The Most Important Turkeys of Thanksgiving Reach the Tables of Our Fearless Troops In Iraq and Afghanistan

Sgt. Maj. David Shaw of the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, serves up a helping of turkey to Spc. Ariana Williams of the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion during a Thanksgiving Day celebration on Camp Mike Spann in Northern Afghanistan. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class John Queen)



Dear Lord,

Thank you on this special day for all of the blessings we have received but especially for the selfless service of our nation's troops to the defense of our Country. Please hold each man and woman serving in our military today close to your mighty chest and protect them. Let them know we love them, appreciate them and honor them. Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with the finest warriors on the planet.

Amen.


From DOD Live:

Thanksgiving Dinner for the Troops on Deployment


PHILADELPHIA, PA – Service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as U.S. State Department employees serving there, will be able to savor the familiar taste of home on Thanksgiving Day thanks to the efforts of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support workers here.

More than 270 dining facilities have received their food deliveries and are postured to serve the special Thanksgiving holiday fare.

Deliveries included 168,000 pounds of turkey, 37,800 pounds of stuffing, 93,876 pounds of beef, 43,560 pounds of sweet potatoes, 24,000 pounds of shrimp, 34,560 pies and 25,800 pounds of cranberry sauce, along with other holiday treats.

“America’s military is a special group of heroic men and women who continually make sacrifices for our freedom,” said Navy Rear Adm. David Baucom, DLA Troop Support commander. “It is our duty and covenant to show our gratitude by providing them the very best our country has to offer for the holidays.”

As the U.S. military mission winds down in Iraq, the State Department has been increasing its personnel there and using DOD’s food supply chain infrastructure. As a part of the arrangement, State Department employees and service members eat together in the same dining facilities.

DLA Troop Support has a team of employees dedicated to ensuring that deployed service members can experience a memorable holiday meal each Thanksgiving.
As a DOD combat support agency, DLA provides the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. The agency sources and provides nearly 100 percent of the consumable items America’s military forces need to operate, from food, fuel and energy, to uniforms, medical supplies, and construction and barrier equipment. DLA also supplies more than 80 percent of the military’s spare parts.

With headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA has about 27,000 employees worldwide and supports more than 2,178 weapon systems.