Forces Group at Joint Base Lewis-McCord for two years, and they had Meal Prep available for Soldiers,” Williams said. “I’m happy that the Meal Prep (program) Special Forces had, has made its way to the regular Army.”
So far, the regular Army likes it. The Flightline Warrior Restaurant staff ran a trial period for two weeks. The first week, Soldiers could request 50 meals. The second week they could order 75. The warrior restaurant sold out in less than 30 minutes both weeks.
What’s in the meals that make them sell out so quickly?
You would have to ask the nutritionists at H2F. They work closely with the culinary specialists in the warrior restaurant to ensure that the best practices are being followed to provide optimal nutrition to Soldiers.
“Registered dieticians are a significant part of the H2F team, which encompasses Total Force, Physical, Mental, Social, and Nutritional Fitness,” Mills said. “Meal Prep is in the category of Performance Nutrition, which gives guidance on how best to fuel your body depending on your training requirements.”
Capt. Lilly Rivera, who works with the 10th CAB on Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield, is one of those registered dieticians. Soldiers frequently see her and her team interacting during lunch time, educating them on the nutritional value of their food choices.
“It’s my goal to bring awareness about fueling the body to Soldiers so they can choose foods intentionally and, over time, improve their quality of life,” Rivera said. “A food choice can improve an Army Combat Fitness Test score, improve focus during meetings, or improve their sleep at night.”
Spc. Ramon Salcedo, an Apache helicopter mechanic in 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, said he appreciates the warrior restaurant.
“I love the dining facility. In the morning, eggs, bacon, and french toast is the best,” Salcedo said.
Sgt. Luke Low, a Grey Eagle maintainer with 1st Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, said he sees it as an opportunity to connect with his squad, who affectionately call the round table where they eat, “the family table.”
“I eat here with my squad and enjoy our lunch time,” Low said.
Here on Fort Drum, there’s an entire division working group working together to keep it that way.