U.S. cutting back on hot chow for troops
By Barbara Starr
Napoleon Bonaparte is credited with the battlefield adage: "An Army moves on its stomach." That, of course, means there's nothing like good chow.
For the thousands of U.S. troops who will fight in Afghanistan for another 17 months, it is not just the quality of the food they have to consider. Now there will be a bit less of it.
U.S. troops in Afghanistan for years have been fed four hot meals a day, including what is fondly known as "mid-rats" or midnight rations.
That is a meal for troops headed back and forth from the field or pulling a midnight shift on base.
Those meals are served in cafeteria-style dining halls - sometimes little more than a tent - where troops can select items from a buffet.
But as the United States winds down its combat operations in Afghanistan, so, too, will it wind down its food operations.
The Defense Department is cutting back to two hot meals a day, most likely just lunch and dinner.
The reason: the Pentagon is trying to scale down the number of contractors needed to cook and serve meals and run dining areas.
Its all about getting ready to pull troops, equipment and everything else that supports the war.
"We will significantly reduce contractor and supply chain requirements," said David Lakin, a spokesman for U.S. Force in Afghanistan, in an e-mail exchange with CNN.
Commanders insist, however, that the troops will not go hungry.
Packaged foods will be available. But breakfast and the midnight meal will now be mainly "meals ready to eat." Those are the bagged rations known as "MRE's."
Large-quantity rations packages, which feed multiple troops at one time, also will be available.
The military believes "most soldiers don't consume the midnight meal and breakfast is also a low attendance event.
Putting the two hot meals together through lunch and dinner also allows for removal of an entire dining facility shift, Lakin said.
This will put troops in the position of eating rations for at least 17 months until the United States ends its combat presence.
Individual commanders will have the flexibility to make some changes in the meal plan. But in the meantime, what are the very top senior military officials eating, especially those from NATO, which does not fall under Pentagon rules?
Well a letter is being drafted to NATO headquarters asking them to go along with the same plan, and that means Gen. Joseph Dunford, the four-star Marine who runs Afghanistan operations, may soon find himself ripping open a ration bag just like everyone else.
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Is this article true about our troops in Afghanistan getting only two meals a day? This is breaking my heart, it is, it is! Now I feel like crying myself to sleep!!!!!! This is just terrble, it is, it is!
Troops still get three meals a day. The article is saying they will be cutting prepared meals down to twice a day. They will still receive 3 individual meals ready to eat (MREs) as usual.
Thank you, Mike T. Now I feel better!
ROTFLMFAO!! How about the defense contractors? Are they only eating twice a day? How about the company pumping out M-1 tanks we don't need? Are the only getting 2 meals?
Didn't Gupta repeat the old saying that, "breakfast was the most important meal of the day"? Where is the Surgeon General on all this? Do we tell the kids, yea you can now skip breakfast? No need for all those pre-school breakfast programs?
Not thought out too well.
You do not skip breakfast unless you want to. You eat an MRE.
Operations are 24/7 and breakfast time at the chow hall was always packed in Afghanistan.
All of us at our unit where told a few months ago that all married personnel were going to start being charged for meals including MREs. This included having a sign in roster with our last four of our SS# for tracking and this was all done to save the brigade money.
Where is all the outrage of all you "support the troops" people who could not wait to see them sent there so you'd have something to "cheer on" from your comfy sofa? If we can't afford to take excellent care of these soldiers AND THEIR FAMILIES, then they should not be sent there. There should have been increased taxes to pay for these wars and if people here at home were not willing to pay, then don't have the wars in the first place.
Thanks mortarman256 for serving! God bless.
Two meals a day?! You know, I hope the US soldiers defect due to poor treatments.
Two hot meals, learn how to read before you shoot your mouth off. They will be given the 3rd and 4th meals as MRE's, or meals ready to eat. We fought the whole war in Nam without any hot meals. This is not big deal, it's part of serving your country which is something unfortunately a lot of people never do. They just sit around and complain over something they know nothing about!
Hasn't it been proven that MREs are for short term use only because the high sodium content can cause organ damage? Hello!
I think they should be swapping out the meals with those in prison. Why are we putting so much spending into who is in prison? Many people RETURN to prison for the "benefits." Cut their meals to 2 a day with one being a cold meal.
The commanders have not eliminated any meals, hot or cold, MRE means Meals Ready to Eat, and if a meal is normally eaten hot, the MRE includes a small chemical reaction heater to serve the meal hot. There only real problem is there might not be as much meal variety compared to food service prepared meals, but having read some of what private contractors got away with, the MRE's may be safer meals to eat. The cooks and servers should have been forced to eat the food they prepared as a condition of employment and do so just before feeding the soldiers but in public in the mess hall or mess tent. It also would have been cheaper than using contractors to have simply air dropped meals prepared to be boiled before opening from USA restaurants, but enlisted personnel pay includes free use of the mess hall. The British Army mess has a restaurant rating of five stars for both its food and preparation (display), so why does the US always have to be in last place on something as basic as food?
You have no clue what you're talking about. That is all, good day.
Hot food at each meal should be available for anyone who wants it. Using some arbitrary "attendance" statistic is just wrong. I imagine there are many days when soldiers just feel too sick, hot, or tired to eat a particular meal. Doesn't mean it should be permanently taken away from them.
What's next? Reeboks instead of boots since so many soldiers are stuck at outposts for weeks on end without moving so now they don't need combat boots?
" ... and breakfast is also a low attendance event." As a Viet Nam vet, I can attest that exhaustion contributes to that problem. A few more minutes of rack time becomes more important than even food.
You sir, hit the nail on the head.
You, sir, are absolutely right.
Our soliders cut back on daily needs and yet our president jets around the nation like a rock star...and what is wrong with this picture?
Anytime we send our troops into foreign soil to fight...our president, congress, all staff and all families members should only be allowed to eat what our soliders have to eat. Same MRE's, chow lines, etc. I doubt Bo Bo would be so interested in going into Syria if he knew he would have to eat cold MRE's everyday...
Instead he and his family vacation like rock stars spending enough money to more than provide better food for our soliders, but caring so little that he probably thinks if they can't have these meals...then let them eat cake!!!
your perception is skewed by your politics
So, tell me, did you mind when Bush was spending money on his vacations (many more than Obama) and the troops didn't have armor? Or when he sent troops into Iraq without armored vehicles or heavy artillery? Or when some units ran out of food entirely? Or when armor and night vision equipment were so scarce that they had to share it? Maybe if Republicans weren't holding the country hostage about the government spending money, the government wouldn't feel it had to cut money any way it could.
Wow....Midnight chow and breakfast were the BEST meals b/c you could actually get eggs how you wanted them. I have a hard time believing that those two meals are the ones to go....Hmmmm I propose we stop giving aid to Syrian rebels, stop free cell phones, and get hot meals back as well as end the furlough's for federal workers!
Or use some of the billions we've dumped into the F-35.
Obama intends to let our soldiers go without breakfast? who the heck is advising him to do that...these soldiers expend a huge number of calories doing their duties...they need to eat nutritious and healthy meals anytime they're hungry and not packaged garbage.
The Obamas have just spent millions of dollars of the American Taxpayers' money to go on a lavish European vacation...5 million dollars just to visit Ireland...and the President has the audacity to deprive our soldiers of food...2016 can't come fast enough!!!!
I like Obama and I voted for him, but I hadn't thought about the things that you just mentioned. Really makes me pi__ed at him. What's the expression..."I wouldn't ask you to do anything that I wouldn't do myself..."? This is just wrong.
I agree. This is one of the most messed up things I've heard. I'm currently in the mil and have deployed twice. My favorite meal when overseas was always breakfast. Research says breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. I can eat a PB & J for lunch, but I think it's just messed up to have to eat a nasty a$$ MRE for breakfast! No matter how tired I was, I would always pull myself out of bed to eat before the chow hall closed for breakfast. I hope I don't have to go back over there after this starts.
