PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. — American journalist Earl Wilson once said, “Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break!”
In keeping with Wilson’s love of a good cup of Joe, the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) opened a coffee bar and micromarket in the center’s main lobby June 28. To commemorate the event, the center held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially dedicate “Atomic Java,” the aptly named café and humorous nod to AFTAC’s nuclear treaty monitoring mission.
Col. James A. Finlayson, commander of AFTAC, received a fair amount of feedback from his workforce about the possibility of creating a space within the center’s 276,000 square foot headquarters building that could offer more than a typical vending machine contains.
Since AFTAC operates a 24/7/365 mission, Finlayson took the feedback to heart and asked his facilities, budget and force support experts to come up with a viable plan to make the concept a reality. Eighteen months later, the team delivered on Finlayson’s vision.
Space Launch Delta 45 Vice Commander Col. Anthony Graham; AFTAC Command Chief Master Sgt Jerome Wright; Section Commander for the 709th Support Squadron 1st Lt. Walter Johnson before the ribbon-cutting of Atomic Java at Patrick SFB. (U.S. Air Force photo by Matthew S. Jurgens)
“We wanted to find a way to improve the quality of life for the people here, especially our shift workers, so they could have a place to grab a quick cup of coffee or snack without having to leave the AFTAC campus,” said Finlayson. “A lot of hard work went into this endeavor, and I am so excited to introduce ‘Atomic Java’ to our workforce!”
Doing the ribbon cutting honors with Finlayson was Patrick SFB Exchange General Manager Thea Sarver and Col. Anthony Graham, Space Launch Delta 45 vice commander for Installation Support.
“This café is what we call an ‘unattended retail unit,’ which gives customers access to a variety of food options outside regular business hours,” Sarver said. “We are thrilled to be here today to expand our reach to AFTAC personnel.”
The café features a number of grab-and-go items such as protein bars, chips, snacks and candy, as well as microwavable products like hamburgers, sandwiches and ramen.
“We’ve shared a long and positive relationship with AFTAC,” said Sherri Samudio, services manager for The Exchange. “We act as the liaison between the AFTAC and the various food trucks that come to the center each week, a partnership that has been very successful. Now we have expanded our services, which is especially beneficial for shift workers who don’t normally have access to the food trucks who are here during the lunch hours. And as we all know, coffee is sometimes a lifeline for those who work past midnight!”
First Lt. Walter Johnson, section commander for the 709th Support Squadron, spearheaded the project to bring the commander’s vision to fruition, and coordinated the effort to dedicate the café and host the ribbon cutting ceremony.
“This was a $200,000 military construction project, and if you ask me, that is money very well spent,” said Johnson. “It wasn’t a particularly easy undertaking – it required a ton of coordination with a variety of outside agencies, but once Terry Sanderfur [AFTAC’s facilities flight director] and I got the ball rolling, it was smooth sailing. I’m extremely proud to have been a part of introducing Atomic Java to our employees, and I hope everyone will patronize it as often as possible. It’s all in a day’s work!”
Susan A. Romano is a writer for AFTAC Public Affairs.
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