DLA Troop Support Delivers 187 Tons Of Holiday Foods by Nancy Benecki,
Defense Logistics Agency
December 28, 2021
Santa’s got nothing on the Defense
Logistics Agency (DLA).
DLA Troop Support provided 187 tons of
holiday food, from the turkey and the trimmings down to the eggnog,
to thousands of service men and women around the world for 2021 Christmas
dinner ... all without a sleigh.
U.S. Army soldiers serves Christmas meals to fellow soldiers at Camp Buehring, Kuwait
on December 25, 2020. The 1st TSC ensured holiday meals were provided throughout the U.S. Central Command area of operations for all service members. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoran Raduka)
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“DLA Troop Support’s Subsistence
supply chain has a history of providing meals around the world for
the last 50 years,” said Robin Whaley, DLA Troop Support’s
Subsistence Division Chief of OCONUS Customer Operations. “We
provide meals to the military field kitchens, dining facilities,
galleys and ships. It’s a tremendous logistical effort every year
for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it’s important that our service
men and women get to enjoy that traditional meal for the holidays.”
This year, the Subsistence supply chain team provided
worldwide:
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49,045 whole turkeys
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57,784 pounds of
roast turkey
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85,609 pounds of beef
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82,313 pounds of ham
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32,268 pounds of shrimp
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38,268 pounds of sweet potatoes
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78,508 pounds of cakes and pies
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17,659 gallons of eggnog
The Subsistence team started working in the spring with
vendors both locally and across the globe to ensure military food
service professionals will have what they needed to prepare a
festive holiday meal for those away from home this Christmas.
That planning starts around the world at the same time, said
Richard Morrow, a tailored logistics specialist with DLA Troop
Support Europe and Africa. Most orders are placed with suppliers by
June, he said.
In lieu of Santa’s sleigh, DLA Troop Support
works with large teams to make sure the goods get to the tables on
time, including DLA Troop Support Europe and Africa, DLA Troop
Support Indo-Pacific, the military service branches, the U.S.
Transportation Command and subsistence prime vendors.
“Thanks
to the dedicated professionals of the DLA Troop Support Subsistence
and the DLA Troop Support Europe and Africa team, in concert with
multiple agencies, 105 bases were able to ensure 86,000 troops
enjoyed a taste of home away from home,” said Master Sgt. Jessica
Covington, customer liaison officer with DLA Troop Support Europe
and Africa.
Brig. Gen. Dianne Del Rosso, deputy commanding general, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, and Command Sgt. Maj. George Luedtke, senior enlisted advisor, 311th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, sat down with Soldiers at Camp Buehring, Kuwait
on December 25, 2020. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoran Raduka)
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All Christmas items for Europe and Africa have
been delivered, said Lauren Austin, customer operations branch chief
for United States European Command and United States Central
Command.
“We had product moving out of warehouses in
Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Somalia and Niger for my region,” she
said.
There was one last-minute requirement to support
special forces in N’Djamenda, Chad, she said.
“They came to
us asking for a holiday meal with no forecast submitted because they
didn’t know they would be in the area,” she said. “We supported them
with excess stock that our vendor had on hand that wasn’t needed to
support current orders.”
The subsistence prime vendors start
shipping items in late September and early October for Thanksgiving.
In most instances, the food for Christmas ships at the same time,
Morrow said. Shipments for larger quantities may be staggered, he
said.
Morrow, who served in the Army, has been with DLA since
1996. He said it’s important to get these ingredients to troops
around the world, so warfighters have that taste of home for the
holidays.
“They’re overseas and at certain times deployed
situations fighting for our freedom, therefore it’s important for
their morale and general well-being for them to have the things
they’re accustomed to,” he said.
Austin, who has been with
DLA since 2019, agreed that it’s all about getting a little comfort
and joy to the warfighters.
“Warfighters are sacrificing
their lives,” she said. “Being away from home during the holiday
season is difficult for anybody, but particularly so if you’re in a
remote or austere location. To be able to give them a bit of home
where they have their Christmas ham or pecan pie is really
comforting and special to them.”
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