British Troops In Afghanistan Will Eat Turkey On Christmas Day

Afghanistan Troops To Eat Turkey On Christmas

As the nation prepares for Christmas, frontline troops in Afghanistan won't be missing out, with plans in place to mark the special day.

Personnel on the front line will get the chance to mark the festive season despite continuing with their jobs.

Every serviceman and woman will tuck into their own Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

Troops will dine on 3.5 tonnes of turkey; 2.5 tonnes of potatoes; and a tonne of everyone's favourite - Brussels sprouts. They will also tuck into Christmas puddings, After Eight mints, and 18,000 mince pies.

In a time-honoured tradition, officers will serve their men and women on Christmas Day.

Garrison Sergeant Major Daz Edkins, 32, from Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, the most senior soldier at Camp Bastion, said: "The soldiers will all get a Christmas dinner, we make it as traditional as we can."

But he said everyone would also be getting on with their jobs.

"There's no difference out here, if you were to come out here you'd see everyone doing the same as they are doing. The Taliban don't stop doing what they are doing because it's Christmas."

Frontline troops have also been given extra time to talk to loved ones over the festive period, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. Personnel have been given an additional 30 minutes of "talk time" from the MoD and an extra 45 minutes from communications provider Paradigm.

And no Christmas would be complete without a pantomime - with soldiers from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment putting on a show for fellow troops.

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