Med Gen. speaks to KARES during ‘Night of Etiquette’

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Patrice Clarke
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Salad fork, soup spoon, your bread, my bread ... when it comes to a formal dinner place setting most people don't know the difference between their salad fork and their dinner fork.

Wolf Pack women got the opportunity to learn a little dining etiquette as well as hear Brig. Gen. Theresa Casey, Assistant Surgeon General for Modernization, speak during the fourth meeting of KARES or Kunsan Accepting, Respecting and Embracing Sisterhood group Sept. 24 at the Loring Club here.

The etiquette lesson, which was presented by 1st Lt. Crystal Sermons and Staff Sgt. Aisha Hagar, 8th Fighter Wing protocol office, featured the ins and outs of a formal dining experience.

"We just wanted to give the ladies a few dinner etiquette tips," said Sergeant Hagar. "With our Air Force Ball this weekend, we thought this would be a perfect opportunity for this type of class."

Some of the information presented included the proper way to approach a chair and sit, the proper way to pass anything across the table and the proper usage of each eating utensil. The highlight of the night for many attendees was the quick and easy way to figure out which bread and drink belongs to each attendee.

"If you place your thumb and forefinger together on both hands and look down, your fingers make a B and a D," said Lieutenant Sermons. "That's how you know where your bread and your drinks are ... bread to the left and drinks to the right."

After allowing each attendee to practice the different etiquette techniques dinner was served and members of the group were able to put the etiquette lesson to the test.

"I knew some of the etiquette stuff beforehand," said Staff Sgt. Zarai Alvarez, 8th Medical Operations Squadron but it was great to come out."

Even General Casey, who has attended other classes on proper dinner etiquette, got something out of the lesson.

"I really liked the B and D thing," said General Casey. "I have been to dining etiquette classes throughout my career. They always managed to make the simple things so difficult. That simple finger exercise is something that I will always remember."

After dinner, General Casey imparted some experiences from her life and opened the floor up to questions.

For Lt. Col. Mary Toohey, 8th Maintenance Group deputy commander, this was her first night with the group.

"I heard about the meeting from a lieutenant who works in the group with me," said Colonel Toohey. "She invited me to come out and participate in the event. And I am really glad I did. Tonight was a great night. I just felt a fellowship. It was nice to get out and really hear what other women are doing, feeling and going through. It was a healthy exchange of ideas and thoughts and it let us be a little girly just once."

After the event, General Casey also had a few words about the KARES group as a whole.
"This group is amazing," she said. "It gives these women a chance to see and know that the experiences they are going through someone else right here at Kunsan has gone through the same things. All I'm wondering is how this hasn't been benchmarked and up and running at other bases throughout the Air Force. This is a group that I can see being beneficial to many women throughout the service."