Dining facility due for major renovation

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Senior Airman Joseph Bateman, 48th Dental Squadron technician, gets a plate of food from Kimberly Alcock, 48th Force Support Squadron cook, at the Knight's Table Dining Facility May 24, 2011. The dining facility will close from June 17 to Sept. 8 for upgrades to the building and its equipment. The DFAC will receive $850,000 worth of upgrades including improvements to the dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and front office areas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Connor Estes)

Dining facility due for major renovation

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Danny Maynard, 48th Force Support Squadron contractor supervisor, prepares a plate of food at the Knight's Table Dining Facility May 20, 2011. The DFAC will close from June 17 to Sept. 8 for renovations and will receive $850,000 worth of upgrades including improvements to the dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and front office areas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Connor Estes)

Dining facility due for major renovation

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Pawel Orwat, construction worker with Vinci Facilities, works on a scaffold in the women's bathroom at the Knight's Table Dining Facility May 20, 2011. The dining facility will close from June 17 to Sept. 8 for upgrades to the building and its equipment. The DFAC will receive $850,000 worth of upgrades including improvements to the dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and front office areas. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Connor Estes)

Dining facility due for major renovation

Published May 24, 2011
By Staff Sgt. Connor Estes
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- The Knight's Table Dining Facility will be closed from June 17 to Sept. 8 for a large renovation project to modernize the facilities.

The $850,000 renovations will include improvements to the dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and front office areas. The kitchen will be updated with new flooring, lighting, ceilings and a fire suppression system.

"It's going to be a transition for the Airmen, but it's going to be short-term," said Senior Master Sgt. Robert Jackson, 48th Force Support Squadron food service section chief. "Then we'll be back up and running and ready to go in September."

Airmen on meal cards will temporarily receive Basic Allowance for Substance and partial Cost of Living Allowance. The BAS and COLA adjustment will be automatically added into paychecks. Liberty Airmen will have to find alternate means of dining during this time.

"Airmen on Essential Station Messing or meal card plan will no longer have meal deductions," said 1st Lt. Carl Protsch, 48th Comptroller Squadron Financial Services Flight commander. "Members should plan accordingly from June 17 to 30, as they will not see the funding until their June 30 paycheck."

Members can check their Leave and Earning Statement each month to ensure there are no discrepancies.

The daily BAS rate will increase by $9.25 a day (roughly $277.50 a month). COLA, which is based on rank, time in service, and macroeconomic factors, will also increase by an average of $5.60 a day (roughly $168 a month).

"The BAS and COLA will be nice to have," said Senior Airman Joseph Bateman, 48th Dental Squadron technician. "It will give me the opportunity to try the eating establishments in the community and experience the local British culture."

Liberty Airmen can research their future COLA at: http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/colaCalc.cfm.
- Select pay period
- Select location or locality code (UK352) and mark "Living In Barracks as NO"
- Input member information
- Hit calculate

During the closure, the 48th Street Café Military Dining Facility, better known as the flight kitchen, is extending its services by one hour to accommodate Airmen, but will not take meal cards. The flight kitchen is located in building 1224, next to Hangar 7.