1 of 3 | Service members enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal after the Defense Logistics Agency delivered 700,000 pounds of food for a holiday feast. Photo by Rose Gudex/U.S. Air Force/Stars and Stripes
Nov. 27 (UPI) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin placed pre-holiday calls on Tuesday and Wednesday to members of each branch of the U.S. military to wish them a happy Thanksgiving.
“Secretary Austin expressed his gratitude for service members and their families for their unwavering dedication and sacrifice in defense of the nation,” the Department of Defense announced Wednesday in a news release.
Austin “commended their critical role in ensuring the safety and security of the United States, as well as their continued commitment to supporting America’s allies and partners around the globe,” the news release continued.
He also “acknowledged the professionalism and integrity with which they carry out their duties, recognizing the vital contributions they make every day in service to the country,” the DOD said.
Austin spoke with members of the 12th Cavalry Regiment of the 2nd Battalion that is deployed in Poland, Marine Corps Combat Logistics Battalion 31 in Okinawa and the USS Stockdale, which is deployed in the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility.
Austin also spoke with airmen with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Squadron in Qatar and the 4th Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Space Force Base in Colorado.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks also offered a “message of gratitude” while “paying tribute to the sacrifices of U.S. service members, civilian personnel and their families” in a video message, the DOD announced in a separate news release.
“As families gather in the comfort of their homes and the warmth of the dinner table, we remember all that you do to ensure the safety and security that enable these holiday traditions,” Hicks said.
Deployed troops won’t have to miss a Thanksgiving dinner after the Defense Logistics Agency and armed forces supply center delivered about 700,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving foods to troops in hard-to-reach places, Stars and Stripes reported.
The troops received nearly 140,000 pounds of turkey, 177,000 pounds of beef, 98,000 pounds of ham and 49,000 pounds of shrimp for holiday meals.
They also have 46,753 pounds of sweet potatoes and 9,324 cases of pies and cakes upon which to feast.
The amount of food distributed this year is about 360,000 pounds more than they received last year for the Thanksgiving holiday.