The Briefing Room
General Category => Military/Defense News => Topic started by: happyg on June 03, 2013, 03:40:41 pm
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Sorry, try as I might, I can’t work up much outrage about this story making the rounds the last couple days.
Marines at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan will lose a key daily meal starting Saturday, causing some to forgo a hot breakfast and others to work six-plus hours without refueling on cooked food, according to Marines at the base and Marine Corps officials.
The midnight ration service — known there as “midrats” — supplies breakfast to Marines on midnight-to-noon shifts and dinner to Marines who are ending noon-to-midnight work periods. It’s described as one of the few times the Marines at Leatherneck can be together in one place.
So, for now, the chow hall is going from four hot meals a day to three. The horror!
Some folks will blame this on an uncaring service, or budget cuts on the back of the troops or the sequestration.
No.
Simply put, the drawdown of forces in Afghanistan also means a drawdown of contractor support, including those that provide food services. And with fewer food service contractors, there has to be fewer hot meals.
So, sure, it’s a burden on those air wingers that work shift work. But Camp Leatherneck has always been somewhat more austere than some of the other major installations in Afghanistan (and it IS a major installation- it’s one 0f the biggest bases in ALL the Marine Corps). Unlike Bagram Air Base, it has never had fast food and coffee shops.
Mind you, I’m a strong believer that you don’t need practice being miserable. Good commanders take care that hot food is provided whenever practical. But the fact is, Marines at Camp Leatherneck have far more meal options and far better accommodations than those Marines and soldiers deployed to smaller combat outposts, where a hot meal is truly a luxury.
Both the Marines and the Army have gone to considerable effort to provide (military) cooks to forward outposts. But all too often those troops are either on patrol for days on end (meaning all meals are MREs) or only provided one or two hot meals a day, usually from canned foodstuffs, not fresh, and with a very monotonous menu.
Babette Maxwell, of Military Spouse Magazine, does herself no favors sounding like a whiner.
“MREs are an alternative for when you can’t get to healthy food. They’re supposed to be for desperation,” said Babette Maxwell, founder and executive director of Military Spouse Magazine, the wife of a Navy pilot and an advocate for service members and their families. “These guys have six to nine months left on their deployment. These are highly athletic and highly physical people, toting guns, not working any less now than before — and not working out any less either. Now, they’re short a meal and they don’t have any healthy alternatives.”
MREs are actually rather healthy, if somewhat high in fats. But they are very high in calories. Unless you’re engaged in the most strenuous physical activity (see, patrolling, infantry) you can gain weight quite easily with MREs.
And Ms. Maxwell, maybe you should ask your husband what kind of midrats are served at sea. Hint- it ain’t usually a hot meal, no matter what shift hours you have.
Then there’s this bit:
“Psychologically, midrats is probably the most important of all the meals because that’s the big social time — where first (shift) crew is coming off and second (shift) crew is coming on,” Maxwell said.”That’s where you get the esprit de corps, the camaraderie. It’s not just the food you’re taking away, it’s their social sustenance.”
Really? Marines are that fragile? I’ll have to take a poll of our readers and see how many support that notion. Provided I can get URR off his fainting couch. I’ll give you this much- other bases that have stopped a fourth meal have eliminated either breakfast or lunch based primarily on which is the least attended meal of the day.
I gotta say, as a grunt who thought a TCT/TCA ration cycle was pure luxury, I’d blow my top at these guys.
I’ll give LTC Gilmore, spokesman, credit for finding a bit of humor:
When serving we are challenged to endure different things — to face different challenges — over time. But we’re an odd bunch, we Marines — probably no surprise that we’ll complain more about losing the sandwich bar on the way out than we did about getting shot at on the way in.”
http://xbradtc.com/2013/06/01/omg-poor-marines-forced-to-eat-mres/ (http://xbradtc.com/2013/06/01/omg-poor-marines-forced-to-eat-mres/)
Pictures and video at link
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There was another thread about this, but this one is ridiculing those who complain.
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Sweet. A know-it-all opinion piece written by some guy hiding behind an internet pseudonym. I wonder if he ever goes without a hot meal? Hell, I wonder if he even ever served in anything but a battalion of similar warriors down at his local bar.
I never ate MREs. When I was ij the Army they served us C-Rations from WWII (Lucky Strike goes to war, woot!) and that was in the 60s. I never found them all that bad but the funny thing was I was always hungry an hour or two after consuming the contents of one of the containers. Be that as it may, I think it is somewhat insulting to the troops in combat areas to serve them box lunches (so to speak) if hot meals are possible, especially if it's simply to save money.
