Fort Bragg families enjoy early Thanksgiving meal

Golden roasted turkeys, baked ham, lots of stuffing and cut sweet potatoes piled the plates for those who couldn't make it to spend the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with family.

Spec. Andres Sanchez was among those taking part.

"A lot of soldiers don't get to go home for Thanksgiving. I'm one of them. So it's kind of special to be able to have a meal like this at Thanksgiving time," he said.

That made the meal even more special for PFC Lima Wylen. "I think it's nice to have. With the officers serving us and the higher-ups serving us, it makes it a lot more special," she said.

In addition to the traditional holiday celebration, units compete to demonstrate which has the best dining facility on post. Soldiers show their skill in food preparation, decoration of the hall and in service.

Sgt. Nadine Camille, from Haiti, will celebrate twice. On Tuesday, she ate with colleagues and on Thursday she'll cook at home to mark her child's first birthday.

"It's going to be friend turkey, collard greens, sweet potatoes, and, on my side of the family, it's going to be griot like fried pork," she said.

For many of the Army cooks, serving their fellows is a labor of love.