Luau in the desert comes to Phelps Hall

MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif., — Phelps Mess Hall celebrated a grand re-opening aboard the Combat Center, June 4, 2018. Phelps Hall re-opened after eight months of renovations to improve the efficiency of services provided to Marines and sailors aboard the installation.
“The renovations to the facility will increase the overall efficiency of the mess hall,” said Master Sgt. Wavelay Jones, food technician, Headquarters Battalion. “We received new water resistant floors, walls, and new equipment.”
Throughout the renovation process, Phelps hall endured multiple changes to include the dining area, where new laminate was put on furniture, as well as new water resistant floors and walls in the galley and scuttle machine room to prevent deterioration.
“A lot of water accumulates on the floor and steam is created throughout the day which gets onto the walls, so in order to sustain the longevity of the building we improved the internal structure of the facility,” Jones said.
In preparation of the grand re-opening, the food service specialist Marines began preparing food the morning of Sunday, June 3, 2018. The Hawaiian-themed lunch went along with the overall grand re-opening theme of luau in the desert.
“It took a lot of coordination with Public Works Division, Sodexo contractors and other agencies to complete the project and make the re-opening possible,” Jones said. “The Marines worked extremely hard throughout the entire renovation helping clean and move in the new equipment.”