Ft. Benning to serve up Thanksgiving dinner for soldiers - WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather & Sports

Ft. Benning to serve up 14,000 Thanksgiving dinners for soldiers

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FORT BENNING, GA (WTVM) -

Fort Benning's 17 dining facilities will serve approximately 14,000 traditional Thanksgiving meals this week.

Most Thanksgiving meals will be served on Thanksgiving Day. However, several units will serve the traditional feast Nov. 21, allowing soldiers to celebrate with their units on Wednesday and with their families on Thanksgiving Day.

The 11th  Engineer Battalion's Thanksgiving meal will be preceded by the unit's annual "Turkey Bowl," a football game that will pit the unit's officers against the battalion's enlisted personnel.

So, just what does it take to feed an Army? The Thanksgiving meal grocery list for Fort Benning's 17 dining facilities includes:

  • Turkey – 8,011 lbs
  • Ham – 3,362 lbs
  • Beef Steamship Round – 2,430 lbs
  • Beef Prime Rib – 3,160 lbs
  • Pork Spareribs – 960 lbs
  • Shrimp – 1,940 lbs
  • Cornish Hens – 1,977
  • Pies (Pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, cherry, coconut cream, lemon meringue, mincemeat, peach and pecan) – 6,236
  • Apples – 3,836 lbs
  • Bananas – 3,440 lbs
  • Grapes – 2,322 lbs
  • Oranges – 4,495 lbs
  • Pineapples – 726 lbs
  • Watermelon – 1,040 lbs
  • Tangerines – 2,065 lbs
  • Collard Greens – 340 lbs
  • Cranberry sauce – 300 gallon cans
  • Mixed nuts – 1,250 lbs

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