Pier 6 sits the place the Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay meet on the largest Navy advanced on this planet – Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.
It’s Monday, windy and chilly. Sailors, civilian contractors and dockworkers, or stevedores as they’re referred to as on Pier 6, hurry to unload three monumental meals vehicles stuffed with lots of and lots of of kilos of Thanksgiving provisions for the united statesForrest Sherman, a destroyer that’s docked at Norfolk through the vacation.
Quickly, an meeting line for the meals types; fruits, veggies, potatoes, pies and entire turkeys make their means from the truck to the deck and down into the stomach of the ship, the place they’ll sit, chilled, till they head to the galley for preparation.
On this episode, we’ll check out that custom, the preparation for it and what it means to the sailors on the ship for Thanksgiving. Since antiquity, one technique to study a army and its personnel has been via their stomachs, what they’re being fed and the way a lot – and this yr – with all the uncertainty the world has to supply, troops are getting quite a bit to eat this Thanksgiving.
Predominant Matters
- Drew F. Lawrence visits Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, and the united statesForrest Sherman to see sailors put together for Thanksgiving.
- Interviews with Protection Logistics Company personnel on how a lot meals has been despatched to troops at residence and overseas.
Extra Assets
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Transcript:
SPEAKERS
Michael Hong, CS3 Jacob Weed, Robbin Durie, Drew F. Lawrence, Robin Whaley, IT1 Jacob Hruska, Lt. Melissa Jock, Commander Jorge Roldan, CS3 Lopez Miller
Drew F. Lawrence
Pier 6 sits the place the Elizabeth River and Chesapeake Bay meet on the largest navy advanced on this planet – Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. It’s Monday, windy and chilly. Sailors, civilian contractors and dock employees, or stevedors as they’re referred to as on Pier 6 hurry to unload three monumental meals vehicles stuffed with lots of and lots of of kilos of Thanksgiving provisions for the united statesForrest Sherman, a destroyer that’s docked at Norfolk through the vacation. Quickly an meeting line for the meals types; fruits, veggies, potatoes, pies, entire turkeys make their means from the truck, to the deck and down into the stomach of the ship the place they’ll sit, chilled, till they head to the galley for preparation.
Lt. Melissa Jock
There is a hatch really proper behind the quarterdeck there that goes straight right down to mainly the galley degree after which down another to the reefer. So that they’ll simply make a line and all of it makes its means down there.
Drew F. Lawrence
That’s Lieutenant Melissa Jock, she’s the availability officer, or SUPPO for the ship and answerable for making the approaching Thanksgiving meal occur for a few quarter of the full crew – so about 75 sailors – caught with caring for the ship on the vacation whereas it is docked. As she’s telling me in regards to the unloading course of, one thing occurs – one thing that always occurs within the mornings on a army set up.
Lt. Melissa Jock
…dairy so all of them come in numerous, totally different occasions. They usually attempt to come on the identical…ope, maintain on.
Drew F. Lawrence
The sailors – and even among the dock employees – snap to consideration and render a salute to the American flag rising from the highest of the ship because the Star-Spangled Banner performs throughout the piers. And when three whistles blow – WHISTLE WHISTLE WHISTLE – the crew will get again to work.
Lt. Melissa Jock
So yeah, so usually it is like three or 4 vehicles. It simply relies on what we’re getting. Nevertheless it’s just about a median that…
Drew F. Lawrence
Within the army, the mission by no means stops, or not less than, not for lengthy. There are occasions the place you make room for custom, like dropping what you’re doing and saluting the colours within the morning. Thanksgiving isn’t any totally different, it’s a vacation steeped in custom for the army and the sailors on the united statesSherman are a few of 1000’s of troops away from their households on a day that will usually be spent at residence with them. On this episode, we’ll check out that custom, the preparation for it and what it means to the sailors on the ship for Thanksgiving. Since antiquity, one technique to study a army and its personnel is thru their stomachs, what they’re being fed and by how a lot – and this yr – with all the uncertainty the world has to supply, troops are getting quite a bit to eat this Thanksgiving. What does that imply? And what would possibly that inform us? For Army.com, my title is Drew Lawrence – and it is a particular episode of Fireplace Watch. Regardless of no main U.S. wars, some troops are away from residence greater than they had been for the reason that peak of the worldwide battle on terror. For instance, Army.com reported that the Army had roughly 120,000 troopers overseas as of April this yr. In 2008, through the peak of GWOT, the complete Protection Division had roughly 187,900 troops whole deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. These numbers started to dwindle, and now that the U.S. has withdrawn from Afghanistan, you’d suppose that the operation tempo – because the army calls its deployment and coaching charges – has slowed down. However with rising threats within the Pacific, Jap Europe and now once more, the Center East after Hamas launched a shock assault on Israel final month drawing U.S. property into the area on stability missions, the alternative seems true for service members away from residence through the holidays. I talked to some subject material consultants on the Protection Logistics Company, the factor answerable for getting these vacation meals, and actually all meals, to troops at residence and overseas. Robin Whaley, who’s the division chief in cost troop subsistence assist overseas, informed me this final week: US troops are not in Afghanistan, for instance, however troops are nonetheless being deployed world wide on a regular basis. They’re doing various things than perhaps they had been doing 5 or 10 years in the past. Do you see any distinction? You realize, do you see that there is extra meals going out? That there is much less meals going out? Do you see a distinction in the place this meals goes? Or the way it’s obtained?
