JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL -- Staff at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Dining Facility on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base are gearing up to serve new customers.
JBM-HH Commander Col. Patrick M. Duggan signed a memo earlier this month authorizing the dining facility to re-open to Department of Defense civilians effective Aug. 15. The move will foster interaction, integration and community interaction between the military communities, according to the memo.
"The Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall DFAC does not exceed capacity and is hereby designated as a guest and casual dining facility," the memo states.
The memo also states that DoD civilians may eat at the dining facility "on occasion" during the DFAC's operational hours: Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. for breakfast; from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch; and from 4:30 to 6 p.m. for dinner. The dining facility is open on weekends, holidays and training holidays from 9 a.m. to noon for brunch and for supper from 4 to 6:30 p.m., unless otherwise posted.
"We're looking forward to it," said Dining Facility Manager Sgt. 1st Class Gabriel Aquilano. "It is going to be a change, and we're going to have to adapt to it. We're looking forward to the new business."
JBM-HH Assistant Dining Facility Manager Staff Sgt. Willie Nero also sees the move as a positive one.
"It will bring in a lot of the DoD community that's here on the installation, so they can be part of different functions. They're here to serve Soldiers day-to-day, just like us," he said.
DoD civilians are authorized for dine-in service only and cannot purchase food to go or for take-out, according to the memo. Under the policy, DoD civilians will be charged the DoD Standard Meal Rate: weekday breakfast, $3.45; weekday lunch, $5.55; weekday dinner, $4.85. Weekend, holiday and training holiday brunches are $6.25 and supper is $7.65.
Service members who are authorized the Basic Allowance for Subsistence are not able to use the DFAC without charge but will receive head-of-the-line privileges at the facility, the memo states.
To read the policy memo in full, visit http://go.usa.gov/x2YZw.
Adding DoD civilians to the customer base isn't the only change that DFAC patrons will see. Dining facility staff is also focusing on moving away from using canned vegetables and fruits in the food they prepare for customers.
"As a management team, we're focusing more on fresh vegetables and fruits, so they can get the best nutritional value out of the food they're eating and we're cooking for them," Nero said.
Pentagram Staff Writer Julia LeDoux can be reached at jledoux@dcmilitary.com.
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