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FRONT BURNER

Months of Planning Make Thanksgiving Meals Possible

early nine months of planning culminated in
Nthe successful delivery of Thanksgiving food
supplies for U.S. troops deployed overseas to enjoy a
taste of home for the holiday.
Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support sent more
than 200,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving food
to field kitchens, dining facilities and galleys through-
out the Middle East and other parts of the U.S. Central
Command.
The planning begins in March and the work contin-
ues right up until the last deliveries are made. Robin
Whaley, who works with DLA Troop Support’s Sub-
sistence supply chain in Philadelphia, said it takes a
lot of coordination and attention to detail to make Air Force Col. Aaron Steffens, 455th Air Ex-
sure deployed service members get the Thanksgiving peditionary Wing vice commander, serves
Thanksgiving meals to service members at
meal they deserve. service members deployed Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, in 2013. Each
“I am grateful and feel honored and blessed know- to Afghanistan, Iraq, Jor- year, Subsistence supply chain professionals at
ing I was personally involved in the process of providing dan and Kuwait include: the Defense Logistics Agency ensure American
service members around the world are able
Thanksgiving support to the warfighter,” Whaley said. “If 98,820 pounds of turkey to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
we can bring a little taste of home to the warfighter and 47,880 pounds of beef (PHOTO BY AIR FORCE CAPT. BRIAN WAGNER)
put a smile on their faces, we have done our job.” 31,650 pounds of ham
The effort is appreciated by Air Force Chief Master 30,384 pounds of shrimp
Sgt. Erika Kelly, who is the command chief of Air Force 3,110 gallons of grape juice
Reserve Command and the Reserve’s most senior-ranking 918 gallons of eggnog
enlisted airman. 6,288 pies
“During this Thanksgiving, nearly 6,000 Air Force Re- 9,378 cakes (which includes 382 cheesecakes)
servists are serving on active duty worldwide in support
of combatant commanders and other agencies and major The Subsistence team worked with regional vendors
commands,” Kelly said. “It means a lot to our deployed across the globe to provide Thanksgiving food items to
Reserve citizen airmen who are away from their families Navy ships at sea and to service members at the following
and friends to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal with locations: Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Korea, Okinawa,
their Air Force family.” Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and various locations in Eu-
Some of the food that DLA Troop Support provided for rope and Africa.

A Ready Pantry is A Routine Challenge in Afghanistan

Soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade deployed to Afghanistan realize
the boost to morale gained by providing that Thanksgiving dinner.
The 3rd Inf. Div. RSSB food service section is responsible for placing orders for rations and tracking them until
delivery is complete throughout the entire Combined Joint Operations Area - Afghanistan. Partnering with the
Defense Logistics Agency, they manage items such as water; prime vendor items, such as meats, potatoes and
canned goods; operational rations, such as MRE’s, and health
and comfort packets.
“Thanksgiving food was ordered four months in advance,”
said Chief Warrant Officer Three Yessenia Johnson, the food
advisor support operations chief for the 3rd Inf. Div. RSSB. “The
intent of the chain of command is to ensure every single soldier
gets turkey.”
A case of sparkling grape juice is wrapped and Food is ordered and shipped to Ba-
ready to ship to a dining facility on Bagram gram Airfield from the United States,
Airfield, Afghanistan on Nov. 16. The juice is
a special treat for the deployed soldiers who where it will take 120 days to arrive in
spent Thanksgiving in the theater. country. It arrives in the airfield, where
(PHOTO BY SPC. ELIZABETH WHITE WITH 3ID RSSB, USA.) it is then taken off post to be stored in

4 GOVERNMENT FOOD SERVICE • JANUARY 2018