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Travis service facilities earn recognition

  • Published
  • By By Nick DeCicco
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  After a long night of working in darkness, an Airman stands in line at Travis Air Force Base's Sierra Inn dining facility.

Instead of going straight to bed after a hard night's work, the tired Airman grabs some grub first because, as he tells a passerby in line, "the food's so good."

The parable illustrates the type of feedback frequently given to the passerby, 60th Force Support Squadron Deputy Director Brian Floyd.

Mr. Floyd, who has been at Travis AFB nine years, said he's received plenty of positive feedback about the services offered by the 60th FSS, including its award-winning dining facility, fitness center and lodging facilities.

"I truly believe that we're at the highest level I've seen in the nine years I've been here," he said. "I think that's about the facilities and how they look. It's about our personnel and the programs we offer. We have the best customer service right now. The entire base looks the best I've ever seen it."

In February 2010, the Sierra Inn dining facility captured the Hennessy Award, which is the highest honor given to the Air Force's dining facilities.

In the past year, Travis was an instrumental player in the Food Transformation Initiative, being the largest of six bases to test a re-engineering of Air Force food services.

Philadelphia-based Aramark Corporation took over culinary services at Travis during the process, which Mr. Floyd said has received positive comments.

It's also an example of how Travis is leading the way among bases in Air Mobility Command and the Air Force.

"We're setting the baseline for everybody else," said Mr. Floyd.

Aramark's three goals were to improve the quality, variety and availability of the base's food. The company's workers increased the size of the salad bar and added a deli bar and a panini grill, adding to the quality and availability of fresher ingredients.

Mr. Floyd said focus groups, statistics and comment cards indicate a satisfaction rate as high as 98 percent.

However, the dining facilities aren't the only service offered by the 60th FSS receiving high marks.

Another is the Westwind Inn, the base's hotel, which captured the 2010 AMC Inkeeper Award.

The facility, AMC's largest and the eighth largest in the Air Force, earned a rating of 95.7 out of 100 during its last accreditation in the spring of 2010.

"We're here for our guests," said Steve Ellison, general manager of the Westwind Inn.

"We're set up for success so our guests have a better experience."

Improving the internal workings of the hotel has been a goal under the direction of Mr. Ellison, who came on board in July 2009.

Under his guidance, internal programs have been initiated or improved to further training, customer service, interpersonal relations and the "overall quality of the operation," he said.

"It's not what you have," said Mr. Ellison. "It's what you do with the facility you have.

"By focusing continuously on this, we ensure the guests get a good product."

Another 60th FSS operation focused on providing a good product is the base's fitness center.

The facility earned it's seventh consecutive five-star rating in 2010, a year in which the facility shifted to 24/7 operations. It also was a year in which the facility underwent $440,000 in renovations, added a new heating, venting and air conditioning system and changing the lighting system.

With the changes in physical testing initiated in July 2010, the base implemented the new regulations ahead of time when the switch came.

"We went above and beyond when the new fitness critiera came down so that we could meet the demands," said Mr. Floyd.

The most distinct thing the fitness center offers is its one-of-a-kind Peep Drop program, a child care service run on a volunteer basis. No other base offers the program, which gives parents two hours of workout time for every one they volunteer, Mr. Floyd said.

"That makes us stick out," he said.

Comment cards praise the base for its 35 classes offered at the fitness center, Mr. Floyd said, as well as the variety and type of equipment. The customer satisfaction rate is 96.8 percent, he said.

"All three of these (facilities) are our highest ranking in customer comment cards," he said.