I'd rather see LESS free cell phone out there than this............
Oh I forgot; free cell phones bring in votes.
Sorry!
I don't think it is about how good they have it and how bad others have had it in the past. I would suspect there's not a darn thing good about being in Afghanistan. It is about having the logistics to be able to provide hot meals in a combat zone and reducing it because of COST.
What happened to the politicians that swore our troops would have everything they needed? Now that this is out to the media, it will be changed, but still. Sad state of affairs.
Wow, CNN.....this was "news" about 3 months ago! Way to go with your green initiative news recycling program!!
Granted the MRE's are a little better than my generation's k-rats, but is chopping good rations a good idea? A very healthy thanks to our friendly Repubs in Congress for making such wonderful budget decisions!!! Maybe the fat cats (pun intended) in Congress should also go on a 2 meal a day schedule? A lot of them could do well to lose a few pounds! It won't hurt their performance since they don't do anything positive for the country anyway! Well except to drum up more special interest money for the next election cycle! BEST GOVERNMENT MONEY CAN BUY!!!!
Your really blaming the "Rupubs"? Wonder how many meals all of the Obama vacations would have paid for?
Not nearly as many as Bush Jr's vacations would have paid for. Check your data before you whine next time.
So the $100 million trip by the Commander In Chief to Europe and Africa is the Republican's fault? If your reports have to take a cut, great leaders take the cut first!
people want to go on about troops of 1942, guess what its 2013, the world has a different standard of living over the last 60 years and yes this includes the military, we've made some upgrades and advances in everything we do, so go on and say well some in 1942 would have like mre's well hell what about the people back in 1775, lets go back further anyone can make a comparison to something 50, 60 100 years ago and say we got it good, yes we do, and guess we 50 or 60 years from now those people will probably have it better too.
That's the military mentality for you. Just like when they started downsizing the military, they got rid of the people first but the jobs to be done were still there, so they made people's shifts longer, cancelled leave, and assigned multiple jobs to each person to the point were people were going nuts and careers were being ruined. Now they're pulling out of Afghanistan, so they pull the food first while the people are still there? BRILLIANT!
I served in Vietnam and ate only C-Rations for 18 months, so whats the big deal??
Hey Dude I will trade you all the MRE`s for one C rat Ive eaten both, heheheh
I don't believe it, Alvin.
Nothing like cold ham and limas in a pouring monsoon rain !
When it comes mre`s there is not enough ketchup on this planet!
Same here Alvin. Was in Vietnam for 12 months in a combat unit. Ate C rations the majority of the time was at base camp a day or two a month if I was lucky then got a hot breakfeast, lunch and dinner.
By the way no contractors so somebody could make a ton of money, it was all military people doing the cooking.
I don't see a problem. whats the big deal. Always necessary to pull support people out before combat people.
Better question..... What's the Commander in Chief eating ???? That would be Obama........ Those rats will stop up the plumbing..... and that's pathetic..... send your troops into battle and save money in the process..... bunch of l o s e r s in charge.
Lot of hate on here for POGs.
Guess what combat arms types us POGs are not all back at BAF and Kandahar living the good life some of us live just as bad as you. Pull your heads out of your fourth points of contacts if you don't like how the POGs live compared to you its your fault for picking your MOS.
And the draw downs bring stuff like this folks and I for one am not gonna complain if it means we are going to finally get out of this dump.
At least our tax funded prison system is still serving hot meals.
This article is behind the time... I'm in Afghanistan and in February we had been cut down to one meal a day.
you gay coward tin soldiers would get nothing to eat if I had anything to say about it.all you cowards do is reach for each other bootys
Idiot !
hahaah what a weirdo.
Ms. Starr's reference to Napolean's remark is taken incorrectly. An army moves on it's stomach refers to the supply trains that are needed to support an army in combat to ensure it has enough food and ammunition to fight with. In this case as the supply lines are being cut the military is taking the action to ensure there is enough available to support the forces as they draw down, to include the logistics elements, and not have too much left over when it is time to leave. If not, when the military departs after 2014 and there are tons of supplies left behind then the news will report this and the public outcry over mismanagement and fraud/waste of money by the military will be the next banner wagon to deal with.
The obvious seems to escape you. When you march troops on foot, the fuel source is caloric intake. Without calories, the soldiers can not move. If your army does not have adequate food on the march, they will be slow. They will constantly stop. They will have to waste time foraging instead of advancing toward the target. An army marches on it's stomach. A tank column rolls on it's gas tanks.
Supply trains are a consequence of armies moving on their stomach. Supply trains are not the source of the quote. They are the solution to the problem that the quote points out. It has nothing to do with actual combat, either. If your army does not have food, they will never arrive at the battlefield in the first place. Supply trains do more than just enhance combat effectiveness. They increase strategic mobility of the entire force.
If you're going to claim someone is taking a quote the 'wrong way' you had best be right. Otherwise, you're going to have someone point out the foolishness of assertions made.
I was in combat in Korea during the last six months before the truce was signed. We got three hot meals a day on the reverse slope of the MLR.
But Obama, the GOP and Democrats managed to find $300 million dollars to help fund islamic terrorism in Syria.
Yes, BHO sucks.
I appreciate the "rightious indignation" that many of you are showing in support of our troops. That said, most of you, like the idiot writing this article, are speaking from a prospective of utter ignorance.
This is not an issue. Period. As tactical infrastructures close down in Afghanistan, the chow halls eventually close with them. When a soldier deploys, they know they might end up chowing on some MREs, maybe for an extended periond. Some soldiers at autere locations don't get hot meals at all unless they are visiting another location for some reason.
This is not some terrible thing. When we are in the field training at our home stations we often get two or fewer hot meals a day. The only people who complain about this are spoiled beyond reason, and don't belong in the military. Many of us are happy for what we have.
Unless you are serving you have no basis to make judgements on this matter. You are just stirring up trouble for no reason and trying to use American service members to score political points to support your own agenda. The ones speaking out in our support, thanks, the rest of you make me sick. Shut up and color. It's not about you our your offended sense of intellectual dignity. We are coming home, and reductions in chow are a welcome sign of this.
Amen! #Kuwait/Iraq2003 #62SVS #40%disabled
"We are coming home, and reductions in chow are a welcome sign of this."
Right on Sam, thanks for your comment.
"Shut up and color"...lolol now that is funny! I'm going to have to remember that one! Thank you for your service and I'm glad you all are coming home! Stay safe.
Bout time. Troops have been living large since 2002. Having an MRE lunch or whatever, wont be bad for those concerned.
wow. thats just a really petty reaction. prisoners get three hot meals. I dont mind the cutback, but "about time"? come on...
Joe people like you make me sick. About time for what, to eat MRE's. These troops have more dignity, selflessness and honor in one day than you will have in your lifetime. You probably sit behind a desk judging things that you have no idea about. Stand behind your troops or get in front…MSgt Ret.
MRE's are actually more expensive than a cafeteria meal. You ever price those things lately? An MRE costs me twice as much as a dinner at McDonalds
I was in the Military for 8 years, tours in Iraq + Afghanistan. Trust me when i say that midrats and breakfast will NOT be missed. Usually midrats were had if you were too amped up to go to sleep after a night shift...and Breakfast was skipped by a LOT of soldiers in favor of an hour or two more of sleep. If you wanted breakfast you had to get up early and possibly hump it down anywhere from half a mile to 3 miles to the DFAC, which doesnt sound far but when you are working the crazy overseas rotations it made for a tiresome ordeal . So in reality these 2 meals of the day, as important as nourishment is to the human body, are usually traded for more rest. And dont feel bad cause soldiers wont be getting these meals... when we go to the DFAC on our way out we usually grab more food for days we want to skip a meal or cant have one.
