“We provide support anywhere we are needed, such as ranges, motorpools, barracks or (where Ivy Warrior Restaurant) facilities are not close.”
— Staff Sgt. Pierreline Pierre
By Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans
4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Tamiya N. John, left, a culinary specialist with 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, takes food orders from 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., Soldiers as the truck makes its rounds on post May 8, 2020. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans)
FORT CARSON, Colo. — For about two years, the Fort Carson Outpost Food Truck has served Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson healthy options for breakfast and lunch.
It is a service provided for Soldiers who are unable to make it to the post’s Ivy Warrior Restaurants (IWR) in time, due to conflicting schedules or difficult mission requirements.
“We support training at the ranges, although not all of them because it is not an off-road vehicle, but we serve at any range (that) we can get to — we support,” said Sgt. Maj. Charlene Coleman, senior culinary management with Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 4th Inf. Div. “We could move the truck to (any) area so our responsibility of feeding Soldiers would not be interrupted.”
With recent changes, the food truck staff has changed locations to ensure they feed as many Soldiers as possible.
“We provide support anywhere we are needed, such as ranges, motorpools, barracks or (where IWR) facilities are not close,” said Staff Sgt. Pierreline Pierre, Outpost Food Truck manager with 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been some changes to the way the culinary team conducts operations to remain in compliance.
“Usually there is a team of 14, but … we dropped it to six because of distancing and we don’t want too many people in the truck at the same time,” Coleman said. “So the team is smaller now, but it is still effective and it serves the Soldiers as needed.”
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Spc. Stephanie Straker, a culinary specialist with 115th Quartermaster Field Feeding Company, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, prepares food for Soldiers on post May 8, 2020, in the Outpost Food Truck. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Scott J. Evans)
Despite the challenges, the quality of the menu remains the same.
“We still provide the healthy and fresh options for the Soldiers,” Coleman said. “We just uphold social distance (measures), ensure there is no crowding and make sure the distance between Soldiers is maintained.”
The staff is trying to find new ways to make Soldiers aware of the food truck option as opposed to somewhere they would pay more for the same food options.
“We are trying to keep it going at a high flow with the advertisements,” Pierre said. “We take regular routes where people are used to seeing us to help to get the word out.”
Soldiers who normally receive meals at no expense at Ivy Warrior Restaurants can scan their Common Access Cards to receive meals from the Outpost Food Truck.