Naval Air Facility Misawa E-7 and above Sailors hosted the annual "Turkey Feed" for all Navy members in Misawa to kick off the holiday season, Nov. 20.

More than 40 E-7 and above Navy members cooked 23 turkeys and 23 hams for the event, along with all of the standard holiday side dishes, for more than 300 Sailors and their families.

"This was a great opportunity for everyone involved," said Navy Counselor 1st Class Richard Effah. "This is my second year with the event and hopefully won't be the last. I was happy to see all Navy together enjoying themselves."

The turkey feed provided an opportunity to bring a little bit of home overseas for a lot of the Sailors that are spending this season apart from their families.

"It's hard to be a Sailor stationed overseas and being apart from your loved ones, especially during the holiday season," said Effah. "This definitely helps out with that homesickness and also provides that sense of family here in Misawa."

The family mentality is evident on Misawa Air Base, where there are only about 700 Sailors.

"We are a family, so we come together as one," said Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Peter Donaldson. "If they can't get home to get it for the holidays, you can be sure they will get it here from us."

The entire event took a month to plan and collect donations.

"It was a great success," said Donaldson. "Tons of food and smiling faces of Sailors, friends and family."

For more news from Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan, visit www.navy.mil/.