To make a blanket statement that "U.S. troops in Afghanistan for years have been fed four hot meals a day, including what is fondly known as "mid-rats" or midnight rations" is doing a disservice to those who are in or have been in remote outposts like myself.
I and thousands of other troops, who have been stationed in places like the Korengal Outpost or Barg-e-Metal, were not lucky enough to be on big cushy bases like Bagram, Kabul, Kandahar, or Salerno. Oftentimes, during my first deployment, we rationed our meals to 1 MRE a day, and IF we had a "hot meal," it consisted of corn and mashed potatoes.
Your statement is incorrect and I resent the fact that this article portrays us as spoiled, privileged, and implies that we are better off than some Americans back home.
Anyone reporter who implies that life, in any way, was breezy in Afghanistan for service members, clearly did not do thorough research or traveled beyond a large base. What has been reported is misinformation and should be corrected immediately.
while the O'bumbler goes on a 100M$ vacation.
then the 15 million of state dept. McCain spent to go talk to terrorists must be conciderd chump change
McCain went to Syria with the State Department approving and coordinating his trip to Syria. The White House knew about his trip and most likely gave the OK.
" But Elizabeth O'Bagy, political director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, the group that helped organize McCain's trip, told The Cable the voyage went through a maze of vetting ahead of time and earned approval by the State Department.
"Yes the State Department knew about the visit beforehand and helped coordinate security issues," she said. "Truth be told, organizing a trip of this nature is a huge pain in the ass because of security concerns, which the State Department is rightly concerned about. I heard from State that they actually got Sec. John Kerry's approval before McCain made the trip." - Source: Foreign Policy Magazine
Get rid of the House and Senate dining rooms and send those resources to the troops.
Solution-
Larger Military Budget
Smaller Politician Budget
And... for the record, its not just the Republicans whom are responsible for military Budget Reduction. That fault falls on our entire Congress as a whole.
There are too many "Goodie Two Shoes" in our Government that believe "killing them with kindness" actually works.
Learn your damn history folks. Two Words: Nagasaki, Hiroshima.
Nuff Said!
Larger military budget? Larger than $700 BILLION per year? Are you out of your MRE eating mind? The issue isn't cost, the issue is corruption.
USA needs to cut way back on military. If we don't we won't survive.
I was a Navy corpsman & here's what boggles me.........Men/women in prison get 3 (hot) meals a day for doing nothing, yet the men & women serving our country whom are put in harms way daily AND are required to be much more physically active, than any prisoner I can think of; are being docked food? For what?..........Our government & society need to get their priorities straight, this nation needs a new breed of leader.
If you think that our troops are being deprived in any way, you didn't read the entire article. They are getting two hot meals a day, yes, but they are not being required to do without for the rest of the day. They are given MREs (meals ready to eat). If you've ever gone camping, you may have eaten something very like. They are perfectly adequate, both in terms of nutrition and taste. What they are is a pain as you have to wait for the heater element to warm up your food, open all the packages, and find somewhere – not a dining facility – to eat it all. That doesn't really speak of hardship to me.
If it sounds good to you I would imagine you haven't eaten MRE's for breakfast. While in and ot themselves they aren't bad tasting, who wants dinner for breakfast? Do you get up in the morning and make spaghetti to start the day?
Why would you even wait for the heater? After all the MREs i have eaten in my time in the military i have rarely used that heater.
When our American service men an woman only will get 2 hot meals , but there are inmates on death row that are getting Three hot meals its time we kick out all the government out of office.
Sitting here at ISAF-HQ, a short walk from General Dunford's office. I love the quote: "and that means Gen. Joseph Dunford, the four-star Marine who runs Afghanistan operations, may soon find himself ripping open a ration bag just like everyone else.' Very unlikely as General Dunford has a private chef; he doesn't eat in the (crappy) dining facility like the rest of us.
should use military for cooks and laundry. then would be less inside spies and inside attacks. it would be safer for our troops.
You are a certifiable moron.
Agree Doc1...jojo turn your internal idiot light off, may help your brain a little better
The US government continues to treat us like pieces of meat, animals, or lesser life forms. Go to this country, support your government, just don't get hurt, killed, or hungry! Since Abraham Lincoln any career servicer person must pay their own disability if they earned it. Congress has tried very hard in the past few years to fix it and also cut it more. God Bless all our service members where ever they serve.
God bless our military, but God help the private war companies that are sucking the US economy dry, and sucking the life out of our soldiers. The US spent $700 billion on war last year alone, and there's not enough money for meals? Maybe, just maybe we should cut that $70 trillion dollar new war plane. Uh, just sayin'
MREs suck the morale right out of me. If I have to eat one more I will kill myself!
im over here right now on a small fob and when im not outside the wire I eat at a dfac that runs KP and has army cooks cooking. Why cant every fob do that? we get breakfast lunch and dinner every day.
Send Paula Deen to cook for them. She is available.
Why don't they pull the troops out first, then the contractors?
I thought guys got "KP" – Kitchen Patrol. What happened to that??
That was your grandfather's army. KP is long gone, thanks to Haliburton and its many friends in Washington.
How did the U.S. Military win world war II by feeding itself, transporting itself and being its own security (they are armed after all) without any private contractors making money off of other people's misery. I'll tell you. It's called a draft. Reinstate the draft and watch how fast these war mongers in Washington think twice about sending THEIR precious babies to get their asses shot off.
I completely and totally agree!!!
There are some jobs the military is unwilling or unqualified to do. George Washington had contractors at Valley Forge. Contractors will always be a part of war and deployments. Manufacturers will always want to be the ones repairing the equipment they supply to the military mostly because the military will not create MOS's for small programs or bear the cost of educating the troops to do it themselves.
That being said, I endured the military-run DFAC at Khilligay with just 1 "hot" meal a day and heater-meals for breakfats and cold sandwiches for lunch. Now they have Fluor running it and it is so much better. Contractors just do it better.
People who keep wanting a return of the draft have no understanding of how the military has changed over the past decades.
Actually Damia yes we do I am a MSgt and am all for the draft. You said it right with the word "change" and maybe it's time for new changes.
They would find a way to get THEIR kids ass out of it. Just Like J. Danforth Quayle, Dick Cheney, saxby Chambliss and the rest of the chiken#$%@ from the 60's.
They would find a way to get THEIR kids ass out of it. Just Like J. Danforth Quayle, Dick Cheney, Saxby Chambliss and the rest of the chicken#$%@ from the 60's.
If you really believe that any government officials' children would ever be draft and sent into harms way, there are some lovely cottages by the ocean in Arizona that you might be interested in purchasing.
Good comment Hiddy58. If there were a draft the last two wars may have never occurred. We got rid of the draft to stop the war protest.
If your in the military today, it's because you chose it so you should'nt have any problems with it. I think the draft should come back and everybody (men and women, rich and poor) no exceptions!
Then lets see if we are ready to jump to war on every whim of the guy in charge.
So what? Who cares? POG's will be the only ones shedding a tear about this..why is this even in the news?
Yeah? and so will you when your coming in the field and your starving.
Why would I starve when I have mre's to eat lol
You're an idiot, Joe Schmuck
I was thinking the same thing when I read "4 hot meals a day." Ummm, who's getting 4 hot meals a day? I was lucky to get one and that would only be if we didn't find an IED. In that case, we got no hot meals a day.
POAGs gonna POAG.
@Sammy,
I've been deployed twice. One where I had access to four hot meals a day, and a second where a majority of my meals were MREs because we were in an austere environment. Surely you understand the difference? Geez!
It does not mean that soldiers are eating 4 meals a day, they have 4 times a day that you can get a hot meal from the chow hall in-case your schedule has you out all day, for instance my shift was 12 hours of patrol then 12 hours off seven days a week so my crew would miss breakfast and lunch and most of the times dinner unless we got in early so that left us with just the mid-night rations.