Don't get me wrong. Saving taxpayer dollars is very important but for some reason I assume there are other areas where we could save a pfennig or two than by following this policy of serving MREs rather than a hot meal.
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OMG! GIVE these Marines ALL the DAMN HOT MEALS POSSIBLE! Gaaaa Leee. We send friggin billions to the friggin head choppers. (catching breath)
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Sweet. A know-it-all opinion piece written by some guy hiding behind an internet pseudonym. I wonder if he ever goes without a hot meal? Hell, I wonder if he even ever served in anything but a battalion of similar warriors down at his local bar.
I never ate MREs. When I was ij the Army they served us C-Rations from WWII (Lucky Strike goes to war, woot!) and that was in the 60s. I never found them all that bad but the funny thing was I was always hungry an hour or two after consuming the contents of one of the containers. Be that as it may, I think it is somewhat insulting to the troops in combat areas to serve them box lunches (so to speak) if hot meals are possible, especially if it's simply to save money.
Don't get me wrong. Saving taxpayer dollars is very important but for some reason I assume there are other areas where we could save a pfennig or two than by following this policy of serving MREs rather than a hot meal.
It's not about saving money. The fact is, there is a drawdown of troops, so there is a drawdown of the contractors who fix the hot meals. Apparently , the point has been reached at which it's no longer even possible to do the hot meals.
Besides, nobody joins the armed services thinking that life inside is going to be like life outside. And, last I looked, we have an all-volunteer armed services.
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It's not about saving money. The fact is, there is a drawdown of troops, so there is a drawdown of the contractors who fix the hot meals. Apparently , the point has been reached at which it's no longer even possible to do the hot meals.
Besides, nobody joins the armed services thinking that life inside is going to be like life outside. And, last I looked, we have an all-volunteer armed services.
Where did you serve, sink? Are you a Marine?
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...the point has been reached at which it's no longer even possible to do the hot meals. Really? No longer even possible? Fancy that. When I was in the Army they were capable of setting up field kitchens and we could sometimes get a hot meal, other times C-Rations. Odd our military is no longer capable of that, but if you say so.
Besides, nobody joins the armed services thinking that life inside is going to be like life outside. And, last I looked, we have an all-volunteer armed services. And? All the more reason to treat these men and women with the respect they deserve, don't you think? Or are you of the opinion that if you volunteer to serve in our military that means you are immediately reduced to 2nd class status and become undeserving of our nation's appreciation? Sure sounds like you do.
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When I was in the Army they were capable of setting up field kitchens and we could sometimes get a hot meal, other times C-Rations
It's too bad they have dispensed with that and have contracted meal preparation out...they should bring this back.....our guys deserve 3 hots a day...
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To be fair, MREs are an abomination and anyone who can gain weight eating them has sanded off their taste buds.
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To be fair, MREs are an abomination and anyone who can gain weight eating them has sanded off their taste buds.
They're not that bad...lol
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It's too bad they have dispensed with that and have contracted meal preparation out...
I had no idea the military had ended that practice, Mystery, and the saddest part is, at least according to Sinkspur, they can never, ever revive it. Maybe they have forgotten how they did it.
our guys deserve 3 hots a day.... Uh, yep, and somehow I really think they can manage it.
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It's too bad they have dispensed with that and have contracted meal preparation out...they should bring this back.....our guys deserve 3 hots a day...
I am in total agreement with that. Three hot meals are probably the closest they come to being home. I understand it if soldiers are on a mission, but when they aren't fighting, they deserve whatever the government can and should do for them. Quit feeding and arming Al Qaida, and our soldiers could eat like Queen Mooch!
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...the point has been reached at which it's no longer even possible to do the hot meals. Really? No longer even possible? Fancy that. When I was in the Army they were capable of setting up field kitchens and we could sometimes get a hot meal, other times C-Rations. Odd our military is no longer capable of that, but if you say so.
Besides, nobody joins the armed services thinking that life inside is going to be like life outside. And, last I looked, we have an all-volunteer armed services. And? All the more reason to treat these men and women with the respect they deserve, don't you think? Or are you of the opinion that if you volunteer to serve in our military that means you are immediately reduced to 2nd class status and become undeserving of our nation's appreciation? Sure sounds like you do.
If I volunteer to take a job working an oil rig, I don't get to complain because I have to work two weeks on, one week off.
A certain lifestyle comes with serving in the military and no one is forced to live that lifestyle against his/her will.
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If I volunteer to take a job working an oil rig, I don't get to complain because I have to work two weeks on, one week off.
A certain lifestyle comes with serving in the military and no one is forced to live that lifestyle against his/her will.
What is life like working on an oil rig? Just curious because I hear it pays very well.
