For more than 100 years, the Navy has included roast turkey in its Thanksgiving menu. This year, Culinary Specialists across the globe are getting ready with an estimated 112,000 pounds of roast turkey, 21,000 pounds of stuffing, 27,100 pounds of mashed potatoes, 18,500 pounds of sweet potatoes, 5,400 pounds of cranberry sauce, and 2,300 gallons of gravy.

In 1905, the USS Raleigh’s Thanksgiving menu listed: creamed asparagus bouillon; celery; creamed potatoes, young onions a la hollandaise, steamed cabbage and white sauce; oyster dressing; cranberry sauce; assorted nuts; and—of course—roast turkey.

No feast would be complete without dessert. In 1905, pumpkin pie, mince pie, and fruit cake topped off the holiday meal. This year, the Navy estimates 7,800 assorted pies, including pumpkin and apple, will be available. 

Today, there are about 330,000 Navy active duty personnel and 3,100 mobilized Reservists serving in the U.S. Navy.  

There are about 8,600 Culinary Specialists (CS) serving our Navy today. CSs receive extensive training in culinary arts, hotel management and other areas within the hospitality industry. CSs provide food service catering and hospitality services for Admirals, senior government executives, and within the White House Mess for the President of the United States. This rating is responsible for all aspects of the dining (shipboard mess decks) and shore duty living areas. 

“CSs feed on average more than 88 million wholesome and nutritious meals per year, ensuring the Navy's fighting forces operate at peak performance and are ready to respond to threats worldwide,” said NAVSUP Navy Food Service Director Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Wodele. “Nothing impacts Sailors on a day-to-day basis more than the food CSs prepare for them.”

NAVSUP’s mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP oversees logistics programs in the areas of supply operations, conventional ordnance, contracting, resale, fuel, transportation, and security assistance.

For more information, visit www.navsup.navy.mil, www.navy.mil/local/navsup, or follow us at www.facebook.com/navsup and https://twitter.com/navsupsyscom.

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