Food, friends, and fun

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jan K. Valle
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  

As I walk toward the dormitory, I can smell the delicious food from miles away, I can hear the loud music and I can feel the positive vibes from the people attending the event. I am greeted with smiles, hidden behind the masks, and joy from the hosts of the event.

 As a single Airman living in the dorms, it can be difficult to socialize and build relationships with fellow Airmen. The dorm dinners allow me to interact with Airmen from career fields base-wide. It can be quite difficult to talk to “strangers”, but the dinners give it a different atmosphere and mood that makes me feel comfortable talking and meeting new people. Every time I go to the dorm dinners there is always something exciting going on. I can recall a moment when a two-star general came to visit Minot. He played card games with us. At a past dorm dinner there was a raffle where I won some toilet paper, at that moment in time toilet paper could have been used as currency. 

In my opinion, the dorm dinner is an awesome concept, but I know it can expand to more Airmen. Unfortunately, some Airmen are not aware or very social and choose to not attend the dinners. The food was very delicious, for example, they had burgers, ice cream, and pulled pork sandwiches which are all free! Many Airmen like to take the food back to their room. They don’t realize that it can definitely be another avenue to make new friends and build connections. Making connections is one of the main reasons why I attend dorm dinners. Personally, I don’t like being alone or bored, so the dinners help with morale.

As an Airman, it can be challenging to talk to leadership in the workplace, whether it is with my superintendent, chief, or even the commander. Talking to leadership can be difficult. Chiefs and commanders come from different squadrons around the base to attend the event, which makes being able to talk to leadership in an informal setting easier for me to interact with them.

Overall, the dorm dinner is something I look forward to on the first Wednesday of every month. Whether it’s for the food, camaraderie, or even the awesome atmosphere, it is always a good time and something I recommend all Airmen to attend at least once.