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MEETING PREVIEW

Charles Girard, deputy food service program Former Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support
analyst, gives an update on Marine Corps sub- Fall meeting programming focuses on science Commander Army Brig. Gen. Charles Hamilton
sistence at last fall’s R&DA meeting. Food service and technology. A featured speaker again this gives the keynote address in October at last fall’s
representatives from each service branch are ex- fall is Betty Davis, science and technology branch R&DA meeting. Delivering the keynote this fall is
pected to participate in San Antonio. chief, U.S. Army Soldier RD&E Center Natick. his successor, Army Col. Mark Simerly, who became
commander of DLA Troop Support on June 11.
Commanders Headline Fall Meeting

lanning for this fall’s Research R&DA Fall Meeting Speakers Mix actually going to be a little easier
and Development Associates for us, running the meeting, since
P(R&DA) for Military Food and New and Familiar Leaders we’re down here,” McNulty said.
Packaging Systems annual meeting is When planning the spring and
progressing on a program that pres- fall meetings, McNulty prefers loca-
ents an opportunity to get acquainted and the Central Command prior to that. tions that are close to military bases or
with some new leaders and explore Having the DLA commander deliver support operations, such as DLA Troop
troop feeding in a different regional the keynote address is likely to result in a Support and Natick. In San Antonio,
command. fairly large contingent representing DLA two Army combatant commands are
Defense Logistics Agency Troop Troop Support at the meeting. A similar nearby, United States Army North (AR-
Support’s new commander is set to strong turnout is expected from the U.S. NORTH) and United States Army South
deliver a keynote address introducing Army Natick Soldier Research, Develop- (ARSOUTH).
himself and his goals. Also, hosting ment & Engineering Center, including “We’re trying to get some speakers
the meeting in San Antonio creates an Steve Moody, director of the combat from them to talk about feeding issues
opportunity to get a perspective on the feeding directorate, and Betty Davis, and challenges in that sector,” he said.
unique subsistence challenges facing chief, science and technology branch. “It would be very useful to our members
two combatant commands that are R&DA tends to focus the program- to hear about that.”
based nearby. ming for its fall meetings on science and Discussion naturally tends to focus
Army Col. Mark Simerly became technology, and McNulty is planning on the United States Central Command
commander of DLA Troop Support on updates from Davis on new technology (USCENTCOM) and the central Asia
June 11, succeeding Army Brig. Gen. along with additional speakers. region given the recent military activity
Charles Hamilton, who took command “I’m making a visit up there to [DLA there. But USCENTCOM is only one of
in July 2015. “He was very generous in] Philadelphia at the end of the month nine Unified Combatant Commands,
in agreeing to come down here and [August] and talking to all of them about each with its own area of military re-
speak; we’re looking forward to that,” their program, I’m doing the same with sponsibility, and McNulty sees an op-
said John McNulty, R&DA’s executive Natick,” he said. portunity to bring R&DA members up
director. to speed on what is going on in the
“And we also have as one of our IN SAN ANTONIO geographic regions of the world that
featured speakers a relatively new Army Under the theme “The Military Food are under the two segments located in
food advisor, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Marketplace – A Partnership of Govern- San Antonio.
Jim Donaldson,” McNulty said. “He ment, Industry and Academia,” R&DA’s Northern and Southern commands
took over as the Army food advisor fall 2017 meeting is October 24 to 26, approach troop feeding a little differ-
just a few months ago.” 2017, at the Hilton Palacio del Rio on ently compared with CENTCOM, where
McNulty explained that Donaldson the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. there is a stronger emphasis on rations.
brings a wide range of overseas military This marks the third time that
food service experience to the Army R&DA has hosted one of its meetings FURTHER PRESENTATIONS
food advisor position, having most re- in San Antonio. The last was in 2012 Some familiar names that are likely
cently overseen operations in Europe and another was back in 2004. “It’s to participate in the fall meeting pro-
10 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • SEPTEMBER 2017