EAT UP! - FOOD SAFETY A PRIORITY FOR DEPLOYED Published June 15, 2010 By Senior Airman Wes Carter 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) -- Every day thousands of Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and con-tractors walk through the doors of Dining Facility Two here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thankfully, they can eat up without worrying about if the food they are consuming is safe. The 332nd Expeditionary Aerospace Medical Squadron's Public Health Flight staff inspects the food deployed servicemembers and contractors consume daily. "We check how the food is stored, what temperature it is cooked at and what the environment it is stored in looks like, among other things," said Staff Sgt. Jennifer Ledward, a 332nd EAMS public health technician. "Our number one priority is to ensure people aren't susceptible to food poisoning or other food-borne illnesses. Anything that affects the whole population involves us." The Public Health Flight deemed Dining Facility Two well above satisfactory during a detailed check in March. Each monthly inspection is unannounced to prevent the facility staff from preparing. "We gave the dining facility a rating of 'excellent,' " Ledward said. "In order to receive this high of a mark, the facility has two satisfactory ratings in a row. This ensures they are being consistently conscious of potential health issues." It's important to remember that public health Airmen aren't just trying to keep a few people from a trip to the clinic, Ledward said. In a deployed location, the health of every Airman is vital, so the dining facilities must be held accountable, she added. "It gives me peace of mind that when I come in here I won't get sick," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Jackson, a 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron member. "My unit already has a high mission tempo right now. For me to be out of the picture because I am sick would cause them to have to grab someone else. "It would affect the whole mission from the top down," he added.