They are thousands of miles from home. Dedicated soldiers on the front lines of defense spending Thanksgiving in Iraq.
Some have been away from their families for months.
Today they are coming together to celebrate with some staple dishes of the season.
Inside a tiny kitchen on a remote base far from home it is time to chop, stir and roast 120 pounds of turkey for 150 hungry mouths.
It is a big day at Camp Swift, roughly 50 miles south of Mosul and nearly 6,000 miles from home.
For Lieutenant Peter Chun from Baltimore, downtime before the big meal meant sprucing up.
“Obviously I can’t wait to Face Time my family back home,” said Chun.
Others worked out to work up an appetite. But the business of the war doesn’t stop for Thanksgiving.
“We’re at the front-line of defense and Camp Swift,” said Private 1st Class Cader Waterstdt, “and we’re what everyone relies on.”
Their sacrifice has not been forgotten as Obama makes Thanksgiving calls to the troops.
He took the time to call nine soldiers overseas Thursday, wishing them a happy Thanksgiving and thanking them for their service.
Back at Camp Swift Operation Inherent Resolve is the fight against ISIS.
Battle Captain Katrina Fedd has been there for eight months and her 10-year-old back home is counting down the days.
“He sent me a message this morning and he said ‘Happy Thanksgiving. Love you and I miss you. Can’t wait for you to come home,'” said Fedd. “And then he had a hashtag 48 days on it.”
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