Dining in, Dining out; Vance Club can do it

  • Published
  • By Kate Begiebing
  • 71st Services
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Except for those in attendance at the 8th Flying Training Squadron Dining Out March 25, most of Team Vance wasn't aware of a "new" club on base.
"Basically we just moved the Vance Club to Hangar 170 for an evening," club manager Carson Campbell said.
The idea of holding the event in a hangar came to Capt. David White of the 8th FTS about six years ago while he was stationed at Offutt AFB, Neb. After Sept. 11, 2001, he thought it wouldn't be possible but once at Vance, he brought the idea back to life with a friend and started the planning.
"By the time of the Dining Out, the 8th FTS had completed transition from the T-37 to the T-6 and thus we'd witnessed the 'End of an Era,'" Captain White said.
Mr. Campbell said this was the first time the club catered out a Dining Out and was amazed at how smoothly the event ran and how well his staff came together. The evening was a mess-dress affair and started off with cocktails followed by a meal of beef tenderloin, potatoes, glazed carrots, chicken teriyaki, wild rice and more. Mr. Campbell said he could not have done it with out his staff, which included Thomas Clubb, Isaac Hooper, Amy Robinson, Amy Hanson, Ana Howard, Jackie Nelson, Shelby Pulis, Chantell Tiatrakul and Roberta Worth. The crew catered the meal and served 79 people; which is about 95 percent of the 8th FTS.
"It was a hard job to pull off. We paid close attention and sweated the details. It was a non-stop operation," said Mr. Campbell.
The hangar was clean, beautifully decorated with lights and complete with a dance floor. Live Big Band music was performed by the Tulsa Praise Orchestra, who played Billie Holiday, Glen Miller and Frank Sinatra selections. There were even T-37s and T-6s parked in the hangar for guests to dine by, creating a great atmosphere. The original plan was to have vintage World War II-era planes parked in the hangar but after three months of planning, unfortunately they were unable to get them here, said Captain White.
"But even without the vintage planes, I was pretty pleased with the way it looked," he said.
Mr. Campbell said this is the first time they've done this since he's been here and was very pleased with the turn out.
"We can do it all," he said. "It just goes to show, if you are looking at a special event, catered in or catered out, we have the capability to do it."