Perhaps no other U.S. demographic can appreciate the Thanksgiving holiday as much as our nation’s veterans who have spent many a Thanksgiving far from family, friends, and football. Despite that premise, the Military has never ignored or disregarded Thanksgiving, not since the Civil War at least, and going back even further in many cases. 

And, while culinary accomplishments of the Military are not typically associated with gourmet fare, the provisions themselves and the cooking performances have been no less than miraculously impressive. For example, the 144,854 pounds of turkey consumed in 2010 in Iraq for Thanksgiving alone was not without massive project planning and implementation.

Chrissie Reilly, Staff Historian for U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), researched and wrote a delightful piece on the Army’s long history of serving up Thanksgiving Dinner around the world as part of its mission to feed its troops. To access and read “Thanksgiving in the Army,” click here.