'Alamo Wing' leaders serve those who serve

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Carlos J. Trevino
  • 433rd Airlift Wing
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland --  Senior leadership from the 433rd Airlift Wing served lunch with a smile at the Live Oak Dining Facility, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas Nov. 1, 2014.

"Alamo Wing" commanders and senior enlisted spent almost 3-hours serving everything from turkey and stuffing to hotdogs, burgers and fries during lunch time to hungry Airmen and Sailors at the dining facility. It isn't every day that a full-bird colonel and a command chief master sergeant serve a meal to an enlisted member. The experience can be intimidating to a one-riped Airman. 

"This was the first time I had ever experienced anything like this. It was kind of scary at first because it was something new," said New Jersey native, Airman Alex Yang, a loadmaster trainee with the 344th Training Squadron, JBSA-Lackland, Texas. 

Yang was surprised to see Col. William W. Whittenberger, Jr., commander of the 433rd Airlift Wing, serving turkey to technical school students. "I heard they were doing this (serving) to give back to us," he said. "It was a pretty cool experience to be served by an officer; you don't see this that often," the native of Leonia, New Jersey.

"We are celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday early, we want to show appreciation for our Airmen," said Chief Master Sergeant Brian M. Pinsky, 433rd Airlift Wing, Command Chief. "We are here serving the troops Thanksgiving dinner to show them that we support them and back them up," said Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Steffes, 433rd Aerospace Medicine squadron,     superintendent of nursing services.

"I forgot how hot it was behind the grill," said Lt. Col. John Niakaros, an examiner pilot with the 356th Airlift Squadron, as he manned the grilled sandwich station. "The experience reminded me of one of his first job flipping burgers at McDonalds when I was 14 years old.  But, the hard work was worth it. I would like to do this again. I am glad we can do this and give back to the troops," he said.

The experience proved to be humbling for the Command Chief, Pinskey.  "It gives you a new appreciation for being on the other side, instead of just being served. It's fast paced," Pinsky said of his turkey carving station.