This "POG" really appreciated having the availability of 4 meals a day, of course I was pulling anywhere from 12 hr to almost 2 day (with maybe an hour or two of sleep) shifts in the ER of a Role II Hospital (made out of tents) as a medic treating casualties straight off the bird. I didn't get to set my schedule, choose when I slept or when I ate, and having hot chow available after treating patients was much appreciated.
You DO realize that POGs feed you, clothe you, pay you, supply you, fly you there, fly you out, treat your wounded and fund your entire existence, right? I give you guys credit for doing it, but without "POGs" you would just be sitting in garrison wiping down your weapon complaining about having to cut the grass later before the CSM chews you up for it being too long, asking "wheres the war at?" Maybe they get hot chow and you dont, i would suggest reclassing then...
Did what to us? How is having food service contractors who are non-military a bad thing? You'd RATHER our guys ate Army chow? What are you, a sadist?
Now if we could only get rid of that costly school lunch program.
Let their mom fix their lunch and send it to school with them.
For countless kids school lunch is the only decent meal they get in a day. Thanks for being thoughtless and cruel.
About these meal cut back's you are retarded!!! I served there and am probably going again. I wish I had Mid Rats that is Navy Marines lingo. Army we got maybe one hot meal the rest was pretty much garbage. The real war fighters don't have mid rats in our vocab. I spent a winter dreaming of fresh fruit and vegetables while Air Farce Navy and Marines made U tube videos . PS look at what the Chair Farce and navy consider a deployment Kyrgastain while Dog faced soldiers fight the enemy for the same pay!!
God bless the 3rd Infantry. Thank you!
Really Jarrod? Of course SOME Army guys do hard deployments, just like SOME Marine and Navy, etc do. And don't pretend that your proud Army doesn't have any ridiculous videos made by your rear echelon guys and gals. I'm here right now, and I can tell you that "mid rats" is definitley in the Army vocabulary. I could care less about the hot chow. I've been a grunt for 14 years. We were lucky to get one MRE a day back in 2003. Be proud of your service, but don't make blatantly false statements.
Jarrod you should watch with what you say!!!!! the real soldiers???? I see so many ARMY boys getting fatter and fatter and fatter. I have never seen 3 hot meals much less 2 in one day. I have been a Marine for 14 years and you need to keep your mouth in check about all the services. We all have our own job to do and if you dont like then then I hope you step on a broken LEGO
That's funny...I'm on an Army FOB right now in Afghanistan and they do indeed have mid-rats...pretty sure we're all "real" warfighters here too....and not all just Army.
Hey there!
Just remember the silent "Chair Force" guys that have the Army's back there and around the globe my friend. Look up AFSOC; STS, CCT, PJ, TACP, SOW.
Maybe you should talk to some USA Special Forces types before bad-mouthing your brothers-in-arms. Apparantly, you need some career progression.
Your article has incorrect grammar.
"Its all about getting ready to pull troops, equipment and everything else that supports the war." <– 'It's'
Congratulations for you grammar police job. Try to stay on the topic.
Big deal, no "buffet style" food for troops. I've no idea what's in the American MREs, but when I was in my country's army, our equivalent of the MRE was pretty good. And we got "buffet style" hot food perhaps say, once a week while in a combat zone?
We are a third world country
Doubt you have any concept of 'third world country'
@Cheese,
You probably didn't have a lot of things that our modern military has (improved body armor, improved medical care such as dialysis at Bagram Airbase, etc). Your point is useless.
More of the Dismantling of our Military by the interloper
How is it "dismantling he military" to draw down support teams before pulling the whole mission? Answer – it isn't, and you are a loon.
oh boy.
Meanwhile, the Obamas are taking a $100 million vacation to Africa.....what is wrong with this picture?
Why do you keep changing profile names when it is pretty obvious you are the same individual person who keeps reporting this random number without any sources or references to prove it?
This is actually my first post...but thanks. The vacation figures are pretty easy to look up as it is being run all over the place in many, many publications, in case you are not familiar with google, here is a sample with references from past presidents for precedents on vacations: http://moneymorning.com/2013/06/21/the-latest-obama-outrage-the-familys-100-million-vacation/
Youre welcome.
Sorry, didn't mean to leave your friend out....are you upset that I answered you in a way that you didn't like?
Bliddy you are obviously a fool. A 100 mil? Seriously? Seems like you believe in any random story out there now.
"When the president and FLOTUS head to sub-Saharan Africa later this month, they'll reportedly be taking several hundred Secret Service agents, 56 support vehicles (including 14 limousines), fighter jets to fly around-the-clock over presidential airspace, a Navy aircraft carrier to serve as a floating hospital, and three truckloads of bulletproof glass to cover the Obamas' hotel windows. The total cost is estimated anywhere between $60 million and $100 million dollars." Source: MSN
What's wrong with this picture is that you fail to realize that Bush/Cheney put us in this situtation to make money for Haliburton (which BTW was almost broke) and now President Obama has to igure out how to get us out with some sort of Honor. Bush and Cheney destroyed the Honor that the United states had in the world. Now some of you are just having a fit because the Black guy is trying to fix it. Am I better off than I was in 2008. You had better believe I am. None of my 4 soldiers are currently deployed and all are working and so am I (although I am retired from another job, I am not bored at home. I have a home, vehicles, income and a family. What more could I want.,
Really Rich? Using the cheap, overused race card? Weak. I don't care if the damn guy is purple – he is bringing more dishonor to United States than any president ever has. Apology tours to the middle east, coddling of Muslim extremists (see Syria, Egypt), IRS scandal (which, yes, he knew "nothing about until he heard it on the news" – if you believe that I have a bridge to sell you), flying to fundraisers while our own citizens are dying in Benghazi – then lying through his teeth to cover it up, intimidation of the media and the list goes on and on and on.......I disagreed with a lot of what Bush / Cheney did as well, but Obama is taking the cake right now....
Rich, could you be any dumber? The war was about making Cheney and Halliburton money? Um, they should make a movie called "Dumb, Dumber and Rich." Are you really allowed to vote? As Bugs Bunny would say, "what a maroon."
What you fail to realize that that you are off the subject line and seem to be unaware that these folks that our politicians sent to into harms way had nothing to do the situation other than standing up to the call to duty. I think that it's typical that our citizens who are asked to give up so much of their lives are given so little regard by the same politicians, who never give up anything. In my world, they shouldn't be there, but the political elite if this country (all parties included) have their own agenda, which is largely self serving.
Meanwhile bdiddy is spouting absolute BS about the president that originated from a foreign source who it turns out knew absolutely nothing about the details of the trip in question, and made up the numbers on the spot.
Funny how that blithering idiot above has time to reply to others except you. You must of hit a sore spot in his dreams of blaming Obama for everything.
Funny – saw the post below – was actually just going to ask for references?
your premise. that's what.
It's not a symptom of a much larger problem?
Well first off, it is not a $100 million dollar vacation. It is the President's first official state visit to Africa of his Presidency. A visit that is long overdue. Obama will be meeting with heads of state, business and cultural leaders. It is hardly a "vacation". Only a crazy conservative would confuse a state visit with a vacation.
Second, the trip is *estimated* to cost between 60-100 million dollars. As the Post story notes, it is in-line with similar visits to Africa. The only people making similar visits to Africa would be other Presidents. The most recent visits by a President to Africa would be Bush II's visits in 2003 and 2008. So the trip costs are in-line with what was spent by him. Also, in 2003, Bush took not only Laura along but also took Jenna and Barbara. Guess what they did during their state visit? They went on a safari! Does that mean that trip was a vacation then?
