Kapisa PRT celebrates Thanksgiving in Afghanistan

KAPISA PROVINCE, Afghanistan – The spirit of Thanksgiving was strong at Forward Operating Base Morales-Frazier Nov. 24 as members of Kapisa Provincial Reconstruction Team celebrated more than 6,000 miles away from home, friends and family.

In celebration of the holiday, all U.S. service members and civilians here at FOB Morales-Frazier gathered for a Thanksgiving feast complete with most traditional fixings, seasonal piano music and candlelit tables.

“It was nice just being able to have everyone together... to relax, talk and enjoy the good food,” said U.S. Army Spc. Charllee Sanchez, Kapisa PRT security force member and a native of Springfield, Mass.

With more than 100 U.S. service members and civilians in attendance, coordinating this holiday meal proved to be a little tricky since supplies can be hard to come by in this type of deployed environment.  

“I wanted this holiday to be as similar to home as possible, so we held the dinner in a room large enough for the whole group to sit and eat together, as one family,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Lorena Vega, Kapisa PRT logistics officer and Florida, Puerto Rico, native.

“I come from a large family, so I’m used to helping prepare large get-togethers like this for the holidays; but I must admit this was a new record for me,” Vega said. “This event took weeks of pre-planning.”

Coordinating a location large enough for the entire group, gathering enough tables and chairs to seat everyone simultaneously, and finding small things like candles and tablecloths proved to be much more difficult here in Afghanistan, she explained.

“In the end, everything came together beautifully, though,” she continued. “It was truly a group effort. There were many logistical hurdles along the way, but everyone here made an effort to lend a helping hand and I really appreciate them all.”
During the gathering, many service members expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share such a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with their comrades.

“It’s never the same when you’re away from your family, but having a lot of friends here makes it better,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Gilberto Rodriguez, Kapisa PRT communications specialist and LaBelle, Fla., native.

When asked what he liked best about the holiday celebration, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chad Harrison, Kapisa PRT security force member from Waltham, Mass., mentioned the laughter and camaraderie shared amongst the crowd.  

“Being here with my comrades was great,” Harrison said. “We have made a lot of memories together and this will definitely be another that we share.”