A Camp Victory Thanksgiving

Although the sign behind me is intended to remind people of good convoy and security habits, it also came in handy as I tried to manage my serving assignment on Thanksgiving . . . .

Many people have asked me what Thanksgiving was like here at Camp Victory and I have to tell you, it was pretty well done. But lets compare and contrast:

Home: 25 relatives and family friends to feed
Camp Victory: 45,000 military, civilians, contractors and workers to feed

Home: Alcoholic beverages
Camp Victory: Near beer and egg nog

Home: Loud relatives
Camp Victory: Loud rocket warning alarms

Home: Served by Aunt Jenny
Camp Victory: Served by Deepak, the contract laborer from Sri Lanka

Home: Talk about how great it is to see everyone
Camp Victory: Talk about how great it will be to see everyone next year.

In all seriousness, it is an immense undertaking to feed everyone. Since this war started, over 100,000 tractor-trailer loads worth of food destined for coalition bases have come across Iraq’s borders. Next time you are at your local grocery store, ask them how many trucks they get in a day or a week and compare.

The serving team is geared-up and ready to go in the prep area of the DFAC.

A Tradition Continued
It is a long and storied tradition that the officers serve the troops on Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the past, it allowed the troops, who usually did the serving, to be on the other side of the line for a change. These days contract workers do the serving but the tradition goes on and the officers in my section worked the serving side dishing up Thanksgiving fare. I was in charge of the prime rib, white meat turkey and dark meat turkey. To my right Josh was in charge of the ham and Cornish game hens and to my left Colonel Manning was dishing up sweet potatoes, stuffing and green beans. We had a great time playing host as I am sure the hundreds of other officers who served throughout the day did too.

The DFAC was superbly outfitted with holiday decorations and the culinary handicraft of the contract worker staff (99% of whom are Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, and the like). They won the all-Iraq decoration contest and proudly displayed their enormous plaque.

This alligator, made almost entirely from pinapple skin, was a centerpiece on the shrimp cocktail table.

Incredible sculptures in watermelon were prevelant throughout the DFAC.

A good Thanksgiving for sure, but it will be even better next year . . . at home.