Were the blueberry pancakes in Mountain phase of Ranger School actually that good? Or were we just that hungry?

2016-04-23T15:54:14-04:00

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Apr 23 at 2016 3:58 PM

2016-04-23T15:58:49-04:00

I expect that hunger triumphed LTC Private RallyPoint Member
Army chow personnel usually try to do their best in preparing food. Cooking skill is not universal.
When I was a Captain I commanded a dining facility in addition to my company from 1985 to 1986. In those days military cooks were the norm in TOE and TDA units. I had some of the best food I ever ate in mess halls are out in the boondocks when the food arrived and I was hungry.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2016 4:06 PM

2016-04-23T16:06:29-04:00

LOL, this is one of the biggest mysteries of Ranger School. I think I am a borderline expert on this. After completing Mountains Phase I wasn't satisfied so I went back through Mountains to validate my opinion on these Pancakes, or it could have been patrols. Either way I thought they were the best thing ever made. But what I have heard is that they are not good at all. So I would do think hunger had something to do with it. But still I think they were good.

Response by 1SG Jacob Baty made Apr 23 at 2016 5:09 PM

2016-04-23T17:09:25-04:00

I was an RI in mountains and not a single one of us ate them. They are actually horrible.

Response by CSM Michael Chavaree made Apr 23 at 2016 5:21 PM

2016-04-23T17:21:23-04:00

Went up there for some RECCE training expecting them to be just as good as I had remembered... Nope

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2016 6:50 PM

2016-04-23T18:50:32-04:00

They were ambrosia... food for the gods... smuthered in peanut butter and excess syrup to get u up the Mountains of Delonaga... Oh yes!!!...

Response by LTC Brad Lord / PMP made Apr 23 at 2016 6:56 PM

2016-04-23T18:56:13-04:00

I will always believe they were the best! A little piece of heaven in a very challenging place. May the Ranger mountain blueberry pancakes continue to provide just that perfect bit inspiration for all Ranger students.

Response by Capt Tom Brown made Apr 24 at 2016 9:24 AM

2016-04-24T09:24:15-04:00

They sure look pretty tasty.

Response by LTC Thomas Tennant made Apr 24 at 2016 1:00 PM

2016-04-24T13:00:10-04:00

I was so hungry I could eat the chrome off a Buick. So I am not a good judge of the pancakes.

As a side note, I think I set the record for weight loss in 1973. I went in a heafty 260 pounds guard and came out at 150 pounds. My coach was pi$$ed when I showed up for my first practice and almost threw me off the team....thank goodness they needed a running back.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 25 at 2016 8:43 AM

2016-04-25T08:43:16-04:00

After Darby Phase and Desert Phase I could have eaten a blueberry turd and it would have been delicious. I am sure they are probably nasty but, I enjoyed the hell out of them!

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 25 at 2016 11:40 AM

2016-04-25T11:40:19-04:00

OMG this is almost as which came first the chicken or the egg... I think we were just hungry, but either way some good memories... RLTW class 10-94

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 25 at 2016 10:08 PM

2016-04-25T22:08:09-04:00

I don't know Sir haha. I thought they were amazing... but all of the RI's, and buddies I have talked to that went there after being a student, said that they are terrible. I guess walking up and down the hills all day will make anything taste good.

Response by SSG Jimmy Leist made Apr 26 at 2016 8:20 AM

2016-04-26T08:20:32-04:00

The French toast in Florida is better!

Response by MAJ Mark N. made Apr 26 at 2016 9:50 AM

2016-04-26T09:50:20-04:00

Faint memories of the hyped blueberry pancakes, but fond memories of the Florida "Super Supper". Most of us ate so much that we got sick - but it didn't take much to fill our shrunken stomachs. Do they even have that end-of-course event anymore?

Response by LTC Mark Beattie made Apr 26 at 2016 1:52 PM

2016-04-26T13:52:37-04:00

We were that hungry, but as I recall, they were absolutely the best blue berry pancakes I have ever eaten, hands down!!

Response by CPT Erik Eriksen made Apr 26 at 2016 4:44 PM

2016-04-26T16:44:51-04:00

I honestly don't remember them. I ate everything in sight and was happy for it.

