money 'An Army tradition': Fort Bragg serves Thanksgiving meal, dining facility style
Steam from fresh meats, vegetables and sides filled Fort Bragg on Tuesday as silverware clinked against plates signaling an Army tradition known as dining facility Thanksgiving.
About 65 soldiers who are part of the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade spent the past two weeks preparing for the annual meal that included six turkeys, ham, carved pork, prime rib and dozens of pounds of sweet potatoes, pies, rolls and more said 1st Sgt. Willie Baker, one of the brigade’s noncommissioned officers who helped organize the brigade’s meal.
Pfc. Christopher Campbell, a culinary specialist in the brigade, said the actual meal prepping started at about 8 p.m. Monday, as soldiers rotated shifts.
Campbell’s shift started at about 5 a.m. Tuesday, and he focused on cooking shrimp, ham, turkey, pork loin and more.
“We’re working hard and trying to make sure that all the soldiers get fed …,” Campbell said. “So whether it’s coming in early or leaving late at night, we got a task to get done and complete the mission.
Capt. Mary Hassell, who helped organize the brigade’s meal, described it as an “Army tradition.”
“The Army leadership, we dress up and we serve soldiers,” Hassell said. “We want to show our appreciation to the soldiers and their families in everything they do on a daily basis.”
Col. Elizabeth “Liz” Curtis, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, shared Hassell’s sentiments.
Curtis said the tradition is something she remembers from when she was a kid, and she now takes her own kids to see what goes into the dining facility at Thanksgiving.
“It’s a family affair,” Curtis said. “Thanksgiving is a time to be very thankful for all that we have and really to bring our families together. It's an Army tradition where we serve. We have a chance as leaders to thank not only our soldiers, but the families as well.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Tonya Sims, the senior enlisted advisor for the 82nd Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade, said the meal combines leaders showing their appreciation to soldiers, while also focusing on the overall fitness of their paratroopers.
“With that, we have to take into consideration the overall soldier concept — what does it take for those soldiers, our paratroopers to be able to sustain and perform the 7-8 hours a day,” Sims said.
Spc. Michaela Johnson-Brown, a North Carolina native, usually brings her own meals to eat because she doesn’t live in the barracks on post.
But during her morning physical training with her unit, fellow soldiers told Johnson-Brown about Tuesday’s meal.
“The meal is actually really good and a lot better than what I was expecting,” she said. “I can’t really attest to the meats, because I’m vegetarian, but everything else was really good.”
Johnson-Brown said she appreciated the command team putting the meal together, especially for soldiers who may not have to chance to go back to their home states during the holiday.
Spc. Marquis Taylor, a Maryland native, said he thinks the meal shows that leaders are involved with taking care of the soldiers and that it promotes “team building.”
“It’s just a family away from the family,” Taylor said. “It’s another Thanksgiving day away from my actual family.”
The meal also allows for a “friendly competition” amongst dining facilities across the post, where culinary specialists showcase their cooking skills and decorate the dining area with a theme, Hassell said. The 82nd Sustainment Brigade’s theme was Marvel superheroes, which included Spiderman cupcakes and a soldier dressed as the Marvel character walked through the facility.
“It really goes to emphasize superheroes, where the heroes are our paratroopers and soldiers who work hard every day,” Curtis said.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Bragg dining facilities serve Thanksgiving meals to soldiers