I guess people also missed the part of the story where it was mentioned that a good chunk of the cost of Obama's trip is due to security. To quote "he first family is making back-to-back stops from June 26 to July 3 in three countries where U.S. officials are providing nearly all the resources, rather than depending heavily on local police forces, military authorities or hospitals for assistance." I don't know about you, but I would prefer that security and any medical needs be handled by our personnel and not local authorities. While I know many conservatives would party in the streets if Obama was assassinated, would the others be conducting hearings to ask if it could have been prevented with more money spent on security?
Laura Bush also made 5 separate trips to Africa. Do you think she just hopped a commercial plane and went on her own? Sorry but I don't think so. In 2007, Barbara and Jenna accompanied her on a three country visit. Guess what they did? They went on a safari.. Oh .. My..
In 2004, the IRS targeted the NAACP in a move that Karl Rove admitted was purely political. Bush II used Air Force 1 for more purely political travel than any other President. Given the status of Iraq at the time, Bush was using Air Force 1 for personal reasons, at tax payer expense, while our soldiers were fighting insurgents and dying.
Of course the NSA programs everyone is freaking out about all started under Bush as well. National security and patriotism were the justifications given when details started to leak in 2006. The concerns raised by privacy advocates after 9/11 with the increase in government prying using the PATRIOT act were dismissed.
Damia are you on the payroll? If not you should be.
your rebuttle, bdiddy742?
Again and again I find it humorous that – although I am not a republican, nor a staunch conservative, but just happen to disagree on many levels with how this administration is running our country – as I did with Bush, that those who disagree resort to childish name calling instead of engaging in a reasonable debate "crazy conservative, blithering idiot, fool, etc." Has anyone read the references that I have provided? I wouldn't care if the president spent this money on the trip if there weren't so many problems back home (i.e. sequesters, budgets, spending, scandals) – BO has sold the United States (or at least those that drank the Kool Aid) a bill of goods and nothing more, so pardon me if I am not a tinge critical as to how he spends taxpayer dollars these days (and before you pounce about Bush – I disagreed with a lot of what he did as well).
Cheney and the GOP should be ashamed of how they have damaged the Military. We don't need contractors, we need a self sufficient Army. Every single defense contract should be reviewed and every single person who did this to us should be charged with treason.
AGREED!!!!!!
Wake up, Obama has been president for 4 1/2 years
They won't realize that for another 5 to 10 years.
So? The use of contractors accelerated vastly under Bush. Like it or not, the past effects the future. The decisions Bush II made are not erased just because time passes.
It takes a week to slow down and turn around a barge filled with corrupt contractors and 50 billion tons of unnecessary ball bearings.
Really ? The Military is supposed to be a fighting force. Able to withstand anything. All the enemy has to do is take away the hot meals and Play Stations and we are done for.
Oh well...get ready for more suicides.
Pretty sick and inappropriate comment. I hope you never have to feel the pain of someone you are close to ending their life.
How many hot meals would a $100 million dollar safari to africa buy?
Please post the link to this? Claiming is different from truth.
Why don't they cut a couple of those contractors loose and get the F out of Afghanistan? We could feed our troops here in the USA for a fraction of the cost. The simple answer is the USA simply cannot afford to fight an endless war with no exit plan. Let Bush's folly prove to be a lesson to our country for being aggressive with no plan.
Scaling down contractors? Whatever happened to army cooks?
Cheney couldn't make money so they did away with them. Wait until you find out how much the contractors are charging for laundry service. They hire locals for pennies and charge us 30 dollars a load.
They've gone from hot meals to hot karls.
Someone needs to wake those Generals or officers up earlier than 5:30 out here, because for those working people and ground troops breakfast in DFAC's is always full.
Why the hell are we even still there?
Ask Dear Leader. It claimed it was going to bring the troops home. Oh, and don't claim it brought the troops home from Afghanistan, it did nothing more than follow the time table the W set up with the Iraq government.
Scott
Scott,, you're a moron.
So how is that not bringing the troops home? It is so amusing that crackpot conservatives keep referring to Obama as "dear leader" or "king" or other terms and then act like liberals somehow are obsessed with him. The real cult of personality surrounding Obama is made up of his enemies. You are the ones utterly obsessed with him.
I wonder how many hot meals the 0bama's upcoming $100 MILLION vacation in Africa could have bought?
Seriously? Please explain how you came up with this random number
Random??? They been quoting that amount on TV ALL week..........Hellooooo!!!
Anne quoting that from what news source? Limbaugh? Seriously. I think you guys need to get a life instead of waiting for articles to come up where you can post your hatred toward Obama.
Washington Post a good enough source for the price tag ? http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obamas-trip-to-africa-poses-special-challenges-enormous-costs/2013/06/13/29d9270a-cd29-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html. Now please stop asking the same stupid question.
True dat.....
The original story *estimated* the cost between 60 to 100 million dollars and was based off Bush's trips to Africa.
Sweet! So we can still blame Bush!
Hatred toward Obama? There is plenty of it toward Bush in this thread. Blame Bush lol. Two terms and the country has lost it's A+ credit rating for the first time in history, more American's are on food stamps than at any other point in our history, and the dollar is practically garbage compared to years past. I just got back from the U.K and I took a hundred pounds out of the ATM which cost me 160 dollars. Great job Obama!
I suspect the service members most impacted by this are the REMFs in large secure bases, who can just stick leftovers in the microwave to heat it up. The troops in the forward fire bases aren't getting four hot meals a day anyway.
That's not the point. The point is 'WHY?' It's not to save money, otherwise 0bama wouldn't funnel billions of dollars in welfare checks to illegals and Boston bombers.
Jason why don't you stay on topic instead of using this article to display your stupidity and hatred toward Obama.
He IS on topic. Your Dear Leader is the Commander-in-Chief of the military. Therefore, all decisions are ultimately BoBo's responsibility.
Scott
Scott you are obviously just like Jason. Just another individual that is just using this article to display his hatred for no reason at all.
Jason, you too are a moron.
It's an article about the army. Obama is commander in chief. How is a comment about Obama in relation to the army off topic?
It is called a drawing down of forces. I don't understand why it is so hard for people to understand. I guess you do not want to understand. Your hatred blinds you. It is rather sad.
@Scott – yes the President is Commander in Chief but he does not manage the day to day decisions of the military. He does not dictate every order passed down. He is not responsible for the action of every single person in uniform.
Well obviously it is Obama's fault because they say so. The rest of us should just stop listening to everything we learned in school and in our own experiences and just listen to them.
I know I've seen the light.
AMEN Brother – The ones doing the real fighting are not getting the hots and cots – it is the REMFs that are. Many for years have been dealing with MREs on deployments and those have devised ways to make them taste decent. A little imagination can make a big difference. My only complaint about MREs is when I ended up eating the same thing for three days straight (luck of the draw).
Why not he hates the military and this country...
*yawn*
My, My, you young lads do get hyper about your politics don't you !!!! The only thing that I know about MREs is what the young man (on full disability from shrapnel and blast concussion) tells me. Although I did feel that ham 'n limas C rations were probably worse. Of course my great-uncle considered C rations a vast improvement over what they fed him in 1918 when he was with the 5th Marines in France. Then there was the old Master Sergeant who used to regale us young troopers with tales of what they scrounged up to eat on Guadalcanal .
I always tried to make breakfast because it was usually the most eatable meal of the day. (The mess cooks could make a Kobe steak in to something as tough and tasty as a boondocker that had marinated in a honey bucket for a couple of days.) Mid rat's were what the mid watch guard had. Usually box with a sandwich and a piece of fruit and maybe a cookie.
All of the POGs be complaining.
Halliburton has been given permission to murder American soldiers to maximize profits. Bush appointed judge made that ruling in Halliburton's defense of the murder of Sgt Maseth. Probably just a better way to maximize profits.
