ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Ellsworth leaders and Raider Café staff provide a home away from home this Christmas, by hosting a feast at Ellsworth Air Force Base, Dec. 25, 2024.
Over 40 food service workers from Ellsworth’s dining facility helped make the Christmas meal possible.
“For a young Airman , being at a new base and away from family can be a stressful time, especially during the holidays,” said Master Sergeant Jose De Leon , 28th Force Support Squadron food services section chief. “In addition to our team preparing the food, leaders from around the installation volunteer their time to show these Airmen that they are cared for.”
The Raider Café hosts various special meals throughout the year to allow Raiders the chance to experience different tastes from around the world and away from home.
For Raider Café staff, the days and hours leading up to the feast were spent selecting menu items to serve, placing orders for larger quantities of food, preparing and assembling ingredients and ensuring staff are ready to execute .
“Because holiday meals can be busier outside of normal menu options, our staff may undergo additional training to ensure we are timely and efficient while managing large groups of guests.” said Airman First Class Naika Desir, 28th FSS food services journeyman.
As a food service worker, Desir recognizes the sacrifices Airmen make each day they’re away from family. Serving the nation is rewarding, but comes with deployments, special duty assignments and extra responsibilities.
“Family has always been my priority, my source of strength through life’s challenges, and a place to celebrate successes and create lasting memories,” said Desir. “While it’s difficult to be far away from family, I’m surrounded by Airmen that check in with me and give me the support I need to put me in a better headspace.”
To make the environment feel more like a family event, staff decorated the interior of the dining facility and greeted guests as they walked in.
“Special meals like these makes us proud of what we do for our Airmen,” said De Leon. “Providing a welcoming and home-like environment for Airmen takes time and effort, and to give Airmen these opportunities to experience home away from home is always worth it.”