Military has food
for a week in the event
of a dock strike

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By Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com

The military says there is a big enough supply of food to keep base mess halls open for "at least a week."

Locally, all of the military bases buy their food from Y. Hata.

1st Lt. Kent Robbins, spokesman at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, said the main mess hall there serves up to 3,000 meals a day. "The chow hall also becomes a source of food for families in the event there is a natural disaster like a hurricane," Robbins said, "or if, for instance, a family might be away when a (West Coast dock) strike does occur and not able to stock up on groceries.

"If necessary, the mess hall would go to MREs (pre-packaged Meals Ready to Eat) or rations if the fresh supply runs out," he added.

Y. Hata also is the major supplier for the Navy's six galleys or dining facilities on Oahu and for its ships at Pearl Harbor, said spokeswoman Agnes Tauyan.

There are three dining facilities at Pearl Harbor and one each at Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific at Wahiawa, Lualualei Naval Magazine and Naval Security Group Activity at Kunia. Tauyan said the Navy provides up to 450 breakfasts, 1,000 lunches and 350 dinners a day.

The Army dishes out the most meals a day -- averaging at more than 5,000 -- at its nine mess halls: five at Schofield Barracks and one each at Wheeler Army Airfield, the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy at East Range, Helemano Military Reservation and Fort Shafter.

The Air Force reported that Hickam Air Force Base's dining facility and flight kitchen averages about 700 meals a day.