A day in their shoes: Culinary artist

by Airman 1st Class Deana Heitzman
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

9/12/2014 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- As 4:30 a.m. approaches, an Airman strides into work with a hunger to slice, dice and season culinary creations for Team Aviano.

Working as a 31st Force Support Squadron services journeymen at the La Dolce Vita dinning facility, Senior Airman Christopher Newsome's day begins inside the kitchen preparing and cooking last minute breakfast items to cure Airmen who ache from morning hunger.

"I joined the military because I love to cook and being a part of services, it is a part of our [career] field," said Newsome. "I enjoy the career field as a whole because it gives me many different job titles, but food services is my favorite."

Although Newsome has found his calling at the dining facility, being a part of the force support team allows him to move from several different flights to include lodging, readiness, gymnasium staff and fitness assessment.

"I have deployed with food services and worked as a missile-field chef and in a fitness center," said Newsome. "Working at the fitness center and lodging facilities, we give [service members] a safe environment to work out or sleep while in transit or traveling."

To the Airmen at the dining facility, the phrase "living meal to meal" serves as a credo throughout the day. Once breakfast is over, fulfilling the upcoming lunch rush is next on menu for Newsome and his co-workers.

According to Newsome, a 14-day menu rotation allows Airmen to choose what they want to cook or prepare. Once a dish has been selected by the cook, the rest of the time consists of chopping, frying, baking, and the preparing the entrees and side dishes.

"On the main serving line, we have two entrées, two starches, three vegetables and gravy," said Newsome. "Our snack line has up to nine items that can consist of hamburgers, french fries and other quick-order foods [Airmen] can choose from."

Leadership, chiefs, dorm residents and other Aviano Airmen can find themselves at the dining facility during lunch time. For Newsome, it's very important to allocate the appropriate amount of food to ensure nothing is wasted at the end of the day.

"It is all about portion sizes," he explained. "Depending on the item, portions range from one serving to a fourth of a cup. If we exceed or underserve something, it harms our food budget."

After serving, shift leaders have to document what leftover food items could not be reused and ensure all the money from the cash register balances out.

Newsome says he values his passion for cooking and what he gives to Aviano Airmen.

"I believe food is a morale booster for people," he said. "We are giving them choices of food; and for Airmen who are on meal card, it gives them an opportunity to have a hot meal and not worry about how they are getting their next meal."

Newsome explains how he started cooking very young with an inspiration from his uncle and that during his time in Italy, he has learned even more from the Italian cooks that work with him.

"For me, cooking is an art," said Newsome. "Yes, there are regulations, but we have the opportunity to make it our own and use our own special methods of cooking. Although there are regulations, I don't let them get in the way of me making the dish my own and perfecting my masterpiece."