The Defense Logistics Agency Delivers a 'Taste Of Home' to U.S. Troops In Iraq and Afghanistan

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How do you plan Thanksgiving dinner for 180,000 people more than 6,000 miles away? If you are 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 U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott Chambers. He commands the DLA Philadelphia field activity which provides all the food for U.S. military personnel worldwide, 365 days a year. "It's very important to us to give our troops a taste of home during the holidays, so we start planning the traditional Thanksgiving meal even before Memorial Day rolls around," Chambers said.

DLA employees in the Philadelphia-based Subsistence supply chain start their Thanksgiving meal planning this 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 like turkeys and large beef roasts in October.

U.S. Navy Capt. Ed Rackauskas, director of DLA's Subsistence directorate, said in Iraq and Afghanistan, deliveries began in mid-October to allow for any 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.

These charts illustrate the quantity and dollar amount for feeding the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan Thanksgiving meals.

    Holiday Requirements 2009
    -------------------------
    Iraq
    ----
                                   Thanksgiving
                                   ------------
                                    Quantities               Dollars
                                    ----------               -------
    Whole Turkey/Raw & Precooked   225,980 lbs.          $795,359.08
    ----------------------------   ------------          -----------
    Turkey Breast/White             77,648 lbs.          $416,969.76
    ----------------------------   ------------          -----------
    Turkey Thigh/Dark               73,296 lbs.          $236,013.12
    ----------------------------    -----------          -----------
    Ham                             40,826 lbs.          $135,020.26
    ---                             -----------          -----------
    Beef                            23,536 lbs.          $128,019.30
    ----                            -----------          -----------
    Shrimp                          28,764 lbs.          $180,062.64
    ------                          -----------          -----------
    Stuffing  Mix                   37,107 lbs.           $87,421.94
    -------------                   -----------           ----------
    Potatoes                        41,515 lbs.          $102,362.32
    --------                        -----------          -----------
    Sweet Potatoes                  9,702 cans            $60,799.20
    --------------                  ----------            ----------
    Vegetables, Corn/Green Beans    59,435 lbs.           $80,771.42
    ----------------------------    -----------           ----------
    Cranberry Sauce                  7,188 cans           $52,448.44
    ---------------                  ----------           ----------
    Pies                            26,946 each          $245,320.33
    ----                            -----------          -----------
    Cakes                           13,544 each          $220,915.68
    -----                           -----------          -----------

                                        665,487        $2,741,483.49
                                    -----------        -------------

    Holiday Requirements 2009
    -------------------------
    Afghanistan
    -----------
                                    Thanksgiving
                                    ------------
                                    Quantities           Dollars
                                    ----------           -------
    Whole Turkey/Raw & Precooked    48,228 lbs.        $121,143.96
    ----------------------------    -----------        -----------
    Turkey Breast/White             28,235 lbs.        $134,682.35
    ----------------------------    -----------        -----------
    Turkey Thigh/Dark               14,112 lbs.         $32,034.24
    ----------------------------    -----------         ----------
    Ham                             22,950 lbs.         $62,424.00
    ---                             -----------         ----------
    Beef                           112,467 lbs.        $520,489.01
    ----                           ------------        -----------
    Shrimp                          21,168 lbs.        $140,555.52
    ------                          -----------        -----------
    Stuffing  Mix                   24,706 lbs.         $49,838.88
    -------------                   -----------         ----------
    Potatoes                        23,814 lbs.         $19,815.60
    --------                        ----------          ----------
    Sweet Potatoes                   3,529 cans         $15,017.65
    --------------                   ----------         ----------
    Vegetables, Corn/Green Beans    48,397 lbs.         $23,766.47
    ----------------------------    -----------         ----------
    Cranberry Sauce                  1,764 cans          $8,869.98
    ---------------                  ----------          ---------
    Pies                            24,706 each        $126,411.76
    ----                            -----------        -----------
    Cakes                            2,824 each         $46,243.00
    -----                            ----------         ----------

                                        376,901      $1,301,292.42
                                        -------      -------------

As the Department of Defense's combat logistics support agency, DLA is responsible for providing 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 about 84 percent of the military's spare parts.

DLA is headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., and has 25,000 employees worldwide. DLA's business revenues were almost $38 billion in Fiscal Year 2009. For more information about DLA, go to www.dla.mil.