Inexpensive meal options available for enlisted members

  • Published
  • By W. Eugene Barnett Jr.
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Looking for healthy and inexpensive food options? Enlisted members might consider visiting the Pitsenbarger Dining Facility located at 5550 Hemlock Dr., Building 1214, in Area A at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.


The dining facility has three lines of food choices: short order, main entrees, soup and salad.

 

“They serve meal card members, all enlisted members, TDY personnel, non-profit youth groups, ROTC & Junior ROTC, Boy Scouts, and Civil Air Patrol,” said Jon Vogel, food service officer. “Retirees and their family members are allowed to be served on all weekends (Saturday-Sunday), federal holidays, Easter Sunday and the Air Force Birthday [Sept. 18].”


“The dining facility is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. Open times start at 6 - 8 a.m. for breakfast; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. for lunch, and 5 p.m., to 7p.m. for dinner,” said Vogel.


“Pitsenbarger Dining Facility seats 250 patrons in one setting. And 14,000 to 15,000 meals are served monthly. The dining facility also offers inflight meal support through the flight kitchen, serving approximately 750 flight box meals monthly for outbound flights, aircrew members, Junior ROTC and Civil Air Patrol cadets,” he said.


The dining facility was dedicated June 22, 1979 as the Pitsenbarger Dining Hall in honor of Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger.


In the Republic of Vietnam, Pitsenbarger refused evacuation in order to get more wounded soldiers to safety April 11, 1966. After several pick-ups, one of the two rescue helicopters involved in the evacuation was struck by heavy enemy ground fire and was forced to leave the scene for an emergency landing.


Pitsenbarger stayed behind on the ground to perform medical duties ans was wounded three times. In the vicious fighting that followed, the American forces suffered 80 percent casualties as their perimeter was breached, and Airman Pitsenbarger was fatally wounded.


Pitsenbarger was the first enlisted recipient of the Air Force Cross, which was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor.


For more information about the Pitsenbarger Dining Facility, contact Jon Vogel at 937-257-3902 or jon.vogel@us.af.mil.