America’s warfighters serving in Afghanistan this Thanksgiving will still enjoy a taste of home, thanks to the efforts of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support employees.
Anthony Amendolia, the Subsistence supply chain’s customer operations chief for Europe and the Middle East regions, applauded the cooperation between the agency’s workforce and its industry partners to bring a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal to service members far from home.
“The folks here at DLA Troop Support and our supporting vendors work together toward a single goal: support our warfighters,” he said. “We take a great deal of pride in knowing they’ll get that taste of home while serving away from their families.”
Deliveries of more than 70,000 pounds of turkey, 55,000 pounds of beef, 29,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, and 20,000 pies have been made across the United States and are ready to be prepared, he said.
Commander Army Brigadier Gen Steven Shapiro, who recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan, stressed the significance of this mission.
“I’ve been deployed for the last two Thanksgivings,” he said. “When you’re away from home, the people around you become your family. Sitting for Thanksgiving Dinner is a huge morale booster and really gives you a sense of home.”
“Afghanistan is one of the most difficult places on the planet to support, logistically,” Shapiro said. “The folks here at DLA Troop Support and our prime vendor partners don’t let anything stand in the way of the troops overseas getting a fantastic Thanksgiving meal.”
DLA Troop Support also supplies dining facilities across the United States, the Navy fleet, and on other overseas military installations. Employees begin working with customers in the summer, about six months before the holidays.
One of five DLA Troop Support supply chains, Subsistence ensures that service members and other DOD customers around the world have high-quality, nutritious meals daily.
DLA Troop Support supplies America’s armed forces with $13 billion annually of food, uniforms, protective equipment, medicine and medical supplies, repair parts, and construction and equipment. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir VA, it has about 26,000 employees worldwide and supports more than 2,300 weapon systems. For more details, go to www.dla.mil.
