Name: Timothy Haskell
Job title: Warrior Sports Café Assistant Dining Facility Manager
Assigned: Supply and Services Division, Logistics Readiness Center Bavaria, 405th Army Field Support Brigade
Location: Hohenfels, Germany
Experience: I’ve been working at the dining facility in Hohenfels with LRC Bavaria for a while, but I’ve been working in the food service business for nearly 30 years. Before Hohenfels, I was with U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach working as a food service leader, and I also worked with the Exchange and as a cook in Bamberg, Germany, for some time.
Other service: I was an active duty Army food service specialist from 1994 to 2004. When I left active duty service I was a sergeant.
Hometown: Winfield, Kansas
Family: I’ve been married for more than 17 years. My wife and I have two children, a son and a daughter.
Q: Can you explain what you do and what you are responsible for at LRC Bavaria?
A: As the assistant dining facility manager I’m responsible for the overall operations of the Warrior Sports Café. We provide Class I food service support to the entire Hohenfels community. I have more than 50 employees at the Warrior Sports Café – a small handful of U.S. employees and a lot of local nationals. The local nationals come from all over the world, not just Germany. I have local national employees who come from Poland, Hungary, Croatia, China, Czech Republic, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, Romania, Italy, Turkey and more. I am also the only Government Purchase Card billing official for LRC Bavaria in Hohenfels. I supervise and approve the purchase of supplies for the dining facility and for other sections and directorates of LRC Bavaria located in Hohenfels.
Q: Why is the service you provide so important?
A: This is the only food service establishment within a 15-kilometer radius where Soldiers can come and get quality, nutritious meals. The only thing on base besides us is the Exchange establishments – Burger King and Subway – and a couple of food trucks. It takes 15 minutes for a Soldier to drive to the nearest town to find a restaurant. Soldiers who come here are guaranteed to get a highly nutritious meal. They don’t have to drive 20-30 minutes one way and worry whether or not they’re going to make it back on time. We support the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, which is the opposing forces for the Joint Multinational Readiness Center. We also support the 527th Military Police Company and other units here to include many NATO and partner nation units who come here for planning conferences and the like. We’ll feed personnel from Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, Slovakia, Albania, Slovenia, Norway, Sweden, Canada and more. During every training rotation at JMRC, there will be several dignitaries and high-ranking officials visiting Hohenfels plus the U.S. Army Europe and Africa commanding general, who eat at our dining facility. General Christopher Cavoli is here, on average, a couple of times each month to eat lunch.
Q: What do you enjoy about your job, and what motivates you?
A: Food service is that one job that nobody wants to do, but it has to be done. It’s the job that requires you to work late, it requires you to work on the weekends, and it requires you to work on holidays and special occasions. When other people are off or still in bed, I’ve got personnel in the dining facility preparing food for the next meal. The reason I keep doing it is because of Soldiers – those Soldiers who are 18- to 25-years-old and living in the barracks. It’s for them. If they want something new or different, I’ll say ‘hey, tell me what you want.’ If it’s a hit, we’ll make it part of our regular menu. Taking care of and feeding those young warfighters – that makes me feel good. When they are happy and satisfied, I’m satisfied.
LRC Bavaria and 405th AFSB: LRC Bavaria is one of seven LRCs under the command and control of the 405th AFSB. LRCs execute installation logistics support and services to include supply, maintenance, transportation and food service management as well as clothing issue facility operations, hazardous material management, personal property and household goods, passenger travel, and non-tactical vehicle and garrison equipment management. When it comes to providing day-to-day installation services, LRC Bavaria directs, manages and coordinates a variety of operations and activities in support of U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria. LRC Bavaria reports to the 405th AFSB, which is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa – providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging U.S. Army Materiel Command’s materiel enterprise to support joint forces. For more information on the 405th AFSB, visit the official website at www.afsbeurope.army.mil and the official Facebook site at www.facebook.com/405thAFSB.