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

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 15:54:14 -0400

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

LTC Stephen F. — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 15:58:49 -0400

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

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 16:06:29 -0400

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

1SG Jacob Baty — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 17:09:25 -0400

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

CSM Michael Chavaree — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 17:21:23 -0400

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

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 18:50:32 -0400

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

LTC Brad Lord / PMP — Sat, 23 Apr 2016 18:56:13 -0400

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

Capt Tom Brown — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 09:24:15 -0400

They sure look pretty tasty.

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

LTC Thomas Tennant — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 13:00:10 -0400

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

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 08:43:16 -0400

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

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 11:40:19 -0400

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

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 22:08:09 -0400

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

SSG Jimmy Leist — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 08:20:32 -0400

The French toast in Florida is better!

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

MAJ Mark N. — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 09:50:20 -0400

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

LTC Mark Beattie — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 13:52:37 -0400

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

CPT Erik Eriksen — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 16:44:51 -0400

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

MSG Pat Colby — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 17:00:39 -0400

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

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 21:14:00 -0400

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

CSM Brian Woodall — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 21:42:37 -0400

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

SGT Richard Rodgers — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 22:18:13 -0400

We were that hungry!

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

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 09:50:07 -0400

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

1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 12:55:59 -0400

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

CPT T. Scott Haddix — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 20:11:47 -0400

I think it was a combination of both.

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

SFC Keith Rome — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 16:45:04 -0400

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

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 May 2016 10:11:15 -0400

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

MSG Scott Swank — Tue, 03 May 2016 13:15:29 -0400

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

CW2 Perry Cloutier — Sun, 08 May 2016 03:15:21 -0400

Oh yes, they were that good

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

MAJ David Vermillion — Fri, 20 May 2016 12:05:17 -0400

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

Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen — Fri, 20 May 2016 12:09:19 -0400

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

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 30 May 2016 23:53:09 -0400

They couldn't get any better!

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

CPT Jim Schwebach — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 11:02:52 -0400

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

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

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 19:22:53 -0400

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

MAJ Tex Hall — Fri, 28 Jul 2017 13:51:38 -0400

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

LTC John Mohor — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 23:37:46 -0500

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!