US Military Secures Record-Breaking Amount of Turkey for Thanksgiving Meals Across Globe
The US Department of War has secured over 380,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving food items as part of its annual effort to ensure American troops have a festive meal. This year's haul includes 152,626 pounds of turkey, 124,022 pounds of beef, and 66,054 pounds of ham - a significant increase from previous years.
The logistics of ordering and distributing these massive quantities are complex due to varying troop numbers across the globe, according to John Sheehan, director of customer operations for the Troop Support Subsistence (TSS) team. "Holiday requirements are like fingerprints in that no two are alike," he noted. "Each holiday item's quantity is determined by the fluid troop requirements and preferences from year to year."
Military dining facilities will be supplied with an assortment of sides, including mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, 15,282 cases of pies, 6,512 cans of sweet potato, and 792 cases of eggnog.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Shemika Harris expressed her admiration for the DLA's work in bringing Thanksgiving to servicemembers worldwide. "They approach each holiday with a sense of pride and purpose," she stated. "These meals mean far more than just food - they bring people together."
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also reached out to troops around the globe, including those in the US, to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and express gratitude for their service. The Secretary reportedly made lighthearted remarks during one call with troops due to technical issues, joking about two dozen sailors' appearance before turning his attention back to the troops at hand.
The US Department of War has secured over 380,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving food items as part of its annual effort to ensure American troops have a festive meal. This year's haul includes 152,626 pounds of turkey, 124,022 pounds of beef, and 66,054 pounds of ham - a significant increase from previous years.
The logistics of ordering and distributing these massive quantities are complex due to varying troop numbers across the globe, according to John Sheehan, director of customer operations for the Troop Support Subsistence (TSS) team. "Holiday requirements are like fingerprints in that no two are alike," he noted. "Each holiday item's quantity is determined by the fluid troop requirements and preferences from year to year."
Military dining facilities will be supplied with an assortment of sides, including mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, 15,282 cases of pies, 6,512 cans of sweet potato, and 792 cases of eggnog.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Shemika Harris expressed her admiration for the DLA's work in bringing Thanksgiving to servicemembers worldwide. "They approach each holiday with a sense of pride and purpose," she stated. "These meals mean far more than just food - they bring people together."
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also reached out to troops around the globe, including those in the US, to wish them a happy Thanksgiving and express gratitude for their service. The Secretary reportedly made lighthearted remarks during one call with troops due to technical issues, joking about two dozen sailors' appearance before turning his attention back to the troops at hand.
380k pounds of turkey? it's not even that much for a country with over 300 million people lol why do they need so much food just for the military? and i love how they're making an effort to get different sides too, like mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. but at the same time, can you imagine trying to distribute all this food across the globe? it's like a logistical puzzle 
also lol at the sec of war trying to make small talk with sailors who are clearly having zero technical issues 
does anyone really think those 2 dozen sailors looked bad tho?! 
. anyway, fun fact: did you know the average American eats around 450-500 calories on Thanksgiving Day? and here's some crazy stats about Thanksgiving food: 
! Average US military personnel eat like 14-15 pounds of food per meal, so this huge haul is gonna make some serious history 
. Turkey alone weighs over 20 tons - that's like 4-5 large school buses stacked on top of each other 
! Beef and ham are also getting a major boost with the increased orders, so I'm hoping everyone gets their fave side dishes too 
. Anyways, can't get enough of these adorable vids of troops enjoying Thanksgiving feasts - they bring tears to my eyes 
! And who needs a parade when you've got 15k+ cases of pies being delivered to the troops? 
.
what's up with all that turkey? i mean, 152k pounds is insane 
it makes sense that each holiday would be different since there are so many troops everywhere 
the fact that they make an effort to bring thanksgiving to the troops is just so beautiful 
shemika harris said it best - these meals mean way more than just food, they bring people together! 
It sounds like a big challenge to get everything just right! 
. But seriously, it's awesome that they're making an effort to bring some normalcy to their lives, especially when they're so far away from home. And can we talk about how weird it is to have eggnog in cans? Like what's next, dehydrated pumpkin pie? 
]