Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany. (December 20, 2024): Although it is impossible to recreate Christmas dinner at home, the American military does its level best. In this photo by the DOD’s Travis Jones, senior leaders and commanders serve holiday meals to service members, employees, and staff. This tradition of officers serving enlisted is an acknowledgement of the vital role enlisted troops play in their unit’s success.

It is also a chance for senior commanders to thank individual servicemembers and staff in a cheerful, holiday atmosphere. The Christmas meal is the center of attention for the 165,000 troops stationed around the world and the 48,900 Sailors underway on ships. According to the Defense Manpower Data Center, there are three carrier strike groups and one amphibious ready group on active watch during the holidays.

This is why the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), responsible for shipping the key ingredients, goes all out for Christmas. Plans this year call for transporting 690,000 pounds of Christmas fare to America’s deployed servicemembers. This haul includes 6,210 whole turkeys, 176,791 pounds of beef, 98,091 pounds of ham; and 49,055 pounds of shrimp. This is an increase of 26 percent over last year due to increased deployments.

Writing in Military.com, Patricia Kime (who keeps a very close watch on troops dietary trends) concludes this year troops can expect “more sweet potatoes and fewer cakes or pies” because the DLA shipped roughly 80% fewer cases of desserts to troops this year. The sheer logistical challenge is daunting.

Commanders understand that the holiday meal can be critical to unit morale, especially those deployed overseas for the first time. Each unit tries to take these ingredients and do their very best to recreate a home cooked Christmas dinner for their members.