- Title: US troops celebrate Thanksgiving south of Mosul
- Date: 24th November 2016
- Summary: QAYYARA WEST AIRFIELD BASE, SOUTH MOSUL, IRAQ (NOVEMBER 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF U.S. TROOPS QUEUING TO BE ADMITTED TO CELEBRATIONS HALL FOR THANKSGIVING MEAL U.S. SERVICEMAN READING THANKSGIVING PRAYER TO TROOPS QUEUING IN LINE TROOPS LISTENING TO PRAYER FEET OF U.S. TROOPS QUEUING IN LINE TROOPS TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. MARINE, JOE HAMILTON, SAYING: "I want to tell my family, you know, to be thankful that all these people out here, just be thankful for being alive, that's all." / TROOPS CHEERING AND CLAPPING WHILE QUEUING TO ENTER CELEBRATIONS HALL VARIOUS OF THANKSGIVING MEAL BEING SERVED VARIOUS OF SERVICEMAN CARVING ROAST AND SERVING MEAT TO TROOPS TROOPS SEATED AT TABLE INSIDE TENT AND EATING THANKSGIVING MEAL FRUITS ON TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SERVICEWOMAN FROM SECOND BRIGADE, AMANDA HARRISON, SAYING: "It is my first time away from home for Thanksgiving so definitely a little hard, but I will be able to call the family on FaceTime later, and I'll be able to share the holiday with them that way, so. I have a lot of friends here and lots of great co-workers, so that makes it easier." CHOCOLATE AND FRUIT COOKIES ON TABLE / TROOPS GATHERING INSIDE FEAST TENT U.S. TROOPS WALKING AMONG TENTS AT YARD OF BASE GROUP OF U.S. TROOPS CHATTING AND LAUGHING
- Embargoed: 9th December 2016 11:54
- Keywords: Thanksgiving Mosul American troops Iraq turkey meal celebration USA
- Location: QAYYARA WEST AIRFIELD BASE, SOUTH MOSUL, IRAQ
- City: QAYYARA WEST AIRFIELD BASE, SOUTH MOSUL, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA00159T0MRR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:American troops based south of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday (November 24), thousands of miles away from home.
U.S. forces are staying at Iraq's Qayyara West airfield, about 40 miles (60 km) from Mosul. Iraqi forces recaptured the base from Islamic State militants in July and have built it into a logistics hub to support their offensive into the northern city.
Other U.S. troops are deployed at Ain al Asad air base in western Iraq, where hundreds of U.S. personnel have been training Iraqi army forces.
At Qayyara base, the troops enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving feast with turkey along with beef tenderloin, Cornish hens, shrimp, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin, apple and pecan pies, non-alcoholic beverages, and eggnog.
"I want to tell my family, you know, to be thankful that all these people out here, just be thankful for being alive, that's all," said Joe Hamilton from the U.S. Marines.
"It is my first time away from home for Thanksgiving so definitely a little hard, but I will be able to call the family on FaceTime later, and I'll be able to share the holiday with them that way, so. I have a lot of friends here and lots of great co-workers, so that makes it easier," said Amanda Harrison, a U.S. servicewoman from the Second Brigade.
The Qayyara West airfield is the main U.S. hub to support Iraqi-led operations to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State. There are about 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq but the U.S. military has not disclosed the number of personnel at the airfield.
The offensive to take Mosul, the largest city under Islamic State control in either Iraq or Syria, is turning into the biggest battle in Iraq's turbulent history since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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