Robin Whaley
No, I consider most likely meals consumption is about the identical as a result of irrespective of the place you might be or what number of troops you’ve, you are going to eat three meals a day. So I’d say that the meals consumption remains to be the identical. After which given all the world occasions there could also be a rise, however I’d say it is mainly the identical.
Drew F. Lawrence
Whaley has been with DLA for over 30 years and her prediction was proper. See, yearly, DLA releases what number of turkeys they ship out, pies, muffins and kilos of ham and beef and candy potatoes. That additionally contains what number of gallons of egg nog and surprisingly, shrimp, which noticed a few of its lowest numbers final yr – take that nevertheless you’d like. However right here’s the factor. This yr, the numbers that got here out for 2023 had been astronomically greater than any time within the earlier 5 years. Listed here are some highlights, based mostly on my quantity crunching: DLA delivered 19,790 extra entire turkeys to troops than it did final yr with a complete of 28,945. That is by far essentially the most turkey DLA has delivered since 2018. Beef numbers are additionally means up with poundage breaking into the 100,000s for the primary time since not less than 2017. That’s a rise in 104,717 kilos of beef, or 255% enhance since final yr. Ham and shrimp numbers have been greater than doubled since final yr. Once more, that is essentially the most quantity of ham since 2017. Candy potatoes, pie and muffins are down by about half every, however the numbers which have elevated have elevated A LOT. Now, DLA cautioned us about trying too laborious at these numbers and hoping for conclusions. For instance, troops apparently requested 23,461 gallons of egg nog in 2021. That’s like 3x as a lot egg nog that’s ever been requested – can we make any assumptions about that? Possibly troops had been thirstier that yr, I don’t know. However the level is that extra troops deployed overseas signifies that extra meals is probably going requested. And in response to DLA, latest world occasions have instantly contributed to the rise in vacation meals requested. A couple of days after my interview with Whaley, she despatched a press release that stated, partially, “This yr DLA Troop Assist obtained elevated necessities for vacation assist attributable to a number of unplanned actual world occasions.” I requested DLA spokesperson Michael Hong if the actual world occasions referenced in her assertion had been associated to the continued Israel Hamas battle that started final month.
Michael Hong
Right. President Biden has reiterated, reiterated our ironclad assist of Israel and so Israel assist has affected these numbers.
Drew F. Lawrence
Holidays all the time carry that temperature verify to gentle. Why are troops away from residence and their households? What are they doing? The place are they? Annually, the Protection Division releases photographs of troops consuming turkey meals and leaders serving up pies in bases from Boise, Idaho to Syria. The consultants at DLA informed me that efforts to get these meals to galleys and eating services world wide begins months upfront when items start requesting how a lot meals they need for the vacations. Many troops that DLA assist are deployed overseas. Actually, sailors on the united statesForrest Sherman had been underway within the Mediterranean final yr when Thanksgiving rolled round. Now, a few of these sailors are in port stateside and Robbin Durie, who’s answerable for stateside subsistence deliveries at DLA understands how that may be generally much more tough. And I suppose one query with that’s what do you hope for to your prospects once they obtain the shipments that you simply put collectively? And what I imply by that’s, you are particularly speaking about troops which might be right here stateside, they’re in coaching, they’re at the united statesForrest Sherman there as a result of somebody must be on the ship always. Proper, you recognize, what do you hope for them once they get their Thanksgiving meal and the way they really feel?
Robbin Durie
Proper? Nicely, I need them to get that sense of consolation. And so you recognize, some folks might need a notion, oh, it is meals, you recognize, it’s totally straightforward to purchase. How vital actually is it? Nevertheless it’s crucial. You do not take into consideration how comforting it truly is to have turkey on Thanksgiving, these recollections that it brings again. So I need these people that serve our nation to have that feeling of consolation if they are not capable of be with their family members on the vacation time.
Drew F. Lawrence
And that’s what a lot of the vacation success for the army comes right down to: the prep, the care and the camaraderie. Again on the Forrest Sherman, Lieutenant Jock gave me a tour of the galley, freezer and different components of the ship as she defined a bit extra in regards to the planning. We made our means down via the labyrinth of doorways and ladders and ended up within the mess deck the place sailors had been chatting, and Jock defined a bit extra in regards to the planning. How far upfront do you propose for Thanksgiving?
Lt. Melissa Jock
We needed to put our meals order in three weeks upfront. So we ordered it at like the start of the month. After which it is coming at present. In order that was like 20 days. I feel we ordered it on Halloween. October thirty first. In order that was three weeks out. That is simply commonplace prefer it’s necessary. In any other case you are not getting turkeys.
