Photo By Michael Strasser | Regardless of the weather outside, lines form whenever the Culinary Outpost Food Truck...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Feb. 28, 2024) -- Since it first hit the road in the summer of 2019, Fort Drum’s Culinary Outpost Food Truck normally hibernates during the winter.
Not anymore.
Staff Sgt. David Tyo, Culinary Outpost Food Truck operations noncommissioned officer, said that based on what they’ve experienced so far, the weather hasn’t posed much difficulty for the team’s ability to serve up tasty meals to customers yearround.
“The season may be different, but it’s still the same great food and great service,” he said.
Sometimes the amount of snow on the road or icy conditions has made the drive to different locations arduous, but once parked, Tyo said the food service operations runs like a well-oiled machine.
“We’ve got a whole new crew that started in January, but they got trained up before the holidays, so they were ready to go,” he said.
Tyo said the addition of a block heater was the only modification needed to winterize the truck. And with burners on and the fryer going, the culinary specialists stay warm despite freezing temperatures.
“We’re definitely not feeling the cold,” he said. “It’s just a good feeling for us being able to bring the dining facility out to people who can’t always get there for a meal.”
Tyo said that they find the largest customer base at the fitness facilities in the morning.
“We’ve got the lean protein meals that everybody goes for,” he said.
During a recent stop outside the USO, Soldiers jumped out of their vehicles as soon as the service window opened for lunch.
This past week’s lunch menu included beef tacos, seafood Alfredo, chicken Florentine, Philly cheesesteak, grilled chicken sandwich, and chicken bacon ranch sandwich. Morning fare is a choice of breakfast croissant, bagel ,or melt with different meat options, or a cheesy grits bowl.
Spc. Elias Ortiz, with 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, qualifies as one of Tyo’s regulars.
“In a month, I probably go to the food truck maybe 20 times for breakfast and lunch,” he said. “They have pretty fast service, and I like their burgers. But if there’s something else cool on the menu, I’ll try that.”
Ortiz said that he checks the weekly schedule so he knows when the food truck will be close by.
“If it’s in the area, I’ll come here instead of the dining facility,” he said. “I know what’s on the menu, and I like the food.”
The words “Eat Well, Perform Well” painted on the food truck is more than just another slogan.
“It’s something we take seriously in the 10th Mountain Division,” said Sgt. Maj. John Huth, 10th Mountain Division (LI) chief culinary management sergeant major. “I would say there has been no other time in the history of the Army where Soldiers have more choices when it comes to their nutrition.”
The Fort Drum Food Service program offers convenient and health food options across post, whether it is a sit-down meal at one of the warrior restaurants, a to-go meal at the Grab and Go Kiosk or Culinary Outpost Food Truck, or the new Performance Meal Prep program.
“The Culinary Outpost initiative assists in revolutionizing the food service ecosystem on Fort Drum by delivering nutritional readiness to the Soldiers at point of need,” Huth said. “It is a concept that generates Soldiers who are fit, nourished, and optimized for physical and mental performance.”
To learn more about the Culinary Outpost Food Truck and see the monthly calendar, visit https://home.army.mil/drum/my-fort/all-services/fort-drum-food-service-1/culinary-outpost-food-truck.
For more information about Fort Drum Food Service, visit https://home.army.mil/drum/my-fort/all-services/fort-drum-food-service-1.
| Date Taken: | 02.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.28.2024 09:47 |
| Story ID: | 464870 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 544 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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