Culinary Students tour the Thunderbird Inn dining facility Published Dec. 10, 2010 By Brian Brackens 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Kirtland Air Force Base -- Robert Vick, manager of the Thunderbird Inn dining facility at Kirtland Air Force Base is passionate about serving the highest-quality food and providing the best service to the Airmen who eat there. His service has been so impressive that the Culinary Arts program at Central New Mexico Community College has students tour the Thunderbird Inn several times a year to learn from the operation. On Nov 22, a group of CNM students toured the facility. Chef Carmine Russo, a CNM culinary arts professor said that the Thunderbird Inn is one of the most impressive facilities he's ever seen. "They are going above and beyond. This is the nicest kitchen I know of. So neat, so clean, so organized, and the people really care about what they do. It's so important for my students to see this." Most of the students work in the hospitality industry and all of them are going to school to become chefs. In the classroom they learn the basic principles of food management, while trips to facilities like the Thunderbird Inn are eye-opening experiences. "Everything that they've learned in school, we're going to show them," said Mr. Vick. "This can be an overwhelming experience for students, when they see all of the things that we do." One of the goals of the trip was to motivate the students. "If the students learn one thing today, I hope it is that this guy (Mr. Vick) is really energetic and passionate about his work, and that they should be too," said Chef Russo.