TOP STORY>>The Hungry Herc feeds Little Rock AFB’s flight line

By Airman 1st Class Regina Agoha
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Base officials last Friday unsealed the freshest food delivery option, the Hungry Herc, in Hangar 276 at Little Rock Air Force Base.

The Hungry Herc POD – short for provisions on demand, is a bigger, better and healthier dining alternative to the flight kitchen for maintainers and other members who work on the flightline.

Inside the Hungry Herc is a variety of food choices such as, fresh salads, wraps and sandwiches such as ham on white and turkey on wheat. The POD also offers different fruit options like grapes, pineapples, cantaloupe, and some snacks like chips, cookies and muffins. There’s also a cappuccino machine and refrigerated drinks. One choice available that was not available in the flight kitchen is an area where hot meals will be served.

The POD concept gives flightline Airmen something they’ve been craving - convenient food choices.

“With the POD, there’s a lot more variety than the old flight kitchen,” said Tech. Sgt. Curtis Moore, headquarters personnel center/services at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. “We hope that this change will have a positive effect just as it has for the other bases that have PODs already,” he said. “We want the POD to make it easier and more accessible for flight line workers to get their meals.”

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, everyone involved seem pleased with the results from the fruits of their labor. Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hutton, 19th Force Support Squadron and POD manager, said planning, preparing and constructing the POD took about one month from start to finish.

“This process took from May 29 to June 26,” he said, “and now today we’re at the ribbon cutting. It took a lot of hard work from a lot of good people. I am very pleased with the turnout of the POD. I hope it’s appreciated.”

Some Airmen have already begun to express appreciation. Airman 1st Class Keith Turner, 19th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aerodynamic repair crew chief, said the POD is much bigger than the flight kitchen they were used to.

“It looks a whole lot better in here,” hesaid as he walked around the facility for the first time. “These choices are much better than the little brown bags we used to get with maybe a sandwich, chips, some kind of chocolate and juice or water in them. I feel really good about this. I will definitely be here more often to eat.”

The only difference Turner said he prefers from the flight kitchen is the 24/7 hours of operation. The Hungry Herc is open Monday - Friday from 6 a.m. to midnight.

The base commander said the POD is another food transformation initiative that satisfies the needs of flightline Airmen hungry for more choices.

“The POD is a great result of initiatives between the 19th FSS and Aramark for delivering food transformation initiatives and results here at Team Little Rock,” said Col. Brian Robinson, 19th Airlift Wing commander. “This POD is the first of its kind for Air Mobility Command in the sense that it’s three times larger than the previous flagship POD at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. The POD is meant to be closer to where people work particularly our maintainers, so you can get in here and get some food of your choice and liking. And if you want to get something sweet, that’s in there too.”

Like all base FTI facilities, the Hungry Herc POD is open to everyone and is another dining option for Airmen on the meal card.