PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Members from the Peterson Diamond Council form an assembly line to bag 120 Thanksgiving meals that were distributed by first sergeants to Airmen who could use the extra help this holiday season. Food items are donated by Peterson Air Force Base Commissary vendors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dave Smith)

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PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo – Master Sgt. Dilphia McCollum, 544th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, lines up the last of 120 Thanksgiving bags that were distributed by first sergeants to their Airmen. The food items were donated by Peterson Air Force Base Commissary vendors and gathered for distribution by the Peterson Diamond Council. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dave Smith)

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PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Members of the Peterson Diamond Council unload donated food items that were assembled into Thanksgiving meal bags. The bags were distributed by first sergeants to Airmen providing the makings of a traditional holiday meal. (U.S. Air Force photo by Dave Smith)

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Spreading Thanksgiving bounty

Published Dec. 1, 2015
By Dave Smith
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Peterson Diamond Council led by example and demonstrated what a good wingman does around the holidays. The group of first sergeants, along with vendors from the Peterson Air Force Base Commissary, made sure Airmen of Team Pete have all the necessary components of a solid Thanksgiving meal.

The holiday meal bag distribution has been an annual event as long as anyone can recall. This year the event was initiated by Master Sgt. Roger Davila, 561st Network Operations Squadron first sergeant. He obtained information from the Diamond Council on how many holiday meal baskets would be needed, said Master Sgt. Jacob Sanchez, 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron.

Sanchez said those numbers were tallied and passed on to the Commissary. The Commissary cannot give food away, so vendors donate items instead.

Sanchez and Master Sgt. Garrett Gardner, 21st Security Forces Squadron first sergeant, stepped in to make sure things went smoothly.

"A first sergeant knows his people," Sanchez said. "So they have a better idea about who could use some help."

The meal bags consisted of a frozen turkey, an aluminum roasting pan, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, soup, corn, green beans and rolls. Two large pallets were loaded on a flatbed truck and transported form the Commissary to the chapel where members of the Diamond Council assembled the baskets.

The total number of baskets was approximately 120, which is similar to the amount collected in recent years, Gardner said.

Once the baskets were assembled, they were picked up for distribution by each unit's first sergeant.