5/6 Club hosts enlisted CDI

  • Published
  • By Staff reporters
  • 51st Fighter Wing
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  The Osan 5/6 Club hosted the first Team Osan 'Enlisted Only' Combat Dining-In Saturday at the traffic management office warehouse in Bldg 635.

More than 300 Airmen and Soldiers attended the military dinner toting their water-filled guns, balloons and launch platforms, as well as donning various individual protective equipment and camouflage face paint.

The President of the Mess, Chief Master Sgt. Richard Jette, 51st Fighter Wing command chief master sergeant, brought the combatants of the mess to order for the newest of the dining-in traditions.

"The purpose of the dining-in was to bring together combatants in an atmosphere of camaraderie, good fellowship and social rapport," said Staff Sgt. Jason Balolong, outgoing 5/6 Club president who departs Osan in December. "The basic idea was to enjoy yourself and the company."

"I had an awesome time at the CDI! I think the thing I enjoyed the most was battling with the tables on the other side of the obstacle course," said Tech. Sgt. Jerol Boyce, 51st Fighter Wing legal office. "This was my second CDI I've attended and it was much better than before as [everyone] really got into the spirit of the event and had a good time."

The guest speaker, Chief Master Sgt. Nathan Turner, 51st Mission Support Squadron superintendent, spoke to enlisted members about the "Muscle Behind The Mission" theme of the combat dining-in and provided an analogy of how enlisted personnel of all ranks represent the smooth, cardiac and skeletal muscles of the human body.

Members of the 5/6 Club, First Sergeants Council, Top Three and Chiefs Group prepared a meal fit for an Army, cooking more than 600 pieces of steak and chicken breasts while the Pacific House Dining Facility staff baked 550 potatoes.

"A social gathering of this magnitude takes a lot of teamwork," said Tech. Sgt. Michael O'Connor, Arrangements NCO of the combat dining-in. "Tech. Sgt. Agnes Gause, the Vice Arrangements NCO and all 5/6 Club members on the committee did an outstanding job of pulling everything together; however, without the many volunteers none of this would've been possible. This will go down as a great Team Osan memory for everyone including the Soldiers from the Army's 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detachment who attended."

Sitting at the head table with Chief Jette and Chief Turner were Sgt. Maj. Elijah Jones, 3rd BCD, Tech. Sgt. Jesse Dean, the new 5/6 Club president, Staff Sgt. Balolong and Tech. Sgt. Greg Volkman who provided the invocation. Other key members of the mess included Staff Sgt. Melissa Fletcher, Madam Vice, Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Saunders, Mr. Versa, and Staff Sgt. Timothy Zink and Senior Airman Marcus Declouette, the Sergeants at Arms. Senior Airman Symphony Samuel and Airman Richard Mordecai sang the U.S. and Republic of Korea National Anthems.