Thanksgiving comes early for Fort Bragg soldiers and their families

A Thanksgiving meal was served Tuesday at all nine dining facilities on Post – to soldiers and their families.

Even WRAL's Gilbert Baez recalled being a lieutenant, putting on his dress blues and serving his soldiers as a special way of saying "thank you" on Thanksgiving.

Many of these cooks have been up since early Tuesday morning preparing the Thanksgiving feast – but they don't mind.

"This being the holidays, it's a special time of year," says Sgt. Christopher Hancock, an Army cook. "It just brings up joyful memories."

Many of the items are made from scratch. All of them are made with pride.

This is a full Thanksgiving meal with all the fixings: Turkey, ham and roast beef along with an ocean of gravy. But that's not all: there are crab legs, shrimp gumbo, ice sculptures and fruit carvings. This is not just a meal; it's a show.

"This right here is my product, and I just did my best, and I guess it turned out good," says staff Sgt. Mark Bicaldo, an Army cook.

The soldiers are part of the 2nd Brigade Combat team. Some brought their families to the meal for a special reasons.

"We're on the immediate responsive force one, so a lot of our paratroopers may not be able to go home and be with their families," says Col. Todd Burroughs of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "So, we try to give them a little bit of home here with some good cooking."

SFC Michael Rattley, the dining facility manager, says, "For the 92 gulf (cooks) this is like our Super Bowl. This is where we get to display our craft, our expertise."

If this is the Super Bowl, the Second Brigade Warrior Restaurant is already a champion: They are the best dining facility here at Fort Bragg, and they hope to be the best in the Army.