Photo By Melissa Buckley | Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard...... read more read more
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — “The Thanksgiving Day meal served today conveys that above all, the Army is a family,” said Sgt. 1st Class Nathaniel Nolan, a drill sergeant with the 43rd Adjutant General Reception Battalion, as he ushered some of the Army’s newest Soldiers in training through a warrior restaurant while loading up their plates with a Thanksgiving feast.
Fort Leonard Wood held its traditional Thanksgiving celebration Nov. 28 in 10 warrior restaurants across the installation, with more than 12,000 meals served to service members, Department of Defense ID cardholders, Gold Star families, retirees and their families.
According to Beverly Leggett, Installation Food Program manager, more than 800 food-service employees worked on Thanksgiving to prepare the feast and serve it alongside leadership. They served about 10,000 pounds of turkey, 3,000 pounds of shrimp, 3,500 pounds of prime rib, and 30,000 assorted cakes and pies with all the trimmings, Leggett said.
Nolan said he has worked Thanksgiving Day for the last three years, and he hopes being there instills the significance of being a member of the Army family.
“I hope they can see that as a family we sweat together, train together, but also we break bread together,” Nolan said.
One of those new Soldiers in training, Pfc. Matthew Martin, said he had only been at Fort Leonard Wood for three days, and was thankful to be spending Thanksgiving at the 43rd Adjutant General Reception Battalion.
“I know this is where I need to be and want to be. Being here is going to set me and my family up for the future,” Martin said. “The time I spend away from them now, will be worth it in the long run when I am serving as a military police officer, which will allow me to support my family.”
He said the Thanksgiving Day meal made him feel like, “the Army cares about me.”
Another Soldier in training and mother of two, Pvt. Allison Macias, took a break from training with Company E, 31st Engineer Battalion to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal.
“This is nice, especially for my younger battle buddies who are spending their first Thanksgiving away from home. At the end of the day, we are family now and it is important for them to experience that and feel at home, if even for just a few moments,” Macias said.
With it being a holiday, Macias said she was missing her husband and children extra that day, but felt proud to be at Fort Leonard Wood working toward her goal of becoming a Soldier.
“I left a job in law enforcement when I became a mother. That was hard for me because I have a strong desire to serve my community. My kids are older now and are more independent. Since they don’t need me as much, I am taking this opportunity the Army has given me to build a better version of myself — to become part of something bigger,” Macias said. “I was emotional when I realized I wasn’t going to be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family but, it is a sacrifice that I knew I had to make for myself, my husband and my children.”
The spouse of an active-duty Marine, Macias said her husband encouraged her to embrace her desire to serve and she was thankful to have her family’s support.
“I love being a mother, but there are other things in my life I want to accomplish. I am here to better myself and make them proud. I feel blessed to know they support me and understand why I am not with them today,” Macias said.
She was also thankful to have an “extravagant Thanksgiving feast” to enjoy.
“The turkey was delicious, and I loved the carrot cake. I also really enjoyed the sweet potatoes,” Macias said.
Not a fan of turkey, Martin said he was most excited about the sides of macaroni and cheese, and collard greens.
“It might not be traditional, but the salmon also looks good to me. I am glad it is a choice, and I am looking forward to trying that,” Martin said.
As for Nolan, he said his Thanksgiving favorites are “pretty simple.”
“I am looking forward to the meat and gravy,” Nolan added.
More photos from the Thanksgiving celebration can be viewed on Fort Leonard Wood’s Flickr page.
| Date Taken: | 11.28.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2024 10:43 |
| Story ID: | 486706 |
| Location: | FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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