Drew F. Lawrence
I additionally spoke to one of many culinary specialist on the ship Jacob Weed,, and it was laborious to not be enthused by his pleasure in making a vacation meal occur along with his buddies and for his buddies this Thanksgiving.
CS3 Jacob Weed
I imply, like we’re getting chops, like like ASAP like we’re getting a 5 pound bag of onions, peppers, carrots, celery if we’ve it so we are able to begin mirepoix. We’re gonna put that within the turkey. And mainly everyone begins a slicing board up, get some music on the speaker. There’s like a 5 minute argument about what music we’re gonna take heed to then go forward and bump to music, get into it and get within the group mainly get within the jam. We did apple pie, pumpkin, candy potato pecan. After which we’ve two actually proficient fruit carvers…who can flip…Yeah, they do like these swans out of apples, birds and stuff.
Drew F. Lawrence
Final yr you stated you had been underway, proper? What is the huge distinction between prep from final yr, and prep for this yr not being underway.
CS3 Jacob Weed
The ship would not transfer, which makes cooking 10 occasions simpler. That’s simply one of the best distinction doable, the truth that you recognize we’re not we’re not shifting, we do not have to fret about securing stuff for sea, we do not have to get ropes from the BMs to go tie up our roasting pans stuffed with potatoes. They are not flying, no person’s getting hit with flying tomatoes and onions, which is nice. And we’re utilizing knives clearly, you recognize, so I’d say not shifting. However by way of quantity and by way of like output it may be the very same.
Drew F. Lawrence
Army.com spoke to a number of different troops on the united statesForrest Sherman, who all supplied a reasonably succinct thread of what it was prefer to spend Thanksgiving on a ship stateside and away from your loved ones: it sucks, however when you have a very good meal, spend a while with your pals and benefit from the vacation spirit the place you may, it sucks quite a bit much less.
CS3 Lopez Miller
It is not straightforward. However they everyone irrespective of who you might be, they inform you if you do not have wherever to go, go to the ship. As a result of no person needs to be right here.
Drew F. Lawrence
That’s culinary specialist third class Lopez Miller, stacking Thanksgiving provisions as they make their means down into the fridge freezer, or reefer as its referred to as.
CS3 Lopez Miller
So the sense that after we’re collectively, it sucks, however…however everybody sucks collectively. It makes it rather less dangerous.
Drew F. Lawrence
And here is data programs technician 1st class Jacob Hruska who’s been within the Navy for about 9 years and had some recommendation for brand spanking new service memebrs who will not be used to spending time away from residence on the vacations
IT1 Jacob Hruska
Greatest factor is simply providing if, if we’re fortunate sufficient to be in port, providing them that likelihood of you recognize, hey, the bottom is doing this for you guys. In case you do not feel like that, my home is open. However most likely crucial factor is simply letting them know, like, ‘Hey, you are not with your loved ones. Name them for those who can. However make certain no matter yow will discover one thing to do, do not be alone through the holidays, as a result of it simply it will get tough while you’re not used to it.’
Drew F. Lawrence
And to make issues a bit extra bearable, management on the united statesForrest Sherman allowed members of the family to accompany these 75 or so sailors charged with caring for the ship on Thanksgiving to hitch them for the meal – a particular addition to the vacation custom that makes it a bit higher.
Commander Jorge Roldan
We actually perceive that, you recognize, not everybody’s going to have the ability to journey residence. This could be some, a few of our sailors first time actually form of being separated from household. And so no matter effort we are able to make, whether or not it is, you recognize, making that meal just a bit bit extra particular. Making an attempt to guarantee that we do not do a variety of you recognize, form of…
Drew F. Lawrence
Right here’s commander Jorge Rodan, the chief officer for the ship. And I requested him if he and different management can be coming in to go to their sailors this Thanksgiving.
Commander Jorge Roldan
Yeah, Captain and I had been simply discussing it this morning. You realize, I requested the group to place collectively perhaps like a particular plan of the day with the vacation menu. And as soon as we finalize the timeline for Thursday, I do know myself, I am gonna carry my spouse and my son on board. Captain’s gonna carry his daughters in order that we’ve a chance to form of share our household with our Navy household.
Drew F. Lawrence
And others can, can they carry their household as properly?
Commander Jorge Roldan
Sure, if the responsibility part member has somebody that they want to carry a meal…
Drew F. Lawrence
Oh, I nearly forgot. Jock, the SUPPO, was form sufficient to drag out a turkey for us to check out. It was the large reveal of the day. Take a hear: I used to be going to interview it.
Lt. Melissa Jock
You are gonna interview the turkey? Inform me how that goes. Yeah, certain.
Drew F. Lawrence
You wish to assist me? I am kidding. Thanks for listening to this particular episode of Fireplace Watch. Credit score to our govt producer, Zach Fryer-Biggs and a particular thanks to the crew and personnel at Naval Station Norfolk to your time. As all the time, thanks for listening.
