Defense Logistics Agency serves up home for service members

The Defense Logistics Agency provided over 698,000 pounds of food so deployed service members have a Thanksgiving meal this year.

The Subsistence supply chain starts gathering the requirements in April. The April start gives prime vendors time to place orders with the suppliers and allow for the 90 to 120-day lead time to get the products overseas.

"Thanksgiving is an incredibly important holiday for DLA Troop Support," says Subsistence Division Chief, OCONUS Customer Operations Robbin Whaley. "It is our Super Bowl. Food is emotional, and we want to make sure that the soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines serving around the world have that taste of home on Thanksgiving Day."

This holiday, the Warfighters can expect to receive:

• 139,665 pounds of turkey
• 176,791 pounds of beef
• 98,091 pounds of ham
• 49,055 pounds of shrimp
• 46,753 pounds of sweet potatoes
• 9,324 cases of pies and cakes
• 1,004 cases of eggnog

"I feel extremely proud knowing an extremely talented, committed team consisting of DLA Troop Support, DLA Europe and Africa, DLA INDOPACIFIC, and Subsistence Prime Vendors worked diligently to ensure every warfighter has a hot meal for Thanksgiving," said Whaley. "The best part of getting all the shipments together is the teamwork consisting of customer operations, supplier operations, SPV's, regional commands, and distributors working together to get the meal to the last tactical mile."