Defense Agency Provides U.S. Troops Overseas with Holiday Meal
November 27, 2002

United States troops overseas will be receiving traditional Thanksgiving meals this year, thanks to efforts of the Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA) Defense Supply Center Philadelphia.

The task of supplying approximately $2.3 million worth of traditional holiday fare to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving America in a variety of Southwest Asian, European and Pacific locations is no small feat. This year’s aggregate meal items include:

201,847 pounds of turkey; 131,720 pounds of beef; 114,036 pounds of ham; 6,381 pounds of duck; 9,498 pounds of Cornish hens; 64,676 pounds of seafood; 16,954 cans of sweet potatoes; 67,089 pounds of vegetables; 1,344 boxes of corn-on-the-cob; 8,035 cans of cranberry sauce; 67,895 pies; 4,117 pounds of fruitcake; 24,380 cans of eggnog; 8,299 cans of nuts; and 20,217 pounds of candy.

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia provides approximately $7.8 billion worth of food, clothing and textiles, medicines and medical equipment, general and industrial supplies for U.S. troops worldwide and their eligible dependents annually. The center is a field activity of the Defense Logistics Agency.

The Defense Logistics Agency provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the military services and to several civilian agencies. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA is the one source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations.