PHILADELPHIA — How do you plan Thanksgiving dinner for 180,000 people more than 6,000 miles away? If you’re a food buyer at the Defense Logistics Agency, you start by making a shopping list in April for meals to be served to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Providing superb meals to our U.S. troops is a critical mission of the Defense Logistics Agency, and one we put a great deal of effort into,” said AF Brig. Gen. Scott Chambers, cmdr of the DLA Philadelphia field activity, which provides all the food for U.S. military personnel worldwide, 365 days a year.
DLA employees in the Philadelphia-based subsistence supply chain start their Thanksgiving meal planning early to make sure that food items and ingredients will arrive overseas in time for the holiday. Many ingredients for the meals are on hand at prime vendor locations by September, and bigger dining facilities start receiving high-volume items, such as turkeys and large beef roasts, in October.
Navy Capt. Ed Rackauskas, who leads DLA’s subsistence directorate, said deliveries began in Iraq and Afghanistan in mid-October to allow for unexpected changes or possible redistribution due to movement of troops. “No matter where troops are stationed, they can expect DLA to provide the best possible meal for Thanksgiving,” he added.
He said putting together these meals is challenging, particularly in supplying some of the bigger dining facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, where holiday meals are served all day to accommodate service members working different shifts.
Here is a breakdown of quantities and dollar values for Thanksgiving meals for service members in Iraq:
Raw and precooked whole turkey: 225,980 pounds, $795,359.08; Turkey white meat: 77,648 pounds, $416,969.76; Turkey dark meat: 73,296 pounds, $236,013.12; Ham: 40,826 pounds, $135,020.26; Beef: 23,536 pounds, $128,019.30; Shrimp: 28,764 pounds, $180,062.64; Stuffing mix: 37,107 pounds, $87,421.94; Potatoes: 41,515 pounds, $102,362.32; Sweet potatoes: 9,702 cans, $60,799.20; Vegetables, corn, green beans: 59,435 pounds, $80,771.42; Cranberry sauce: 7,188 cans, $52,448.44; Pie: 26,946 pies, $245,320.33; and Cake: 13,544 cakes, $220,915.68.
The total dollar value for Thanksgiving meals in Iraq is $2,741,483.49.