They need to cut back on the food. There are too many fat service members.
I see a lot of people complaining about M.R.E's. Just remember that during World War II and several other wars the only thing our soldiers ate for years (not for months, years) were M.R.E.s. So honestly people shouldn't be complaining if our soldiers are eating M.R.E.s
I bet the Marines on Guadalcanal in 1942 would have loved MREs compared to the rations they had to eat.
Even back then the rations were a form of M.R.E.s but I agree with ya.
ummm this isnt 1942 though
I agree should soldiers shouldn't be complaining when they are eating M.R.Es when we know our fellow soldiers in the past had much less and survived.
@I am God your name is appropriate because your are obviously a complete idiot. I guess since we use to club animals for our food we should be grateful for fire. Moron these people are your chidden, husbands, son, daughter etc.. and you have the nerve to tell them they should get over it. Just like your made up religion you live in a fairytale of which your compassion is as with all religion void.
You're to stupid to waste any more of my time but rattle on sense that's all your good for.
Why not cut back on the thousands of General grade officers in today's military. There are 1000s more today than at the height of WW II when we had 16 Million men in Uniform.
You are clueless. The number of active duty general or flag officers is limited by law. There are a total of about 660 such officers across the 4 major branches. That is hardly thousands and thousands.
@Damia savon your are the clues one because that only means there are 660 incompetent idiots using our troops as target practice since these hero's of yours are in Tampa FL fighting the war just like your heroes Collin Powell and Schwarzkopf
You need the clue!!!!
Meanwhile in USAG Schweinfurt and USAG Bamberg both in Germany, the local national workers, meaning the Germans, went on strike last week demanding more money...... let me make clear that both military installations will be shutting down very soon and that there is a lot of American federal employees being affected with the furlough, including DOD teachers... but yeah, they don't care, they just want more money... screw the soldiers they say
Four hot meals a day? When my son was in Afghanistan last year he was only getting (2) meals a day. I thought that was absolutely outrageous. They are fighting for our country and they are being treated like they are the nothing. They get paid a poverty level wage and now they don't want to feed them. Can't wait to see what they are going to do to our soldiers next.
Our Soldiers have been and will continue to be well fed. I've done about 8 years deployed and much of it "in the box". We had a saying "You can go to the box and come back either bench-pressing three hundred pounds or weighing three hundred pounds – your choice". Many Soldiers gain weight from excess food – often a comfort time when they can gather to eat and talk. Those who need extra calories can get them and nobody goes hungry – except in some extreme emergency scenarios. Even in those times our MREs provide very adequate nutrition. Remember – it's not the military who treats Soldiers badly – it's the politicians who deploy them for unnecessary reasons and the citizens who sit quietly and re-elect those weasels. Think about WMDs and the Iraq War... Bush and Cheney should have gone to prison for starting the wars with purposefully falsified intelligence data. The problem isn't food.
Then the soldiers come back home and keep re-electing the weasels that sent them there in the first place.
lets make the heroes suffer and give inmates everything they want, great plan............
Concur. Inmates have more rights than those of us who are or have served.
Scott
Nice. First the Gov't screw the disabled veterans that have returned and now they're doing the same to the ones still on active duty. Good work! Maybe later congress can get together and start a puppy kicking service!
Seriously? MRE's. I have been a wild land firefighter for 30 years. MRE's AKA C-Rats. They are TERRIBLE. Make you depressed just thinking you have to eat one. In an EMERGENCY we are grateful we have food like MRE's, but daily to know that is what your meal will consist of, months on end? OMG! I love our soldiers, wish they were not there for sure, but to worsen their moral and give them MRE's...wow.... whomever thought this one up should be put on MRE's for months and see how much they like it. Seriously, the nutrition in an MRE is zilch. We expect our troupes to operate on this crap, which was meant only for EMERGENCYS. Who flippin cares if not many troupes show up for breakfast, trust me, for them just knowing that a hot meal is awaiting them, whether or not they eat it, gives them some kind of sanity. Makes them feel "someone cares". God Almighty, who designed this plan! Sorry Troupes, I will do what I can to change this order....
They have to eat an MRE? Oh Jesus Christ, the world is going to end. The ones complaining about this are the POGs who are stationed at that base with better amenities than they have at home. Boofrickittyhoo. Guys who are and were grunts ate MREs on the regular in country. Along with those godawful UGREs that were designed to feed a squad. Complain elsewhere POGs. Us grunts don't care.
Exactly what planet are you on? MREs are designed to be a standard meal ration. To say they have no nutritional value is fairly stupid. Of course the military is going to create a meal that provides the troops with no nutrition. Right.
What do you mean "Reduce the number of contractors"? Never mind I know what you mean. Dining halls have been contracted out to for-profit, private companies. Put a stop to that. Bring back all of the enlisted cooks and bottle washers. There is no need to waste taxpayer money having some for-profit buffoon preparing the soldier's food.
cheaper to contract it out.
no, it's not.
I have never bought into the concept of contracting services out when there are plenty of able bodied troops around. I was in the Army when mess halls were run by enlisted people. A lot of us didn't like it, but we didn't really want to be in the Army anyway. The system worked well though. The problem was that civilian contractors didn't get rewarded by congressmen.
But...the new troops being stationed in Jordan...they will get four squares, right.
It is fitting the comment about Napolean. A French company prepares and serves most military meals across the USA and in the field. Sodexho is a billion dollar company that also manages most university meal programs.
So...you come on here to say that the military is the bottom of the barrel of society? You're sick! Be glad there are real men out there willing to sacrifice so that you can sit at home, all obese and opinionated. Just to let you know...I left the Marines in 06 and I bet I now make double what you do. I hate when cowards like you sit behind a computer and disrespect the REAL productive members of society. I gurantee you would never make comments like this to a Marines face, coward.
Brendan, you SHAME the marines with your speech. A coward is just a fat marine that cant be respectful to other people cause he got the flag up his butt.
Your words give you away
Marine my butt
Well said my man.
Yeah brenden, because Afghanistan was JUST about to invade the USA, thank god we stopped them, right?
Yeah I feel real safe that you corporate security forces killed a lot of brown children on behalf of the oil companies.
Amen brother, Semper Fi
First off this is the first time I've ever commented online but seriously you're all missing the point entirely. Clearly this isn't just a drawback correlating with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan... The military is being forced to reduce spending and this is part of their cuts. You can rationalize it to yourselves anyway you want; they volunteered they should deal with it etc.etc. but in the end our troops will eat gross MRE's every morning for breakfast and after watch at night instead of hot meals while deployed away from their families as a result of liberal spending and bureaucracy by congress on both sides of the aisle. Once again CNN points you all away from what you should actually be focusing on. Congratulations.
So every other time this happened it was solely because the Pentagon was desperate to save money? You don't think this happened in Iraq or Gulf 1? Really?
Sorry but it is not due to "liberal" spending anymore than it is due to "conservative" spending. If you don't believe there is such a thing as "conservative" spending, then I have swampland in Florida to sell you.
Once the military wasn't a a culture of corporate dependency. We had our own cooks. See what selling out to corporate interest has done? Taxpayers pay much more while they serve up much less.
God forbid "joes" have to eat MREs.
If you've ever served in a hot region of Afghanistan or Iraq, you lived off MREs for days/weeks/months while out in the field. Those that say they're gross are over coddled POAGs. Real War Fighters live off that stuff.
Personally I like MREs. It serves as a bonding experience with your fellow joes by all the bartering and trading that goes on.
"Hey Martinez. I'll trade you my Peanut Butter for your Cheese spread."
Fun Fact: Although it's required for Unlawful For Resale to be printed on every MRE, there are no laws actually prohibiting their sales in civilian population. Military personnel can't sell them for profit, but eBay has hundreds of people selling them.
