Operation Drumstick

Life in the forward operating bases here in Afghanistan is remote and lacks many of the pleasantries the we take for granted in our lives back in the United States. Power is provided by generators, so long as they don't break down; purified bottled water is the only drinkable water; and, meals are often limited to the packaged rations known as MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). On Thanksgiving Day, 2006, in coordination with the cooks of KBR and the helicopter pilots of the Australian Army, a plan conceived by Command Sgt. Major McClure of the Oregon Army National Guard to bring hot meals to those soldiers in the most remote bases, came to fruition. Beginning in the late morning, the helicopters flew McClure and his team to the various fire bases in southeastern Afghanistan, bringing hot Thanksgiving meals and a holiday greeting. It was a mission that put focus on the soldiers in a way that can only happen on a holiday. This was Operation Drumstick.