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CNN Live At Daybreak
Afghan Thanksgiving Greetings
Aired November 28, 2002 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: They're also going to eat a turkey dinner, I suppose, at Bagram, where Diana Muriel is standing by with troops there -- Diana.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Catherine. Happy Thanksgiving from Bagram Air Base, just north of Kabul in Afghanistan.
Here on the base, there are 7,000 U.S. military personnel and support staff enjoying a Thanksgiving feast that will last throughout most of the day.
Between them, they're going to consume something in the region of 6,000 pounds of turkey, around 7,000 pounds of corn bread stuffing and a similar amount of ham. It's been the most fantastic feast has been laid on here by the kitchen staff at Bagram, and everyone here seems to be in very much a Thanksgiving mood.
Amongst those based here are the 82nd Airborne and the 18th Airborne Corps, both based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. But there are also Marines here. They're also engineers. They are even some naval personnel here, as well as some coalition forces.
I'm joined now by Major Tommi Berger, who just arrived here on the base a couple of days ago. She's been in Kuwait.
I understand it's your first Thanksgiving away from home, is that right?
MAJ. TOMMI BERGER, U.S. ARMY: Yes, Diana, it is.
MURIEL: So, where are you from? What would you be doing for Thanksgiving if you were home?
BERGER: I would be back at home in Arkansas (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MURIEL: So, tell me, what are you going to be doing here on Bagram? What's your job, your role here?
BERGER: Basically, I'm here with AMC, Army Material Command. I'm a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) planner, Alexandria, Virginia. And what we do here, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) contract with the -- the contract (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We're making sure that the soldiers get fed, making sure the soldiers get showered, laundry and all of those things that are done for the soldiers.
MURIEL: So, tell me, you've just arrived. How does Bagram compare with Kuwait for the Thanksgiving celebration? BERGER: Kuwait was, the tempo (ph) was not as high. And when I got here, I just off the plane, the tempo (ph) was very high (ph) -- very high.
MURIEL: So, much more security here...
(CROSSTALK)
BERGER: A lot more security here than there, in Kuwait.
MURIEL: Right, OK. So, Major Tommi Berger, who has just arrived here in Bagram, she has seven months to go before she leaves to return to the United States.
Most of the people here at Bagram are staying anywhere between just a couple of months, some of them are staying up to a year in the tent (ph) city, which is about an hour's drive north Kabul.
Back to you.
CALLAWAY: All right, Diana, thank you very much. And happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired November 28, 2002 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: They're also going to eat a turkey dinner, I suppose, at Bagram, where Diana Muriel is standing by with troops there -- Diana.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Catherine. Happy Thanksgiving from Bagram Air Base, just north of Kabul in Afghanistan.
Here on the base, there are 7,000 U.S. military personnel and support staff enjoying a Thanksgiving feast that will last throughout most of the day.
Between them, they're going to consume something in the region of 6,000 pounds of turkey, around 7,000 pounds of corn bread stuffing and a similar amount of ham. It's been the most fantastic feast has been laid on here by the kitchen staff at Bagram, and everyone here seems to be in very much a Thanksgiving mood.
Amongst those based here are the 82nd Airborne and the 18th Airborne Corps, both based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. But there are also Marines here. They're also engineers. They are even some naval personnel here, as well as some coalition forces.
I'm joined now by Major Tommi Berger, who just arrived here on the base a couple of days ago. She's been in Kuwait.
I understand it's your first Thanksgiving away from home, is that right?
MAJ. TOMMI BERGER, U.S. ARMY: Yes, Diana, it is.
MURIEL: So, where are you from? What would you be doing for Thanksgiving if you were home?
BERGER: I would be back at home in Arkansas (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MURIEL: So, tell me, what are you going to be doing here on Bagram? What's your job, your role here?
BERGER: Basically, I'm here with AMC, Army Material Command. I'm a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) planner, Alexandria, Virginia. And what we do here, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) contract with the -- the contract (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We're making sure that the soldiers get fed, making sure the soldiers get showered, laundry and all of those things that are done for the soldiers.
MURIEL: So, tell me, you've just arrived. How does Bagram compare with Kuwait for the Thanksgiving celebration? BERGER: Kuwait was, the tempo (ph) was not as high. And when I got here, I just off the plane, the tempo (ph) was very high (ph) -- very high.
MURIEL: So, much more security here...
(CROSSTALK)
BERGER: A lot more security here than there, in Kuwait.
MURIEL: Right, OK. So, Major Tommi Berger, who has just arrived here in Bagram, she has seven months to go before she leaves to return to the United States.
Most of the people here at Bagram are staying anywhere between just a couple of months, some of them are staying up to a year in the tent (ph) city, which is about an hour's drive north Kabul.
Back to you.
CALLAWAY: All right, Diana, thank you very much. And happy Thanksgiving to you as well.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
