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we signed in at 0430 and didnt leave untill after 1900, we were only given one MRE for the whole day and only earned 2 MUTA. does this seem right??
Army Reserve Elements
Reserves
Army Reserve Unit Administrator
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
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I don’t have an answer. I am in the Air Force. We get regular breaks for food, drink, naps etc...
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1SG (Join to see)
SMSgt Thor Merich I always thought the Air Force got catered meals where they hand feed you grapes while others are fanning you with palm fronds? Maybe that's just the flyboys.
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According to AR 30-22, The Army Food program, section 3-10 Reserve Component Sustenance Program and Table 3-1, a typical 0800-1700 2 Two MUTA Battle Assembly is only entitled to 1 meal. A Three-MUTA (overnight) 0800 to 1200 next day, is entitled to 3 meals. Yes it sucks to have extended drills...it happens for the mission, unless you are overnight, you get 1 meal. I have know of some commanders who will issue a MRE or allow a break for dinner if they intend on having a late night (like for NVG training) but I don't see a problem with the situation you had. I have been in 4 RC units and I have yet to find one where, unless impractical because of training, someone could not take a short break and hit the local coffee shop, fast food restaurant, or AAFES shoppette (with proper approval). Most Reserve Centers have vending machines, and several units run food tables to raise funds for FRG.
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Pogo Papa
A MUTA is 4 hours. Only 2 are authorized per day. Overnight constitutes a field exercise or something like annual training. If the reg did not state that 3 meals were required, the units would only give one meal a day each day for 14-29 day during AT.
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One day, one MRE? Sounds legit. How long can they last without food though? I'm not sure there is a requirement as long as there is a training objective. There's nothing saying that they can't do it if they are conducting training to work through a certain scenario. An MRE has a boat-load of calories and nutrition. Unless you guys were undergoing RASP...one is probably meeting the requirement.
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Do you have access to vending machines or the FRG snack bar during BTA? 1 MRE sucks but it is doable. I suggest you prepare yourself for those long days by bringing some beef jerky or one of those Bumblebee tuna meals to keep you going. You can't always rely on others to empathize with you and nurture you.
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Pogo Papa
Reg states no more than 2 MUTAs per day. Each MUTA is composed of 4 hours. That is why one MRE would normally suffice. However, there are times where the training day will go longer. Truth is you owe another meal in that instance. Most commands do not follow that 8 hour rule, per reg, as they should. The issue is not in the caloric intake, or rather or not the MRE would sustain a person. The issue is that the situation goes against the regulation. The pay for reservist is not calculated the same as active duty (you also have to consider the benefits). TPU soldiers are only paid in 4 hour increments. Per reg, TPU can be paid for NMT two MUTAs per day (8 hours of work in a day). Anything more is free work. I believe forcing someone to work for free is still illegal in America. While most soldiers will do whatever is required for a mission, leaders must take care of their Joes. I have served on both sides. I rarely complain about anything, but this is a point that has been brought up to coworkers. If we won't pay soldiers for their time (we simply can not, it's not allowed), then we should not steal their time either.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
Pogo Papa - A Unit training assembly is a minimum of 4 hours with a maximum of 2 UTA a day. The TPU soldier is paid for one day for every UTA, so he gets 2 days pay for every MUTA day he/she attends. While commanders are generally counselled to try to keep IDT weekends within the normal workday schedule of area units, they are not required to keep drills at a 4 hour minimum per UTA.
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Over my 8yrs in the reserves, a standard procedure was getting a second MRE if you were at drill past 1900 on a Saturday. However, I always counted my blessings because a late Saturday meant we were off at 1400-1500 on a Sunday.
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1SG (Join to see)
That is the unwritten standard sir. Another meal if training goes past 1900. Of courses the early Sunday release isn't always the case of recovering from a field ex or range qual
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SSG (Join to see)
I am with the LT, most units I had been associated with provide a second meal if they went beyond a 12 hour period, I get what the regs say but it is called taking care of soldiers. Otherwise they will transfer out.
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Well I disagree with most of the comments on here, I get the gun hoe stuff, but it used to be if a drill went over 12 hours they owed you a second meal. Now this is a regular drill day not special circumstances.
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Sounds like something from SERE but someone was feeling generous and gave You One MRE!
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The training schedule will dictate what the answer will be.
Unless your commander is a sadist, he/she didn't plan to have a day like that, it just came out that way due to some issue or another.
If it was the plan, a second meal should have been planned for. The regulation says that in order for a second meal to be authorized, training has to be overnight. However, no First Sergeant worth a damn would have left his troops hungry and tired like that and would have come up with something. I could see why the day went long... everyone was out of gas.
Unless your commander is a sadist, he/she didn't plan to have a day like that, it just came out that way due to some issue or another.
If it was the plan, a second meal should have been planned for. The regulation says that in order for a second meal to be authorized, training has to be overnight. However, no First Sergeant worth a damn would have left his troops hungry and tired like that and would have come up with something. I could see why the day went long... everyone was out of gas.
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