Posted on 03/29/2007 9:46:02 PM PDT by jmc1969
When Lt. Dave Moore visited infantry units in the remote, rugged mountains of Afghanistan late last year, the Navy medical officer was surprised to hear from many soldiers and Marines that they had lost significant weight.
After conducting more than 150 interviews with medics, officers and troops on the ground, Moore concluded that the portable rations called "Meals, Ready-to-Eat" — long derided by troops, but valued by the Pentagon for their indestructibility — were not doing the job, causing the soldiers to shed pounds that they very much needed.
The standard Meal, Ready to Eat [MRE] does not provide adequate nutrition for dismounted operations in this type of terrain," Moore wrote in his report. "Many Marines and soldiers lost 20 to 40 pounds of bodyweight during their deployment. At least one soldier was evacuated due to malnutrition and a 60-pound weight loss."
Moore's conclusions have raised concern among military leaders, as well as designers of the field rations at the Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center outside Boston.
Moore stressed in an interview that the service members he surveyed represented only a small portion of those fighting in Afghanistan — infantry troops deployed to desolate locations where MREs and local cuisine were the only options — but nonetheless he concluded that up to 1,300-calorie MREs were falling short.
A nutrition deficit, he said, could potentially result in fatigue, impaired brain function and lackluster performance.
Recognizing the seriouslness of the reports, the Combat Feeding Directorate is planning to ship about 4,000 prototypes of a new meal called the First Strike Ration to Iraq and Afghanistan. Designed for limited use, the ration contains about twice the calories of an MRE.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
Why not just eat two MREs?
Oh, you're mean. :-P
Eat one MRE.
Then get back to me.
LOL.
Zapplesauce!
Problems feeding the troops? This is one thing that hasn't changed in about two thousand years of military history.
Power Bars or beef jerky?
Actually... I kinda liked the food :) But I am wierd like that. They were very filling though I dont see how they could eat 2 of them.
Well, I will say this about the old C-rat Hammy-mammies. After you ate the can you didn't feel like eating anything else. Ever again.
You have so much equipment in your ruck, alot of weight due to water, ammo, radios, you get the idea. Which in turn, burns calories for carry the weight.
Are you commenting on the quality of the food or the amount?
There was an article about how they were testing new meals several years ago, and the men seemed to like at least some of the meals they were being given.
Maybe some of these guys were slightly overweight to begin with and after doing some hard marching they are starting to lose the flab?
I'll be sure to send you and your Merry Band of Patriots a check out this weekend, Doc!
God bless you and all of your fellow Patriots!
Haha, with the smokes included! Best part about the MREs... Tobasco Sauce!
I thought those MREs for the troops contained 3,000 calories in a pack? Our boys burn up calories like crazy out in the field.
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