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Turkey Day with the Taliban
November 28, 2009 - 7:45 AM | by: Greg PalkotKHOST, AFGHANISTAN Thanksgiving lunch is just a high caloric memory for the soldiers of Alpha Company, 4th Brigade, 25th Airborne Division, based at Combat Outpost Garbuz in eastern Afghanistan. But it was memorable nonetheless. Especially considering the place is pretty far away from western resources. And maybe just a dozen miles from Taliban strongholds.
Specialist Patrick McNamee, head cook for the Company (and in his former life a butcher from Wasilla Alaska, hometown of Sarah Palin), served up a massive feast that could rival anything Stateside. Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin, apple and cherry pies. Washed down with non-alcoholic wine and egg nog.
Perhaps the centerpiece of the meal, though, was a massive side of beef, speared through with a construction-style “reo bar,” fastened to the spit with barbed wire, and grilled over a deep barbeque pit.
As Sgt. Benjamin Munoz noted, “It was good to get some red meat!”
Medic and Specialist Anthony Moon reported there were no cases of indigestion. “Everyone pretty much tucked it away,” he said.
And how! Within five hours of lunch all the left-overs had been wolfed down by the hungry soldiers. No days’ long Thanksgiving hangover for this crowd.
And actually, while there's no "Black Friday" for these soldiers. they can almost enjoy a long Thanksgiving weekend just like their families back home.
The Muslim holiday of Eid has kicked off in Afghanistan. As the troops’ principal task is to work with Afghan soldiers and police to get them ready to fight off militants, and as most of the locals were heading home to tuck into their OWN family feasts, the soldiers are having it a bit easier right now.
By Monday Alpha Company will be firmly back on the terror trail. One consolation is they’ll be back to their home base of Fort Richardson, Alaska in a few months, with more than enough time to mark Thanksgiving, 2010 with families and friends!
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