DLA Provides Special Meals, Supplies for Upcoming Religious Observances

PHILADELPHIA, March 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Supply Center Philadelphia is ensuring service members around the globe have Passover meals available for observance of the upcoming Jewish holiday and palm fronds for the upcoming Christian observance of Palm Sunday.

In addition to supplying all daily meals, DLA also ensures troops receive traditional holiday meals and necessary religious supplies. 

"As with all our holiday or special-event meals, our personnel begin demand planning and contacting customers as well as potential suppliers several months in advance to ensure timely delivery," Subsistence Deputy Director Ray Miller said. "Our planning for meals for this Passover holiday began back in November."

Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the deliverance of the ancient Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, is observed from sundown March 29 to April 9 this year. Traditionally many Jewish people refrain from eating many leavened baked goods, including bread and cakes, during Passover. Some also refrain from eating rice or legumes, including beans and peas, during Passover. This can be difficult for military members in remote locations.

The four different main courses of the special Passover meals are: canned salmon, bone-in chicken, gefilte fish (ground fish patties) and beef stew, which are all certified Kosher for Passover. The meals also contain other Passover extras like matzo and macaroons. Each meal is in a chemically activated, self-heating package.

The 12-meal cases will be distributed to U.S. warfighters throughout the world. While most U.S.-stationed service members will have access to regular dining facilities or other local options for their Seder meals, most of the domestically delivered meals will go to service members on training missions.

In addition to food items, the agency's Clothing & Textiles supply chain provides Passover Seder kits containing special prayer books and robes. The Ecclesiastical Branch of C&T provides Seder kits to chaplains and Jewish soldiers in the field. 

DLA also supplies Christian and Orthodox Christian celebrants of Palm Sunday with palm leaves. Palm Sunday is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and commemorates Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem when palm fronds were strewn in front of him. Traditional religious observances include a procession of members of the congregation carrying palms.

"Whether service members are in the field or on training assignments away from the regular places they would celebrate, Jewish and Christian alike, we offer all the items needed to conduct their respective ceremonies," said Maryann Bonk, an inventory management specialist in the Clothing & Textiles Ecclesiastical Branch.

As the Department of Defense's combat logistics 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 about 84 percent of the military's spare parts.

DLA has about 26,000 employees worldwide. DLA's business revenues were nearly $38 billion in Fiscal Year 2009. For more information about DLA, go to www.dla.mil or www.facebook.com/dla.mil.

SOURCE Defense Logistics Agency