A dining facility worker, left, serves meat to soldiers and civilians for their Thanksgiving meal at the U.S.-led coalition base in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. The dining hall at the U.S.-led coalition base in the Afghan capital served up mac-and-cheese along with traditional Thanksgiving Day fixings.KABUL, Afghanistan – It was Army Sgt. Keith Wells’ first Thanksgiving Day away from his family and despite a cornucopia of food provided for the troops, his taste buds were craving his wife’s macaroni and cheese back home.
“My wife’s a foodie – you know the Food Network, cooking shows. Everything she makes is golden,” Wells of Charlotte, N.C., said Thursday at a large international military base in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The dining hall served up mac-and-cheese along with traditional Thanksgiving Day fixings. Wells was thankful for the good food, but he still missed his wife’s home-cooking.
Huge hunks of beef greeted the estimated 2,500 diners as soldiers lined up in the dining hall. Red-white-and-blue decorations filled the room. Brochures titled “Learn about combat stress” served as table centerpieces.
There was roast turkey, sliced turkey, ham and rib-eye steaks. The troops were served steaming side dishes of dressing, corn, collard greens, yams and mashed potatoes and gravy that some lapped up with spoons. For dessert, there was a massive cake with a turkey etched in icing, pumpkin spice cookies and scores of pies.