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FISC Yokosuka Executes Forward-Deployed Thanksgiving Logistics

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS091114-02
Release Date: 11/14/2009 4:59:00 AM

By Blake Vives, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- U.S. Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC) Yokosuka Provision Team, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) and the Japan subsistence prime vendor have been preparing to serve a Thanksgiving holiday meal to the more than 10,000 service members who comprise Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) afloat in Yokosuka.

"Support for special holiday meals is always a risky proposition. We began months ago based on input from the fleet, historical data, voyage scheduling of shipping from the United States, customs clearance and delivery in Japan," said Japan Subsistence Prime Vendor Director Jerry Hicks. "The logistical planning is just a mammoth tasking. We not only have to plan for sourcing from the various food companies, we have to order the food into our Stockton, California-based warehouse; then we must plan the shipping lead-time to deliver overseas to Japan."

Once the food reaches Japan, it is warehoused locally.

"It takes an average of 45 to 60 days to source and ship products over to Yokohama," said Hicks. "As an added precaution, we also have the U.S. Army Veterinary Service inspect all food destined for the troops."

Not knowing where to ultimately deliver the more than 70 tons of holiday hams, turkeys, potatoes and trimmings also poses a logistics challenge.

"While the majority of Yokosuka-based FDNF ships are expected to be back in homeport this year for Thanksgiving, the ever-changing and often fluid-paced operational commitment to the U.S.-Japan security alliance means that change can happen instantaneously," said FISC Logistics Support Supervisor Ray Denny. "We simply plan for the ship to be underway and hope for the best."

FISC Customer Service Officer Lt. Al Francisco said the large number of "turkey day" dinners is another challenge. "Putting together these orders is challenging, particularly when supplying ships like USS George Washington (CVN 73), because the holiday meal will be served to an estimated 6,000 Sailors and their families," said Francisco. "Menu items will vary from ship to ship and may include a variety of fresh fruits, salads, vegetable dishes, eggnog and of course baked goods such as apple and pumpkin pie."

DSCP provides all the food for U.S. military personnel worldwide, 365 days a year.

"The key to success of the holiday meal starts with the availability of food," said DCSP Contract Officer Representative Amy Runde. "It's very important to us to give our Sailors a taste of home during the holidays; so we start planning early to ensure the goods arrive in a timely manner. If not, then DSCP must do everything possible to expedite the product to Japan even if it means costly, last-minute airlifts. We will do what we need to ensure that our troops get a taste of home and enjoy the holidays."

DSCP even has a contract to plan for desert. Ordering $7,000 of eggnog and arranging for the delivery of $22,000 in fresh holiday pies and cakes baked by Army and Air Force Exchange Service bakeries at Yokota Air Base.

This coordination involved in supplying FDNF with a Thanksgiving meal illustrates the existing partnership between FISC, DSCP and the Japan prime vendor, which provides Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Military Sealift Command and Coast Guard forces in the Western Pacific with a variety of logistics, acquisition and subsistence services.

"People may not give much thought to how their food arrives," said Denny. "So, this year when you sit at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day, take a moment to think about how far your meal has traveled because of the dedicated logistics professionals who worked to guarantee it was safe and available."

For more news from U.S. Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Yokosuka, visit www.navy.mil/local/fiscyokosuka/.