Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support provides Army birthday cakes to warfighters in Afghanistan

PHILADELPHIA, June 12, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Soldiers serving in Afghanistan preparing to celebrate the U.S. Army's birthday June 14 can have their cake and eat it too, thanks to the efforts of Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support Subsistence employees.

DLA provided more than 2,100 cakes decorated with the U.S. Army logo in recognition of the Army's 238^th birthday.

Subsistence employees begin working with the prime vendor supporting Afghanistan months in advance of each service's birthday, according to Anthony Amendolia, Europe and Middle East region chief for customer operations. For the Army's birthday, the cakes arrived in Afghanistan March 31 and April 6, he said.

According to Amendolia, the prime vendor places orders with a baker located within the continental United States, where the cakes are decorated, packaged and shipped frozen to Afghanistan.

"I think the services look forward to celebrating special occasions," said Amendolia. "It's important that they're able to honor their traditions even while deployed, and I'm proud to help them do that."

"DLA providing a cake for the Army's birthday is crucial to the success of the celebration," said Sgt. 1st Class Jordan Gort, with the Army's 311th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary). "The presentation and ceremonial cutting of the cake is a symbolic gesture reflecting the Army's success over the last year."

It is often tradition for the oldest and the youngest soldier within a command to ceremoniously cut the service cake together, according to the Army's website.

One of five DLA Troop Support supply chains, Subsistence ensures that service members and other DOD customers around the world have high-quality, nutritious meals daily.

DLA Troop Support supplies America's armed forces with $14 billion annually of food, uniforms, protective equipment, medicine and medical supplies, repair parts, and construction and equipment. Its history, rooted in Philadelphia, began in 1800 with the construction of the Schuylkill Arsenal before the Civil War.

As a Department of Defense combat support agency, DLA provides the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. The agency sources and provides nearly 100 percent of the consumable items America's military forces need to operate, from food, fuel and energy, to uniforms, medical supplies, and construction and barrier equipment. DLA also supplies more than 85 percent of the military's spare parts.

Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA has about 27,000 employees worldwide and supports nearly 2,300 weapon systems. For more information about DLA, go to www.dla.mil, www.facebook.com/dla.mil or http://twitter.com/dlamil.

SOURCE Defense Logistics Agency