And yet, all of the low-life's in jail will still get 3 hot meals a day, and there are probably more of them than troops!!!!! Why doesn't our government save money by NOT feeding the prisoners for 1 meal a day, and spend that money so the troops, who are putting their lives on the line everyday, get fed properly!!!!!!!!
lol... you think prisoners get 3 delicious hot meals a day? I know someone who was in. Their GOOD meals were two slices of bread and some bologney. Milk was always powdered when they could get it. Vegetables were usually throwaways and they routinely had to cut off the nasty stuff. Soldiers eat MUCH better than prisoners. Don't worry about that.
you are sadly mistaken. Prisons have food and sanitation inspections. You should be happy knowing this because it is one more thing that your state tax pays for.
Fire the DOD and all the generals and the CICs and Chickenhawk congressmen who start these stupid "wars". The last US soldier to die defending American freedoms died in WW II. Stop being the world's policemen. Next "war" congress goes along with, combat soldiers get senators pay and senators get MREs and private pay.
This is how your conservative congress and their puppets at the Pentagon feel about you military persons and veterans. They want you to get sick and die too, so you can be replaced by the bot force they plan to breed when they outlaw abortion. : )
This an age old strategy...against your enemy, to starve and weaken them...the old saying "An Army Travels On Its Stomach" has never been more true....This is the surest and quickest way to defeat them....Used to call it a 'Siege'...for the same effect. Can't help it, I come form a family of Army officers and know a few things about strategy....We know the plan now.
I spent 6 months with my meals being MREs three times a day – they are not that bad, and if you experiment they are actually pretty good. Also, many of us did not eat breakfast and by the time we got in out of the field, we ate some poogey bait and hit the rack.
Now for your comment about the Conservatives – please also look at those Liberals that 1) agreed to the automatic cut-backs should they not be able to reach an agreement by a specific date. 2) The Democrats had the ability to designate where the cuts would take place, yet in order to protect their position in politics, have an ill-informed mantra of it is all the Conservatives fault and not what is best for this country, they opted to sit on their hands and not take care of those that are standing the line protecting the Freedom of this Great Nation.
I signed a contract, I knew what I was getting in to, I made the option, I was not drafted and I will stand strong. But what makes all of this harder is to see people throw blame at one party or another and just perpetuate the problems that this Great Nation by targeting one Party or the other, and not realizing that it is BOTH parties that are the issue.
It is not just Democrats as you said. Conservatives had their say in sequester as well, though this is not about having to save money. Conservative spending on the military is not focused on taking care of the troops, it is on the weapons, toys and other gear that gets their buddies back home military contracts. That includes the companies that provide the contract employees now being terminated.
IT would be nice if people could civilly disagree and actually discuss issues but that seems to have passed.
Its well known that relating to locals is VERY IMPORTANT in terms of being accepted in a theater of war. Well...having soldiers driving around in Lamborghinis wouldn't look good would it? Making this public looks kinda good in the third world. Complaining about two hot meals looks really bad in a nation where a lot of people are happy to get to eat twice a day...no matter what they're eating. Either way...no troops will be starving. Troops are "supposed" to be hardened people are they not? Well complaining while still getting enough sustenence sure does show weakness
I'm not vegan, but would always opt for the vegatarian MRE's over the meat packs. Tasted much better, & easier on the digestive system. The biggest problem isn't the rations, its the fact most troops give or throw away a big chunk of them, resulting in insufficiant calorie intake
I always heard that Meals Ready to Eat was three lies in a row. They were intended for field rations, not long term use. Cutting out meals for troops while POTUS wastes money left and right is nearly criminal. How many meals would his 60-100 million dollar vacation pay for?
If the military was desperate short of money and having to make cutbacks because of a lack of cash then you might have a point. That is not the case.
The MRE is to be a meal in the field during operations. It is a meal. Some even come with flameless heaters so the food can be hot. IF you eat the entire MRE then you will get proper caloric intake and nutrition. It is not like the troops are being starved.
non story
SOP or not this is a stupid policy. Start cutting meals down 3-4 months maybe before withdrawal. the article says they will be eating that crap for 17 MONTHS at least. This is how we treat our service people?
Actually yes. It happened in Iraq (notice no complaints) and in previous situations. MREs are far better than previous rations. They have sufficient calories to sustain troops. It is not a prepared meal but it *is* a meal. It is not like the troops are being denied food. Exactly what do you think they would be eating if they were involved in full-time combat operations?
Purpose of food intake is to provide macro nutrients to the body so we can function. Key here is calorie intake.. it does not matter who serves it. If there is a lesser cost to have the same effect then why not execute the lesser cost. Just the opinion of a artilleryman that is still serving after 19 wonderful years..
Soldiers are not beyond reproach and they are not babies. They've been trained to endure the worst that the world can throw at them (Drill Sergeants) and come out stronger than when they went in. By the time their Drill's and their NCOs have gotten through with them, bullets are cake-walk.
They can survive having to live off MREs for one measly meal a day.
Yeah this is BS, I understand a lot of times people are too lazy to wake up for B-fast but still it was pretty damn amazingly good. Quit doing pointless missions and save the gas money instead.
I guess Obama and Michelle are running out of money for hundred million dollar VACATIONS!
Hardly but there is no reasoning with those who just hate.
lol "too lazy to wake up for B-fast "
highlighting what kind of people who have in the military.
XhaveX . "are"
For Combat Units, after several hours of on edge, watching EVERYTHING and EVERYONE around you, to try and determine if they want to kill you or your buddy, when we get to "Sleep" (again on edge), breakfast is not our concern, 30 more minutes of sleep is.
Until you have the spine to do what we do, you have NO right to make the comment "highlighting what kind of people who have in the military." you ignorant REMF.
What they do not tell you is that a lot of ground units are either already on patrol or prepping for a patrol and are using time management... this is where the MRE comes in
They need to cut down on hot meals so there will be plenty of money for arms to the syrian rebels
SHAME ON OUR GOVERNMENT... OUR TROOPS ALREADY GIVE UP SO MUCH FOR OUR FREEDOMS
SOMETIMES THEY EVEN GIVE UP THIER LIVES ...
THEY CAN NOT EVEN GIVE THEM A DECENT SALARY,
THEY CAN NOT GIVE THEM GOOD EQUIPMENT
AND NOW THEY CAN NOT EVEN GIVE THEM GOOD FOOD ???
SHAME ON OUR GOVERNMENT, SHAME ON YOU ALL...
Hey guess what, it's called you volunteer. I volunteered and when the Military started cutting back and working us at the same tempo as when we had full units. I decided I better get out while I was a young man. You make choices in life and it's up to you to make those choices. The Senators of Rome never go without a 2 martini lunch and 5 squares a day.
The Government seems to make all the right decisions, right? Right?
March to the beat of your own drum.
Kimba seemed fairly spot on to me...Wages were not terrible, equipment was trash, food in major FOBs were awesome.
You're a drama sheep. It's not ww3 out there and many of them are better fed than people who work jobs that actually have to be done. Also all the people I have known who CHOSE to join did it for money, college tuition, or experience.
so tell me, since you are so freaking noble... why do you work? for the love of your company? for the service of your company that you have pledged allegiance to? no, you work for the money, and to pay college loans, and to own a house... so do me a favor and pack up your self righteous bullcrap. what job do you do that needs done? if youre not better fed than a soldier deployed to afghanistan... go back to college and get a better degree.... idiot
It is called......PUTTING THEM UNDER SIEGE...it is a tactic.
Who is putting them under seige? Are all our troops confined to a base now and surrounded by Taliban? I must have missed that.
Aboard ship we usually ate well – the ship itself was old and overworked – during Korea our pay was a fraction of today – at least once when we had 250 troops aboard on a silly mission, we got down to powdered eggs, powdered potatoes, and powdered milk and none of them were of the quality of todays powdered products. Our enlistment was for 24 hours a day – none of this second job bull. The military is a very different life – much like prison, but it is what was volunteered for – it can be character building, and it certainly is a service to one's nation.
