Defense Logistics Agency gets Thanksgiving meals to warfighters around the world

Photo By Nancy Benecki | Soldiers at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in a file photo from 2018. While this year’s Thanksgiving meal may look different this year, the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support has been providing traditional Thanksgiving food to field kitchens, dining facilities and galleys to locations in the United States and around the world. (Photo by SSG Caitlyn Byrne)  

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES

11.23.2020

Story by Nancy Benecki 

Defense Logistics Agency   

PHILADELPHIA – This year, Thanksgiving will be different for our service men and women throughout the world. While meals may be switched to grab-and-go style takeout instead of large group gatherings in dining facilities, the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Subsistence supply chain is making sure that warfighters everywhere are able to have a home-cooked meal with all the trimmings this holiday.

The planning and preparation for the troops’ holiday meal starts as early as March at DLA Troop Support. Many ingredients for the meals are on hand at prime vendor locations by September, and the overseas locations start receiving high-volume items, like the turkeys and more than 131 tons of trimmings, in October.

“The holidays will look quite different this year for everyone,” said DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Gavin Lawrence. “I’m proud that our workforce is doing everything possible to make sure our warfighters get a proper holiday meal, especially since many of us will not be able to be with our family and friends. We want to make sure they get that taste of home no matter where they are in the world.”

For more than 50 years, DLA Troop Support has been providing traditional Thanksgiving food to field kitchens, dining facilities and galleys to locations in the United States as well as the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Korea, Japan, Qatar, Honduras and other locations around the world where our service members are deployed.”

“Food is emotional, and this year more than ever, it’s so important that DLA Troop Support got the turkeys, hams and all the trimmings to our troops wherever they are stationed,” said Army Col. Eric McCoy, DLA Troop Support Subsistence Director. “Our supply chain takes the holidays very seriously. Our troops are far away from home, and they definitely look forward to this meal. Disappointing them is not an option.”

This year, service members around the world received an estimated:

• 9,000 whole turkeys
• 51,000 pounds of roasted turkeys
• 74,000 pounds of beef
• 21,000 pounds of ham
• 67,000 pounds of shrimp
• 16,000 pounds of sweet potatoes
• 19,000 pounds of pies and cakes
• 7,000 gallons of eggnog
• And many other holiday treats

The Subsistence team worked diligently with regional vendors both locally and across the globe to ensure that military food service professionals had what they needed to prepare a festive holiday meal for those away from home this Thanksgiving. Most locations received their supplies by Nov. 19.

DLA Troop Support supplies America’s armed forces with $19 billion annually of food, uniforms, protective equipment, medicine and medical supplies, repair parts, and construction and equipment.

As the nation’s combat logistics support agency, the Defense Logistics Agency manages the global supply chain – from raw materials to end user to disposition – for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, 11 combatant commands, other federal agencies, and partner and allied nations. For more information about DLA, go to: www.dla.mil, www.facebook.com/dla.mil or http://twitter.com/dlamil.

• Date Taken: 11.23.2020
• Date Posted: 11.23.2020 15:16
• Story ID: 383596
• Location: PHILADELPHIA, PA, US