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They're not that bad...lol
The crackers and PB&J are bearable. Almost.
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What is life like working on an oil rig? Just curious because I hear it pays very well.
It DOES pay very well... even down to the lowest jobs...... unlike our military....
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The crackers and PB&J are bearable. Almost.
I like the spicy cheese spread.
And the M&Ms.
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I traded the M&Ms Prefer crackers. :laugh:
One thing we have/had in ours that I don't think you get is a square of something called Kendall Mint Cake. Almost pure sugar, with enough peppermint to blow you to the moon.
That I do miss :laugh:
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It DOES pay very well... even down to the lowest jobs...... unlike our military....
Thank you Rap. Was hoping sink would answer since he indicated he? may or may not have volunteered to work on a rig. Since sink has not responded, I would guess not.
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It DOES pay very well... even down to the lowest jobs...... unlike our military....
Two brothers-in-law worked the rigs in Alabama some years ago. One fell and broke his back, so they came home. Even so, they made more money in a few months than they did in a couple years here in Ohio. I don't remember how long they were there, but they loved the money!
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Sweet. A know-it-all opinion piece written by some guy hiding behind an internet pseudonym. I wonder if he ever goes without a hot meal? Hell, I wonder if he even ever served in anything but a battalion of similar warriors down at his local bar.
I never ate MREs. When I was ij the Army they served us C-Rations from WWII (Lucky Strike goes to war, woot!) and that was in the 60s. I never found them all that bad but the funny thing was I was always hungry an hour or two after consuming the contents of one of the containers. Be that as it may, I think it is somewhat insulting to the troops in combat areas to serve them box lunches (so to speak) if hot meals are possible, especially if it's simply to save money.
Don't get me wrong. Saving taxpayer dollars is very important but for some reason I assume there are other areas where we could save a pfennig or two than by following this policy of serving MREs rather than a hot meal.
I was out in the DMZ in Korea, Spring of 1969, on ambush. The Cs I took out had been packed when my Pop was in the Army in '44. Cs were great. You could use the Chicklets as weapons, either by hand, or a makeshift sling. You left the cigarettes [Luckies or Chesterfields-no filters] as booby traps. When anybody tried to suck air through them, their heads imploded. The toiletpaper was invaluable as an interrogation tool. Rub it on flesh, they'd sing like a canary [ If they didn't you could threaten to make them eat the roast beef au jus (dogfood), or the legendary ham and motherf*ckers]. And there were enough cans of datenut loaf [unopened] laying around to sustain you for the next five centuries. :tongue2:
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I was out in the DMZ in Korea, Spring of 1969...
Oh, wow, PzLdr, we served in the same general area, only I was there 3 years before you and further south at both Camp Kaiser (Unchoni) and Camp Casey (Tongduchon), 7th Division.
Did you know the boxes those C-Rations came in could be used to heat your meal? Never tried it but they were supposed to be smokeless when burning so you wouldn't give away your position.
The Army thinks of everything doesn't it; or, as we used to say on occasion: FTA (Forever, The Army)?
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What is life like working on an oil rig? Just curious because I hear it pays very well.
The point is, both jobs are undertaken voluntarily. There is no coercion to accept either role.
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It's too bad they have dispensed with that and have contracted meal preparation out...they should bring this back.....our guys deserve 3 hots a day...
They WILL get 3 hots a day. The hot meal they are cutting is a 4th meal.
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To be fair, MREs are an abomination and anyone who can gain weight eating them has sanded off their taste buds.
Are you kidding!?!?!
I love MRE'S! Eggs & Ham, Tuna with Noodles, Beef slice with Veins, Pork Patties, Chicken Chow Mein, all with hot sauce!
Mmmmm, mmmmmmmmmmmm!
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I beg all not to be ignorant about the Marines on the front lines, at forward operating bases, or midnight missions. If you have never served as a Marine--trust that they need all the hot food, calories they can ingest. Some of the comments reveal that the posters do not know what they're posting about. There will be no weight gains outside the wire. Don't doubt it.
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It's too bad they have dispensed with that and have contracted meal preparation out...
I had no idea the military had ended that practice, Mystery, and the saddest part is, at least according to Sinkspur, they can never, ever revive it. Maybe they have forgotten how they did it.
our guys deserve 3 hots a day.... Uh, yep, and somehow I really think they can manage it.
The Army stopped using the MKT's sometime during the Balkans. The cooks were relegated to watching over the shoulder of the Host Country Nationals who actually prepared the meals.
When I was in A-stan ('03-'04), we had ACAC. The MKT's the military brought were initially used by contractors to provide hot meals, mostly T-rats. The C's were always supplemented by soup, sandwiches, and coffee or juice. As soon as the DFAC's were built, MKT's went to the sidelines.
