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380AEW Article

Windy's, a 'well-known tent' in deployed region

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Savannah
  • 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  From the outside, the dining facility looks like many of the other large, dusty, beige tents typical of a deployed environment.

Then you open the door to '70s and '80s funky, R&B music blaring from a radio, while laughter and upbeat conversation from the people packed at the tables in the room hovers at a range just slightly lower than the music.

The food is just as "upbeat," as the feel-good cuisine varies daily anywhere from steak and lobster, to fried catfish and barbecued ribs, to even chicken wings with a selection of sauces.

"The food is so good here; I love it," one person says, almost shouting as she happily dines with coworkers in the packed but comfortable room.

Airman 1st Class Negusa Lee, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron U-2S crew chief, said he comes to Windy's at least once a week. He typically dines there for lunch on Thursdays, when the featured cuisine is "soul food."

"I can only come once a week because I've got to keep my shape," Lee said, laughing.

He said he also enjoys the music and spending time with his friends.

Sgt. 1st Class Samueal Hill, Windy's dining facility manager, said the music and menus have been part of Windy's atmosphere since his unit opened the facility when they were deployed here in 2009.

"When we came here (in 2009), we all got together and we decided to come up with some meals," said Hill, who is with the 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment here from Fort Bragg, N.C. "I ... thought about some (other) things that I would like to see, so we ended up coming up with the music the first time we (were) here."

The Dallas native said his team wanted to give people here a respite from the deployed environment.

"I just truly believe that every Soldier, Airman, Sailor (and) Marine deserves to have the best and feel comfortable and relax, and every now and then get away from the stressful environment," Hill said. "Just have a nice meal, relax and get along well."

The sergeant said the facility's fame even extends outside of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, as Army and Air Force leaders in the region have visited the base and asked to dine at Windy's, calling it "one of the best dining facilities in the AOR (Area of Responsibility)."

"It's a tent, but it's a well-known tent," Hill said.

He said many also want to know the story of how the tent was named.

"When they (were) building the tent up (in 2009), a strong storm came and (a gust of wind) took it and blew it away," he said. "They named it Windy's because of the wind. Every time a unit comes here they always want to change the name, but the wing commander always tells them, 'No, that's a historical thing for them'."

Some of Hill's favorite memories of the facility include birthday celebrations. He recalled a time he was asked by an Airman's leadership to make a cake for his birthday. It was the Airman's first time deployed and he was 19 years old. Hill said they don't bake cakes, but they order them.

"So we got one of those cakes and we thawed it out," he said. "We went online and we did this little card that said 'Happy Birthday' to the Airman. His leadership said his whole attitude changed."

Another memorable moment was when third-country nationals who work at Windy's sang "Happy Birthday" to the battalion's sergeant major.

"There's a lot of fond memories of our being here," Hill said.

Hill said he takes care of people here by offering good food and a welcoming environment so they can take care of the mission.

"When people come in here and ask for (a cold drink) because they're out there working, I tell them yes, because they're out there in the hot sun, and if you can make these Airmen a lot happier and morale is high, then it's going to be better for their leadership," Hill said. "With planes in the air and missiles going down, you want to make sure everybody's on their A game. That's why I do the things I do, to ensure that we're doing our part.

"It might be small, but we're doing our part to keep our country free, and that's by making sure that our Airmen and our Soldiers are getting the best quality meal they can get."