SPEK provides hot meal during exercise

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  During the recent Phase II exercise, Airmen received a break from the daily Meal, Ready-to-Eat with the help of the 49th Force Support Squadron Services flight. 

With help from other squadrons, the 49 FSS set up a Single Pallet Expeditionary Kitchen, a temporary kitchen for use in remote areas, to give players at the Civil Engineer Pit a hot meal. 

"The SPEK allows us to provide a hot meal in two hours," said Master Sgt. Roland Cooper, 49th Force Support Squadron readiness superintendant. "It's a lot safer and a lot more efficient than the ways we've done it in the past and it gives Airmen a hot meal instead of an MRE." 

Although the pallet is owned and set up by the 49 FSS, the 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron assisted by transporting it to the CE Pit where many Airmen worked in the heat during the Phase II exercise. Additionally, the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron provided the generator that allowed them to use the burners in an expeditionary environment. 

The SPEK took eight Airmen four hours to set up, but has the capability of feeding 300 meals up to twice a day. 

"We try to use [the SPEK] in every exercise to keep the training real," said Sergeant Cooper. "It is the way we operate now." 

Not only does it keep the training real, it also keeps Airmen up to speed on how it's used so they will be prepared to operate it in a real world situation. 

"The SPEK poses many challenges," said Sergeant Cooper. "The Airmen need to stay on top of all of the mechanical things and they need to make sure they can do everything each piece requires, and these exercises give them the opportunity to do that." 

In a real remote environment food would be flown in but during the exercise, the 49 FSS established a supply line from the Shifting Sands Dining Facility to the CE Pit, said Sergeant Cooper. Airmen picked up utilization ground rations, MREs and other supplements and delivered them to the pit daily, increasing the quality of life and making for more satisfied Airmen. 

"I ate in the dining facility out here yesterday and it's a lot faster and more convenient than MREs," said Senior Airman Nick Comtois, 49th Communications Squadron. "When I'm out working hard all day, I like being able to sit down and enjoy a hot meal."