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Serving up morale while deployed: 11 CaBS stands up dining facility during exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25
by 2nd Lt. Grace Brandt
Daegu AB, Korea
When Air Force members arrive in overseas locations to participate in exercises, they often rely on either MREs (meal, ready to eat) or contracted food vendors.
However, Airmen with the 11th Air Task Force and 11th Combat Air Base Squadron had a different experience while participat- ing in exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield this August at Daegu Air Base in the Republic of Korea.
Airmen from the 11th CABS had the opportunity to move into the base’s dining facility, which stands unused most of the year, and serve hot meals four times a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a midnight meal for Airmen working night shifts.
Staff Sgt. Justin Ruiz, 11th CABS dining facility manager, said his team strategically
Air Force photographs by Senior Airman Andrew Garavito
LEFT: An Airman from the 11th Combat Air Base Squadron serves food to a customer during exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 at Daegu Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 21, 2025. UFS 25 provides a rigorous training environment to enhance combat readiness and response capabilities.
An Airman from the 11th Combat Air Base Squadron uses pliers to remove a metal container during exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 at Daegu Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 21, 2025.
LEFT: An Airman with the 11th Combat Air Base Squadron prepares a cupcake ahead of an Air Force birthday celebration at the dining facility at Daegu Air Base, Republic of Korea, Sept. 5, 2025. The cupcakes were given to every member of the 11th Air Task Force and 11 CABS who had or will have birthdays while deployed.
selected A-Rations over MREs for several key reasons, including the ability to fully implement the base operating support-inte- gration concept and the fact that hot meals significantly contribute to troop morale.
“The way the Air Force is moving, we’re reutilizing old assets and getting them primed and ready to go,” Ruiz said. “Offer- ing hot meals was a crucial factor in foster- ing a positive environment and supporting peak performance, as well as highlighting the development of a mature base.”
According to Ruiz, running the DFAC required close coordination with the base’s host unit, the 8th Materiel Maintenance Squadron. As early as December 2024, 11 ATF members had assessed the base’s abil- ity to offer a dining facility instead of hiring vendors to bring meals on-site. Next, they established relationships with local food suppliers so that everyone was stocked in time for the force’s arrival to participate in UFS25. A team of about 20 Airmen from various Air Force specialty codes arrived
earlier than everyone else to purchase any other necessary equipment, prepare the space and go through a full public health inspection like any other dining facility receives.
Because of this early coordination, Air- men were able to receive hot meals the day they arrived at Daegu. The 11 CABS services team supported a peak of more than 800 personnel, serving approximately 18,000 meals throughout the exercise.
This service was especially impressive since the DFAC team only had 15 members. The facility ran 24/7, and members usually worked 12-hour shifts, with one day off. To support the small team, Airmen from other Air Force specialty codes — ranging from ammo to legal, combat communications to medical — volunteered to take shifts as mission ready Airmen. They received just- in-time training such as how to handle food, serve and even cook if they were interested.
“The MRA concept helped overcome manpower obstacles,” Ruiz said, adding
that it aligns with the Air Force’s broader vision of agile capabilities and smaller, more versatile teams. “The diverse skillsets from each AFSC strengthened our team’s ability to support the 11 CABS, while sustaining efficient operations. There’s not a lot of training required to operate here, and then you can help where it’s needed and get the job done.”
Senior Airman Alex Mejia is a cyber defense operator with the 11th CABS by trade but volunteered to support the DFAC throughout the entire exercise. With just- in-time training, he was able to move from basic cleaning tasks to serving and cooking food, even coming up with some of his own creations such as guacamole and ceviche.
Mejia said working in the DFAC gave him a deeper appreciation for the hard work the dining team puts in every day and pushed him out of his comfort zone to become more adept at helping with other mission needs besides his primary training.
“Being an MRA means being able to get the job done,” he said. “It was a lot of work, but I like to help people, and the people were awesome. It was really satisfying to hear,
‘Who made the chicken today?’ and be able to say, ‘That was me!’”
Because of his own team’s hard work and the support of other MRAs, Ruiz said they were able to find creative ways to offer more choices and have fun, such as baking cookies and banana bread, ordering fresh fruit and providing several different drink options. The team was even able to host an Air Force birthday celebration dinner, albeit a little early, incorporating a celebra- tion of all the members who had birthdays throughout the 11th ATF’s deployment. This dinner included steak, lobster and a giant cake.
“We’ve been blessed with a really good team,” Ruiz said. “It comes from the top all the way to the bottom, our senior lead- ers all the way down to our managers and shift leaders, keeping that positive attitude. When the team sees that they’re being recognized for their hard work, they’re able to keep pushing. Our team’s dedica- tion and efficiency allowed us to provide outstanding support to the troops on the ground, during exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield and after.”