CAMP CASEY, South Korea - Improving one's health through proper nutrition is one of the vital steps toward combat readiness. In order to maintain the strength of its Soldiers, the Army relies on its dining facilities to provide quality and healthy meals for troops.
At the 210th Field Artillery Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, the Thunder Inn dining facility has once again set itself apart in delivering the best dining experience throughout the 2nd Infantry Division.
Brig. Gen. Brian J. Mennes, deputy commanding general-maneuver, 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division, announced Thunder Inn as the Commanding General's Best Dining Facility of the Year for the second year in a row during a ceremony Nov. 18, at Camp Casey, South Korea.
"This is a great accomplishment for us," said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Dent, the brigade's senior culinary management noncommissioned officer. "It signifies that Thunder Inn is the best dining facility on the Korean Peninsula, that we provide the best services to all Soldiers who come in."
As a second-time winner, Thunder Inn has not only proven the quality of their Soldiers, but continued to set the example for others as well.
"I think everybody brings a little bit of something to the table," said Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Ornelas, a Pecos, Texas, native and the facility manager assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 70th Brigade Support Battalion. "Everybody pitches in something for the common goal, to be the best and to do better for the people who eat at our dining facility."
Their repeat accomplishment did not come easy, however, with Thunder Inn having to overcome a few challenges along the way.
"We bumped into some challenges in Korea, because most of the Soldiers came straight from [Advanced Individual Training]," said Ornelas, who previously served as a culinary management NCO at a dining facility in Fort Hood, Texas. "Thankfully we had highly experienced NCOs, who could mold them into new Soldiers."
Through the excellent mentorship and guidance of its leaders, young food service specialists learned to hone their skills and develop themselves in the kitchen and as Soldiers.
"I was only a young private when I first got to Thunder Inn," said Spc. Antonio Christian, a Hampton, Virginia, native and culinary specialist from 580th Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 38th Field Artillery Regiment. "Listening to instructions and following directions developed me personally and professionally into a better Soldier."
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