Posted on Jun 24, 2015
Field/Combat Army Rations. What Are Your Stories of Eating Chow? CHOW SHARE OF THE DAY?
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Military Rations, MREs & Food we all got to have it for survival. I always said, you can work me hard but just feed me! There I was Soldering all day in Iraq, instead of an empty stomach all I wanted was some HOT chow to keep pushing. Just gives me that replenishment to DRIVE ON WITH FOR THE MISSION/TASK AT HAND!
The military food supply, combat rations, ranging from the canned rations of World War II, Korea and Vietnam to the modern Meals, Ready to Eat (MRE) and HooAH! Bar:
Field or Combat Army Rations: C-Rations, K-Rations, D-Rations and More
Rations are fundamental to military operations. The US Army Quartermaster Corps, and equivalent units in all military services around the world, have to provide for the daily food needs of combat and support troops under all conditions. While cooked food served from field kitchens, or mess hall food at permanent bases, covers much of the need, many front line troops require special rations prepared and packaged for field use. Here are some example(inclusive):
• Military Food Supply, General
• Field Hydration
• Field and Combat Rations ◦Field Rations: C, K, D & More
◦Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE)
◦HooAH! Bar
◦First Strike Ration
• Emergency Rations ◦WW II Emergency Rations
◦Food Packet, Survival, General Purpose, Improved
◦Food Packet, Survival, Abandon Ship
◦Food Packet, Survival, Aircraft, Life Raft
◦Water, Drinking, Emergency
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SGT Charlie Lee PO2 Marco Monsalve SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones SPC Nancy Greene PO1 Tony Holland SGT Mark Anderson LTC (Join to see) SGT Steve McFarland SGT James Murphy Sgt (Join to see) LTC David Brown 1SG Dan Capri CDR Andrew McMenamin, PhD
The military food supply, combat rations, ranging from the canned rations of World War II, Korea and Vietnam to the modern Meals, Ready to Eat (MRE) and HooAH! Bar:
Field or Combat Army Rations: C-Rations, K-Rations, D-Rations and More
Rations are fundamental to military operations. The US Army Quartermaster Corps, and equivalent units in all military services around the world, have to provide for the daily food needs of combat and support troops under all conditions. While cooked food served from field kitchens, or mess hall food at permanent bases, covers much of the need, many front line troops require special rations prepared and packaged for field use. Here are some example(inclusive):
• Military Food Supply, General
• Field Hydration
• Field and Combat Rations ◦Field Rations: C, K, D & More
◦Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE)
◦HooAH! Bar
◦First Strike Ration
• Emergency Rations ◦WW II Emergency Rations
◦Food Packet, Survival, General Purpose, Improved
◦Food Packet, Survival, Abandon Ship
◦Food Packet, Survival, Aircraft, Life Raft
◦Water, Drinking, Emergency
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SGT Charlie Lee PO2 Marco Monsalve SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones SPC Nancy Greene PO1 Tony Holland SGT Mark Anderson LTC (Join to see) SGT Steve McFarland SGT James Murphy Sgt (Join to see) LTC David Brown 1SG Dan Capri CDR Andrew McMenamin, PhD
Food/Chow
Combat
Logistics
DoD
Edited 3 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 80
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I remember C Rations. They were heavy, and hard to carry, hurt when you landed on one, and the cakes were hard to get out of the cans; I still have my P38.
I remember Heat Tabs, I almost burn't a tent down in Alaska, on fire guard... with a Heat Tab.
I remember LRPRs... they did not last long.
I remember the first MREs... and the Beef Patty and Pork Patty... they were awesome...
I remember licking the inside of MRE wrappers dry at Ranger school, and trading things like sugar and coffee.
I remember immersion heaters... and seeing Soldiers who lost all their facial hair trying to light them.
I remember being in Somalia for over 60 days eating nothing but MRE's and building a box fort in our sleeping area, we had so many...
I remember when T-rations finally showed up, and we were thrilled???
I remember getting a warm can of Pepsi in Somalia and thinking it was great.
I remember near beer... and liking it?
I remember being able to get two beers in Bosnia...
