FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- A command that supplies Soldiers with everything from spare parts to spare ribs now has a new facility to store the food items served up in nearly 3.5 million meals each year.
The Army Materiel Command's new Subsistence Supply Management Office, or SSMO, opened here recently. AMC, its subordinate command, the Army Sustainment Command, the 406th Army Field Support Brigade, and the Fort Bragg Logistics Readiness Center that oversees the office, provide logistics readiness, which includes supplying food service operations and supporting contingency forces on short notice.
The new, state-of-the-art facility was built after a 2011 tornado destroyed the building that formerly housed the operation. The move is great news for those who work in the building and the customers it serves.
"We're tested three times a day -- at breakfast, lunch and dinner" said Food Service Specialist James Ramey of Fort Bragg's Logistic Readiness Center. The SSMO supports 15 dining facilities, and 150 field accounts for active duty, Army Reserve, National Guard, the Air Force and Marines.
Ramey said the new facility is tailor-made for supporting all aspects of food services -- from training food handlers and conducting workshops to supporting food service operations in dining facilities and in the field.
"We had user input at every phase of this project," Ramey said. That involvement was crucial in creating a multi-functional space that is both practical and efficient. "This takes us to the next level in food service and is the standard for all future SSMO Operations."
Ramey said employees are grateful to be in the building after working in an older facility since the SSMO moved operations after the 2011 tornado.
"This provides a better working environment and makes our jobs even more rewarding," he said.
Because of the nature of its operations, the SSMO is one of the most inspectable facilities on the installation. Ramey said the new environment helps facilitate compliance, proper management and storage.
The SSMO houses a variety of products, including Meals Ready to Eat, Unitized Group Rations, shelf-stable milk and a variety of beverages that can be served hot or cold.
The SSMO is also Fort Bragg's first climate-controlled warehouse. The 51,000 square foot facility includes 2,070 pallet slots and 6,000 square feet of administrative space. Refrigerators and freezers that make up 5,500 cubic feet of cold storage are now equipped with an emergency notification system that makes telephone calls if temperatures drop in the danger zone.
The facility includes LED lighting and Skylights that capture natural light for the facility and wire-guided fork lifts improve flexibility, proficiency and performance. The two wire-guided fork lift's narrow aisle swing-reach can triple warehouse storage capacity. Six loading docks accommodate both military and civilian vehicles.
The building also includes a 100-seat classroom which accommodates food handler training and other classes in a space without distractions. "This is a great area for the classes and workshops we hold on a regular basis," Ramey said. With 128 parking spots, student don't have to improvise or fight for space.
"The Fort Bragg Logistic Readiness Center Food Service team is responsible for feeding more than 50,000 active duty Soldiers," said 406th AFSB Executive Officer Lloyd Navarro. "The new facility greatly improves our ability to provide support to the dining facilities and field feeding operations. I'd like to thank the team for making this mission successful."
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