455th EMDG/TF MED-E combat dining in

Colonel Joseph Chozinski, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group/Task Force Medical East, commander, leads salute to the head table during the the 455th EMDG/TF MED-E combat dining in here, March 31, 2010. Colonel Chozinski is deployed from Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. (U.S. Air Force photo by/ Staff Sgt. Richard Williams)

455th EMDG/TF MED-E combat dining in

Major Timothy McDowell, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group/Task Force Medical East, chief of pharmacy operations receives his camaflouge paint from Senior Airman Danielle Acosta, 455th EMDG/TF MED-E, contingency aeromedical staging facility technician, in preparation for the combat dining in here, March 31, 2010. Major McDowell is deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. and is a native of Omaha, Neb. Airman Acosta is deployed from Travis AFB and is a native of Tracy, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by/Staff Sgt. Richard Williams)

455th EMDG/TF MED-E Combat dining in

Master Sgt. Donovan Tauriello, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group/Task Force Medical East, first sergeant, toasts the mess after completing his run through the obstacle course during a combat dining in here, March 31, 2010. Sergeant Tauriello is deployed from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. and is a native of Colombus, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo by/ Staff Sgt Richard Williams)

455th EMDG/TF MED-E combat dining in

Senior Master Sgt. Joe Steiner, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group/Task Force Medical East, medical operations superintendent, addresses the mess with a point of order during the first ever combat dining in here, March 31, 2010. Sergeant Steiner is deployed from McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. and is a native of Canon City, Col. (U.S. Air Force photo by/ Staff Sgt. Richard Williams)

Water flies during 455th EMDG/TF MED-E combat dining-in

Published April 7, 2010
By Staff Sgt Richard Williams
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- More than 200 Airmen and Soldiers participated in an Air Force tradition during the first ever 455th Expeditionary Medical Group/Task Force Medical East Combat dining-in here, March 31, 2010.

The combat dining in was designed to bring a sense of camaraderie and give members something to do outside of work, said Maj. Timothy McDowell, 455th EMDG/TF MED-E, chief of pharmacy operations and organizer of the event. "We just wanted to give people a stress reliever and be able to relax and have a good time."

The event is pretty simple, Major McDowell, deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., explained, it started with the "gathering of the mess," when everyone came in and took a seat. Next the official party came in, the colors were posted, and "rules of the mess" were explained. Violators of the official rules of the mess would then be sent to the grog, a nonalcoholic liquid concoction with items that correlate to the theme of the event. Grog ingredients included everything from ice cream to apple juice.

Col. Joseph Chozinski, 455th EMDG/TF MED-E, commander, and president of the mess opened the dining in with the traditional toasts and once the rules were explained, no one was safe from a trip to the grog including the president himself.

"I have attended three or four dinings-ins in my career and this is by far the best," said Colonel Chozinski, deployed from Luke AFB, Ariz. "It has been one of the wildest and craziest, but it has been the most fun."

Colonel Chozinski added that in a job where all of the horrors of war are realized daily, his team needs events like these to come together as a group, socialize and just enjoy each other's company outside the stresses of the work environment.

The event organizers added a combat theme to the tradition: Anyone who was called out by a point of order as violators of the rules of the mess had to complete an obstacle course to get to the grog bowl and drink from the bowl to pay for their violations. . As the rule breakers navigated the obstacle course, a water balloon and water gun barrage met them to impede their progress.

"It is a lot of fun," said Airman 1st Class Jamie O'Donnell, 455th EMDG/TF MED-E, optometry technician. "It is definitely what I was expecting."

Airman O'Donnell, deployed from Langley AFB, Va., was pleased to see her chain of command take such an active role in the festivities. "It was nice to see the colonel and the chiefs get out there and see everyone's participation and for us to all to be able to come together and have a good time in this deployed location."