I remember our troops liked/loved to go to the DFAC in Green Zone, when we ventured to their (generally to see a Soldier in the 28th CSH), and how they were amazed with the plates, the silver ware, and the vast selection...
I remember Rip It... I hated them, but our CSM and troopers loved them.
Finally, I remember we were having issues with the MSR at the Kuwaiti Border (06-08), and some Colonel on the MNFI staff, maybe a BG, was worried that Baskin Robbins might be at risk...
Oh, and I remember Green Beans.
I remember Heat Tabs, I almost burn't a tent down in Alaska, on fire guard... with a Heat Tab.
I remember LRPRs... they did not last long.
I remember the first MREs... and the Beef Patty and Pork Patty... they were awesome...
I remember licking the inside of MRE wrappers dry at Ranger school, and trading things like sugar and coffee.
I remember immersion heaters... and seeing Soldiers who lost all their facial hair trying to light them.
I remember being in Somalia for over 60 days eating nothing but MRE's and building a box fort in our sleeping area, we had so many...
I remember when T-rations finally showed up, and we were thrilled???
I remember getting a warm can of Pepsi in Somalia and thinking it was great.
I remember near beer... and liking it?
I remember being able to get two beers in Bosnia...
I remember our troops liked/loved to go to the DFAC in Green Zone, when we ventured to their (generally to see a Soldier in the 28th CSH), and how they were amazed with the plates, the silver ware, and the vast selection...
I remember Rip It... I hated them, but our CSM and troopers loved them.
Finally, I remember we were having issues with the MSR at the Kuwaiti Border (06-08), and some Colonel on the MNFI staff, maybe a BG, was worried that Baskin Robbins might be at risk...
Oh, and I remember Green Beans.
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MAJ Ken Landgren
We used to come out of the Kuwait desert for couple days of R&R. The food at Camp Doha was decent.
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LTC Philip Marlowe
I still have my P38 and B52 (#10 can opener)! I also remember when the ARMY had to put a flash message out to every one advising them NOT TO USE THE WATER they used to warm up MREs to make COFFEE! I also remember I was conducting training of two of my MP platoons at Bonnland training area, Germany. Before we finished training on a Saturday afternoon, about 300 German Riot Police showed up to conduct training. One of the police Majors approached me and said: "We understand the US Army has a new field ration called the MRE. We'd like to trade you for some if you have them". I asked the Major what they had to trade. He said: "We'll trade you 6 cases (24 bottles) of Napoleon Brandy for 4 cases of MREs." Well, it goes without saying we made the trade. Pretty sure we got the better end of the deal - but then again, German field rations in the mid-80s weren't all that great and they absolutely did not complain (neither did we)!
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SGT Robert Payne
We were in Ft. Lewis on exercises and got C-rat in a unusual off yellow carton, looking at them they were dated 1943. Still edible but the 4 pack of cigarettes in the accessory pack were dried out. It was around 1978. Pretty incredable
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The scene is: First meal in the field from a field kitchen in Basic. Wearing the basic field gear including the old steel pot helmet. "I really don't belong in the Army" is the thought running through my mind as I start to go through the chow line with the metal mess kit plate. "Potatoes, Sir?" says the first server to me, a brand new E-1. Next server says to me, "Some gravy, Sir?" Well! The new Modern Volunteer Army might not be all that bad I'm thinking! I get to the end of the line and there's our Drill Sgt. He looks at me and says, "O'BRIEN! SCRAPE THAT THING OFFA YER HELMET!!!" I put down my plate, take off the steel pot and notice it has a 1LT bar on it. Duh! I didn't even notice it when I put it on.
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SSG Keven Lahde
SP5 Joel O'Brien HAHAHA that is a funny story. I bet you get a laugh out of that story now though. At the time you were probably shitting bricks...I know I would be...lol. Thanks for sharing that story SP5 Joel O'Brien
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Who could forget the dehydrated beef or pork patty. Not very tasty! IMO the MREs nowadays are like eating at a restaurant compared to the first ones that came out.
I think T Rat Pound Cake was pretty good.
I think T Rat Pound Cake was pretty good.
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PVT Raymond Lopez
I still remember my scout dog Wolfgang who loved Ham and Lima Beans and his gaseous emissions which everyone said should be used to VC bunker complexes.
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