AAFES to provide grab-and-go meals to students as DoDEA’s ‘virtual’ schools open at Yokota

Yokota Air Base —The Army & Air Force Exchange Service will continue to provide meals to students as Department of Defense Education Activity schools go “virtual” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting March 23, the Exchange is providing grab-and-go school meals to military children at Yokota. A similar program started March 2 in Korea after schools in U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, USAG Humphreys and Osan Air Base in Korea went virtual.

From March 23 to April 3, students can pick up their breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday from 0800-0930 and 1000-1130 at Mendel Elementary school.

During meal pickups, Exchange associates and school personnel will be present to monitor and enforce strict social distancing requirements as students pick up lunches.

“Each location will have someone there to monitor so we don’t get a crowd of more than 20 people,” said Exchange General Manager Julia Woods. “We will also allow only 10 students to enter while monitoring safe distances while in line. Students are instructed to take their meals home to eat.”

All DoDEA schools in Japan and Okinawa are scheduled to resume classroom learning on April 13.

The Exchange operates the school meal program for military students overseas, serving more than 2.5 million meals a year.