Philadelphia, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There are two things service members can count on during the holiday season – Santa Claus and the Defense Logistics Agency.
Thousands of U.S. service men and women around the world will have Christmas dinner delivered in time for the big day without the help of a sleigh, but due to the efforts of the DLA Troop Support Subsistence team which has planned for this important meal since the spring.
“This year, despite the additional complexities that COVID-19 put in front of us, the DLA Troop Support Subsistence team went above and beyond to make sure our service men and women around the world will have a wonderful Christmas dinner,” said DLA Troop Support Commander Army Brig. Gen. Gavin Lawrence. “Giving our men and women in uniform a taste of home during the holidays, especially in this extraordinarily difficult year, is extremely important. I hope this meal brings comfort and joy to everyone serving around the world.”
This year’s menu includes:
• 9,000 whole turkeys
• 51,000 pounds of roasted turkeys
• 74,000 pounds of beef
• 21,000 pounds of ham
• 67,000 pounds of shrimp
• 16,000 pounds of sweet potatoes
• 19,000 pounds of pies and cakes
• 7,000 gallons of eggnog
• And many other holiday treats
Logistics planners worked diligently with regional vendors both locally and across the globe to ensure military food service professionals had what they needed to prepare a festive holiday meal for those away from home this Christmas.
For more than 50 years, DLA Troop Support has provided traditional Christmas food to field kitchens, dining facilities and galleys to locations in the United States as well as the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Korea and other locations around the world where our service members are deployed.
DLA Troop Support supplies America’s armed forces with $19 billion annually of food, uniforms, protective equipment, medicine and medical supplies, repair parts, and construction and equipment.
As the nation’s combat logistics support agency, the Defense Logistics Agency manages the global supply chain – from raw materials to end user to disposition – for the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, 11 combatant commands, other federal agencies, and partner and allied nations. For more information about DLA, go to: www.dla.mil, www.facebook.com/dla.mil or http://twitter.com/dlamil.