Response by MSG Pat Colby made Apr 26 at 2016 5:00 PM

2016-04-26T17:00:39-04:00

This is actually one of the questions I ask when people claim to be a Ranger. "What did you eat for breakfast in the Mountain Phase?" And YES!, they were that good!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2016 9:14 PM

2016-04-26T21:14:00-04:00

At the time, late January early Feb
'88, they were so good that they were used as currency to bet on the Super Bowl. The RIs made sure the winner sat and ate every last one too. That's my best memory of them besides dumping sugar on the syrup for extra "energy".

Response by CSM Brian Woodall made Apr 26 at 2016 9:42 PM

2016-04-26T21:42:37-04:00

They were so good I stayed around for another phase just for the pancakes!!!

Response by SGT Richard Rodgers made Apr 26 at 2016 10:18 PM

2016-04-26T22:18:13-04:00

We were that hungry!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2016 9:50 AM

2016-04-27T09:50:07-04:00

Ha! I think they were actually that good, but what I remember most is how I was able to clear my entire tray before patrols started, but at the midway point I could barely eat half the food they gave us.

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2016 12:55 PM

2016-04-27T12:55:59-04:00

well, when I was an RI at 5th 09-12 I tried them when I showed up. they had clumps of uncooked dough in them. I will tell you from my experience, no they were not that great after the fact. in 2010 we really jacked up Ranger and switched to Strawberry for a cycle. confused the hell out of them. "times up ranger get out of the chow hall"

Response by CPT T. Scott Haddix made Apr 27 at 2016 8:11 PM

2016-04-27T20:11:47-04:00

I think it was a combination of both.

Response by SFC Keith Rome made Apr 28 at 2016 4:45 PM

2016-04-28T16:45:04-04:00

They were awesome, but I've concluded it was just cause we were that hungry.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2016 10:11 AM

2016-05-02T10:11:15-04:00

I think they were way better than the French toast in florida

Response by MSG Scott Swank made May 3 at 2016 1:15 PM

2016-05-03T13:15:29-04:00

They were the BEST! The blueberries were huge and They put them on the bottom and stacked everything else on top. By the time I got to my seat it was 1/2 gone...I still crave those blueberry carb cakes.

Response by CW2 Perry Cloutier made May 8 at 2016 3:15 AM

2016-05-08T03:15:21-04:00

Oh yes, they were that good

Response by MAJ David Vermillion made May 20 at 2016 12:05 PM

2016-05-20T12:05:17-04:00

Are there any Ranger School graduates out there that went to Ranger School in 1969 that can verify for me that we had Blueberry Pancakes in the Mountain Phase? I don't remember it but that doesn't mean we didn't have them. I am trying to find out when this all began.

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made May 20 at 2016 12:09 PM

2016-05-20T12:09:19-04:00

Blueberry pancakes? And they accuse the Air force of being pampered!

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2016 11:53 PM

2016-05-30T23:53:09-04:00

They couldn't get any better!

Response by CPT Jim Schwebach made Jul 15 at 2016 11:02 AM

2016-07-15T11:02:52-04:00

Pancakes? We din't eat no steenkin' pancakes!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 19 at 2016 7:22 PM

2016-07-19T19:22:53-04:00

Former RI
They were always "that good"
But it maybe the nostalgia so who can ever really know lol

Response by MAJ Tex Hall made Jul 28 at 2017 1:51 PM

2017-07-28T13:51:38-04:00

Our class ate ALL of the sugar out of the shakers on the table. The next time we went in they had taken them all off the tables, lol

Response by LTC John Mohor made Jan 8 at 2019 11:37 PM

2019-01-08T23:37:46-05:00

I didn't attend Ranger School but I sure had the privledge of eating those Blueberry pancakes at Camp Frank D. Merril in three separate decades late 70s, 80s and 90s (first w Explorer Scouts, JROTC, ROTC at North Georgia and even a Reserve Drill Weekend)Those Bleberry Pancakes were awesome!!! They are a Connelly Award Winning DFAC!