Believe me, these guys aren't suffering, and it's a heck of a lot better to draw down the support services ahead of time than for the military to suddenly depart and abandon all their contracted support personnel (Been there, Done that) on site.
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I beg all not to be ignorant about the Marines on the front lines, at forward operating bases, or midnight missions. If you have never served as a Marine--trust that they need all the hot food, calories they can ingest. Some of the comments reveal that the posters do not know what they're posting about. There will be no weight gains outside the wire. Don't doubt it.
Yep! Even when three hot meals are served daily, many of the Marines miss them because of other duties. This shouldn't even be an issue.
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Beef slice with Veins????????????? :thud:
Sorry... it all sounds terrible to me.....
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I was out in the DMZ in Korea, Spring of 1969...
Oh, wow, PzLdr, we served in the same general area, only I was there 3 years before you and further south at both Camp Kaiser (Unchoni) and Camp Casey (Tongduchon), 7th Division.
Did you know the boxes those C-Rations came in could be used to heat your meal? Never tried it but they were supposed to be smokeless when burning so you wouldn't give away your position.
The Army thinks of everything doesn't it; or, as we used to say on occasion: FTA (Forever, The Army)?
Better idea than the guy [when I was there] who made a "stove" out of a C-rat can and some C-4, but didn't ventilate the can with his P-38 [one of the Army's finest inventions]. Since no air got in, the thing exploded and killed him.
I was with 'A' Co., 3/23 Inf, 2 ID, just north of Munsan. We were in an A/O just east of the Imjin with the ROPKs on our left. I did the annnual qualification on the M-16 at Casey. Bitch of a range. :beer: :patriot:
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The point is, both jobs are undertaken voluntarily. There is no coercion to accept either role.
You know, that's probably one of the stupidest posts I've seen in a while. That looks like something Michelle Obama would have put together.
They're exactly the same except that:
- You can quit from the oil rig job. Quitting from the military is easier than it once was, but still not simple.
- While both jobs are dangerous, I'd suggest that it's rare that someone shoots at oil rig workers.
- You can choose where you'll work, within limits, with oil rig work. In the military, you go where you're told, period.
- The obvious pay difference because even the most rabid leftist would admit that being in the military is patriotic duty, while working on an oil rig is just another job.
I'm not sure if you've decided to be the resident contrarian, or if you've had a horrible brain injury.
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You know, that's probably one of the stupidest posts I've seen in a while. That looks like something Michelle Obama would have put together.
They're exactly the same except that:
- You can quit from the oil rig job. Quitting from the military is easier than it once was, but still not simple.
- While both jobs are dangerous, I'd suggest that it's rare that someone shoots at oil rig workers.
- You can choose where you'll work, within limits, with oil rig work. In the military, you go where you're told, period.
- The obvious pay difference because even the most rabid leftist would admit that being in the military is patriotic duty, while working on an oil rig is just another job.
I'm not sure if you've decided to be the resident contrarian, or if you've had a horrible brain injury.
:amen: :amen: You forgot to mention that many people join the military because they are patriots, and want to give back. The military is the reason we exist. They are our guardians, and seek little compensation. The least we can do to show our gratification for their service, is to feed them decent meals. Even the homeless get three hot meals a day if they choose to do so.
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You know, that's probably one of the stupidest posts I've seen in a while. That looks like something Michelle Obama would have put together.
They're exactly the same except that:
- You can quit from the oil rig job. Quitting from the military is easier than it once was, but still not simple.
- While both jobs are dangerous, I'd suggest that it's rare that someone shoots at oil rig workers.
- You can choose where you'll work, within limits, with oil rig work. In the military, you go where you're told, period.
- The obvious pay difference because even the most rabid leftist would admit that being in the military is patriotic duty, while working on an oil rig is just another job.
I'm not sure if you've decided to be the resident contrarian, or if you've had a horrible brain injury.
No one is forced to join the military. Try to keep up. And you can shove your ad hominems, pal.
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Okay...enough....no personal insults please...
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No one is forced to join the military. Try to keep up. And you can shove your ad hominems, pal.
Interesting. I've seen that posting style on another site. Don't really address the substance, then say "try to keep up" as if you were somehow way ahead of the rest of us. I'd like to say I'm sorry if you were offended, but I'm constrained.
:silly:
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Beef slice with Veins????????????? :thud:
Sorry... it all sounds terrible to me.....
It is terrible if you don't have to eat it, but when you're hungry, even hot dogs look like a 4-star meal. (I abhor hot dogs **nononono*)