FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq -- Marines, sailors and soldiers here welcomed the opening of a new dining facility Aug. 15.
The new dining facility replaces a temporary tent they had used since the Army’s field dining facility was closed here nearly three weeks ago.
The new facility offers service members a refuge from the heat, dust and stress of working at a forward operating base.
“It will improve the quality of life immediately,” said Staff Sgt. Wavelay T. Jones, 30, mess chief, Marine Expeditionary Unit Service Support Group 24. “It’s a more relaxing environment.”
The dining facility will have several items, from different food to creature comforts, that will allow people here a place to runwind.
According to Jones, a Raleigh, N.C., native, the new chow hall already offers more comfortable seating and serves ice cream. It will also have televisions for everyone to watch while they eat.
Those things, in addition to the prepared food that replaced Meals-Ready-to-Eat people here were eating, will give service members a respite from the operational grind.
“People will be able to relieve some of the stress from their jobs and tasks they are doing,” Jones said. “They can come here to get piece of mind”
The dining facility, named Unger Hall, is named after Army Spc. Daniel Paul Unger, 19, Company A, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, 81st Brigade Combat Team, who was fatally wounded during a rocket attack here May 26. He died the following day.