---
title: "The Air Force wants to ‘enhance’ and ‘augment’ its ‘draft beer capabilities’"
description: "The Air Force is calling for additional self-serve beer taps at its on-base bar and grille at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio."
date: "2021-03-17"
modified: "2021-03-18"
authors:
  - name: "James Clark"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-wright-patterson-beer-capabilities/"
categories:
  - "Air Force"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Tactics"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
---

# The Air Force wants to ‘enhance’ and ‘augment’ its ‘draft beer capabilities’

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/17/airforce-enhance-beer-taps.jpg>)
*U.S. Marines and civilians compete in a stein holding competition at Lejeune Field aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Oct. 30-31, 2020. There were varieties of activities, live music, food trucks and beer tasting at the Marine Corps Community Services Howl-O-Fest Eve. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl Addysyn H. Tobar)*

When it comes to the written word — or spoken ones, for that matter — the U.S. military is in a league of its own. There's the military's [love affair with 'lethality'](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/the-pentagons-obsession-with-lethality-has-officially-gone-too-far/>); its obsession with [acronyms](<https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/us-military-acronyms-worst-ever/>), of which it has hundreds [if not thousands](<https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/us-military-acronyms-worst-ever/>); [its robust arsenal of slang](<https://reddit.com/r/MilitaryStories/comments/1w4ok4/military_slang_jargon_and_acronyms/>); the way enlisted troops use expletives like commas; and its fraught relationship with punctuation — the Marine Corps' hands in pockets ban is [based on a misunderstanding](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/the-marine-corps-ban-on-hands-in-pockets-centers-around-the-possible-misuse-of-a-semicolon/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIf%20you%20notice%2C%20the%20words,the%20Marine%20Corps%20Uniform%20Board.>) over how semicolons are used. And no, I will never let that go.

It's not that the military is *bad* with language, no, no, no, that'd be too subjective. It's just that they have their own way of *employing* it. And sometimes, it's rather magical, if a bit confusing.

To that point, I'd like to [direct your attention](<https://beta.sam.gov/opp/4d41330553764a2fac0ad312dbdc6224/view?keywords=%22wing%27s%20grill%20self-serve%20%26%20self-pay%20draft%20beer%20systems%20%22&sort=-relevance&index=&is_active=true&page=1>) to a government contract for beer taps at [Wings Grille & Lounge](<https://www.wrightpattfss.com/wings-grille-lounge>), a bar located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio (emphasis added):

> "Wings Grill, located at Wright Patterson AFB is wanting to *enhance/augment* its current *draft beer capabilities* with the purchase of 20 additional beer taps integrated into the draft beer tower running through the bar wall directly to the walk-in keg cooler. In addition to the 20 taps, Wings Grill is wanting to update their existing 12 taps allowing guests to purchase prepaid swipe cards for use with a portion/price regulated self-serve system. *In total, Wings Grill will have 32 self-serve and self-pay draft beer taps as a result of this acquisition.* The additional taps and self-serve modifications are needed to better suit the needs of the restaurant's clientele."

The March 12 solicitation was posted to the [System for Award Management](<https://beta.sam.gov/opp/4d41330553764a2fac0ad312dbdc6224/view?keywords=%22wing%27s%20grill%20self-serve%20%26%20self-pay%20draft%20beer%20systems%20%22&sort=-relevance&index=&is_active=true&page=1>), which is the federal equivalent of the 'help wanted' section of the paper, and calls for additional self-serve and self-pay beer taps at the base bar, which is, quite frankly, awesome. Not only will service members be able to drink their fill — so long as they can stumble their way to the tap — this system seems to take the social distancing requirements imposed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic into account.

The only thing better than that is that it's written like a procurement request for a new battle rifle, rather than new bar tech. It's a stroke of genius. I mean, who doesn't want to "enhance" and "augment" their drinking capability?

With any luck, this new booze delivery system, which relies on pre-paid swipe cards, will spread to other bases, in much the same way that on-base tattoo parlors have begun [multiplying across the force](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/nellis-air-force-tattoo-studio/>).

That's assuming that someone lands the contract by the deadline of March 25 and is up to ample task of providing "adequate training to operate all equipment." Actually, I can think of a few folks who'd be more than happy to provide training on how to pour themselves a beer...

***Related: [What enlisted troops drink at every stage of their careers](<https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/enlisted-troops-drink-every-stage-careers/>)***

*Feature image: U.S. Marines and civilians compete in a stein holding competition at Lejeune Field aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Oct. 30-31, 2020. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl Addysyn H. Tobar)*

## Author
James Clark is the editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/JamesWClark>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jclarkjournalism/>)