The military gets paid well.. those that complain do so because they live outside there means and expect more. I provide a very good life for my family and very thankful for what I do have after spending 19 years of active duty in the enlisted ranks.
Get a grip, people! This is SOP when forces begin ramping down. You start pulling out the support people (and these days the contractors) and their equipment. The last to leave (grunts like me) make do with MREs or in my time C-Rations till we pull out.
Eat the enemies warm hearts...
Really? I can see pulling the breakfast shift about 8 weeks prior to the FINAL departure from Afghanistan, but not before then. I know I enjoyed the breakfast meal when I was overseas. I can't imagine starting my day with an MRE. Why do we continue to display our lack of caring for the troops in order to save some money?!
And we still feed our welfare recipients 3 meals a day (don't get me wrong, we SHOULD be doing that, for those that truly require welfare)
You are about 6 months too late. This started back in January.
we have a chow hall for people on welfare?
I have deployed several times, as I am sure many of you have. Exactly how many deployed troops do you think are sitting around FOBs at lunch and dinner time to eat? On my last 310 day deployment to Afghanistan, there were maybe 20 days that I had a hot meal after breakfast. To take that meal, or any of the other three away from the troops, is assuming that they are all working the same hours, and get to kick back and enjoy set meals on a regular basis. I'm not sure exactly who's brain-child this was, but that individual has obviously not been involved in combat operations. I love my country, and would not trade a second of my 19 years of military service, but this thoroughly disgusts me. If the budget requires that contractors be cut to save money, fine. Give me a few eggs, a pan, and a heat source, and let me cook my own breakfast when I roll out of my cot in the morning.
Thank you for your service CB!
A lot of you complaining have never obviously eaten an MRE. They are fine. They are exactly what you need and they are filling. You all need to quit complaining about what the soldiors are or are NOT eating in this case and focus more on getting them home. Just because they are removing regular chow for two meals a day doesn't mean this is some terrible tragedy. The soldiors are not complaining... why are you freaks???
Yeah. They get a bit boring, but after a long day you're usually less interested in good food than filling food.
Simply because 1) they hate Obama and 2) it is really easy to show how patriotic you are by complaining about the treatment of troops.
They have never served thats why. They don't even rate to hold my jock strap. people just want to moan and complian because thats what they do all day in thier job.
ahah yeah people who never served are less then people who have. Total unjustifiable arrogance right there. The hospital I work in . You know saving the lives of dopes like you is filled with MDs who never served and uneducated security guards who did. Get the picture now? Most military are the bottom of the barrel . Couldn't even succeed when left to their own devices.
also ya dope 90+% of people in the military never hear a shot fired in anger and do a job like anyone else. With a couple of differences in that it doesn't contribute to the GDP (you'll have to Google that one I bet) and they get paid in tax money.
Sorry forgot to add what I stated are facts and there is now way around them.
keith, hes not saying your less than military. not at all. hes saying that people are complaining based on ignorance. they complain about "treatment of the troops" but troops arent complaining... even three MREs a day would be welcome. Hes saying the ones complaining are the ones who havent served and dont knoww that this is just standard Operating Procedure for a drawdown... no ones complaining except the people who have never lived that lifestyle. so... STFU. dopes like us, huh? youre an idiot.
This is a filthy republican damnable piece of crap! Feed the boys and girls and stop having them as the personal bodygiards for KBR!
I bet the criminals in our freaking jails will get 3 hots and a cot. But our troops.. nah.
Not necessarily so – in Maracopa county AZ prisoners get peanutbutter sandwiches. MRIs are much superior to that.
And when has that ever changed?
Prisoners have always had more rights and more freedoms than Soldiers. It's life, it's reality and all of us that have served know this.
Get over yourself and deal with it.
Blame it on OB, He has never been a friend to the military......I hope he really needs them one day and they look the other way..........
I am sure that congress did this, and Obama has no control over them. Reid, that weak-willed cup of cold tea, allowed the minority party to run the congress, and Boehner allows that party to be run aground by teapublicans. You'd rather have Cheney? You've got him. What do you think our troops are doing over there? They're protecting Halliburton!
The reason: the Pentagon is trying to scale down the number of contractors needed to cook and serve meals and run dining areas.
Not OB, I am in the Navy and I agree we have to get out. This is how it's done.
And the sooner the better
found the troll.
typical of the Repugnicans. When the wars wind down, they cut military funding for the troops and their families first.Defense contractors will still get fully funded.
Actually this is just the normal part of drawing down operations. It is nothing new or surprising. It is not an evil plot of Obama or Republicans. It is not some evil thing to punish the troops. It is not about any lack of support.
Besides, this is not exactly news. This was first reported back in January as it started in more outlying bases.
Psst, guess what? BE A MILITARY CONTRACTOR! see wasn't that simple?
Its sad that this admin will step so low to hurt our people serving to keep us safe. It's simple if you want contractors out you turn the food issue's over to the military and send the contractors home. But that would be to simple and obama would lose the chance to punish those in uniform and those that want to serve.
It's your repugnican buddies in congress that are cutting the funds for the troops and their families.
How about you blame the generals? You know darn well the President did not sit around and say "How shall we screw the troops today? I know! Let's cut two hot meals. Mwahahaha" Oh please. This is just part of the drawn down. It is not some evil plot against the troops.
Thank you Teapublicans for sequestration.
You can thank your commander in-chief
You can thank the republican/tea party.
No, I thank the racist GOP congress. Oh and this is nothing new. After Desert Storm the US Army cut back on a lot of stuff, to include hot meals, as we were drawing down to come home.
1371 is combat engineer, right? You would have pulled out before the base was seriously downsized unless you were part of the contingent left behind to blow stuff up so the bad guys couldn't have it. If you stuck around a while longer you'd have experienced this very common part of shutting down a base.
Semper fi,
CWO2 (0306)
thank your congress, he only signed what they passed
You all can shut up because you don't know what you're talking about.
This is SOP. That means "Standard" as in "It always happens this way."
Can't tell you how heart sick this article makes me.
The brave risk life and limb, and get treated like @#$^& !
Next, they will probably be having the chinese pack the MRE's, "to save money".
.
So are Federal Prisons also cutting back on hot meals?
.
The prisoners would never stand for it.
You should spend a tour in Federal Prison. I'm sure they are eating 4 hot meals a day.
Does everyone have to repeat the prison comment over and over? Can't you come up with something new at least? Seriously every third poster seems to make this comment.
If you want to debate the Pentagon using contractors in roles that military personnel then take it up with the Pentagon and Congress. The use of contractors started under Clinton and accelerated under Bush II. It is not like this started suddenly.
This is ridiculous. When I went through basic training at Ft. Sill, OK in 9/99-2/00 we ate like champs. We ate three buffet type meals EVERY day and had seafood Fridays. We could eat as much as we wanted (if your drill sergeant wasn't a jerk who would tell you he better not see a lot of food on your plate unless you pass every physical fitness test). We had salad bars, cereal bars, fruit bars, ice bream bars, etc... I'm sure if given the choice, all basic training soldiers would gladly give up a meal a day do that the men and women overseas could eat a hot meal.
Does anyone else remember when soldiers/marines/sailors/airmen cooked the meals, and took care of their own? Why are we contracting everything out? I fought in these wars and wondered the same thing then, but at least I saw a fair few servicemen/women working the chow lines then.
I've been in for 9 years and until my tour in Afghanistan, I'd never seen an actual Army cook, let alone a Food Service company. They were terrible at their jobs, we got food poisoning at least twice, but they were a lot of fun to hang out with. lol.....when I wasn't peeing out of my butt.