Army Reserves learn from food bank

TULSA - A group of army reserves spent Saturday morning touring the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to learn about the food bank’s operations and warehouse capabilities. 

Members of the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve Apache Company 486 Civil Affairs Battalion have partnered with the food bank to provide operational and distribution information as they prepare for upcoming overseas missions to set up food operations in remote locations, Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma spokeswoman Susan Tilkin said.

"As Civil Affairs Personnel, Populace and Resource Control, Foreign Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief are all part of our core tasks and missions," said Justin Porter, Unit Administrator of the 485th Civil Affairs Battalion. "Our goal this Saturday is to ensure that the soldier's get the hands on experience and knowledge of the basics that it takes to run a food distribution center. Civil Affairs Soldiers need to have the knowledge and experience of what it takes to get food to the populace in several types of missions to include combat, Foreign Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency and Disaster Relief."

Past missions include establishing food distribution sites and other services in Iraq and Afghanistan.