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Troops from nearly 50 lands dine on combat meals in Afghanistan — each reminding them of where they’d rather be. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ASHLEY GILBERTSON/VII NETWORK, FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES; FOOD STYLIST, MARIA WASHBURN

mre for hurricane season

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2009 – Though some of them contain peanut butter, the 660,000 packaged military meals the Defense Logistics Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency are shipping to Kentucky and Arkansas storm victims are safe, officials here said. The meals -- known as “Meals, Ready to Eat,” or “MREs” -- will replace the commercial meal kits that have been distributed to the storm victims. DLA’s Defense Distribution Center in New Cumberland, Pa., is arranging shipment of the meals, scheduled for delivery today. A recent Food and Drug Administration recall of some products containing peanut butter has prompted the Defense...

When Spc. Matthew Curll left basic training for Iraq nearly a year ago, he traded a bland diet of MREs for burgers, pie and Fudgsicles. "You go from a lot of MREs and crappy stuff at the mess hall to prime rib on Sundays," said Curll, 21, of Lancaster, Mass., over a dinner of baked chicken followed by ice cream in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone. "I wasn't expecting it at all," added Spc. Joe Reen, 23, of Norwood, Mass., finishing a turkey wrap and green salad. "You wanted to try everything." The two indulged at first, but said they learned...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

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...

I've heard that a new MRE component is being manufactured, but there seems to be limited information about it. Here's what I've found so far: Pocket Food (Includes a picture) And an older item that discusses the matter at: seabeecook The second article mentions GoodMark Foods Inc., which has been acquired by ConAgra. Anyway, I'm curious - has anyone come across such things? Who is the contractor that produces the components? How do they taste? Is there a viable (and legal) source? Yours for culinary excellence, Neutrino

I've been thinking of procuring some MREs as the hurricane/severe weather season approaches - and thought my fellow FReepers would be the best possible source of information. It appears that there are two general options - the MRE pack from SOPAKCO - an example of which is here The other supply seems to be assembled from contract overruns, for example the item at this link It appears that MREs are more cost-effective than freeze dried items. I prefer to have an assembled meal instead of purchasing individual items. Also, I recognize that the Sopakco meals don't have heaters - but,...

U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (01-03-2006) -- If you are tired of trying to make Meal-Ready-to-Eat menus more palatable, then your search may be over. The field rations have progressed a long way from the C-rats of the past, and they continue to change even to this day. Four of the current 24 MREs have been removed and are being replaced by new and improved menus, according to the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, located in Natick, Mass. Usually the ASSC only replaces two MREs a year, but this year they wanted to give the...

1/4/2006 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- An army marches on it stomach. Napoleon Bonaparte said, and believed, that in 1812. Truth is he might have been thinking more about the importance of a good supply line. But a visit to a military camp -- then or now -- would reveal that good eats and tasty treats are just as important to the troops. Get it wrong, and the troops are not happy. The Airmen of the 379th Expeditionary Services Squadron’s food service flight know that. It’s why they strives to provide the best variety of food -- meats, seafood, vegetables,...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Uncle Sam has tried to feed millions of hurricane victims this year with Meals-Ready-to-Eat, or MREs, only to fear that some of them have become Meals-Ready-for-eBay. The government is looking into whether eBay sellers in Gulf Coast states are trying to profit from military foodstuffs handed out for free following hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Representatives for eBay, the online auctioneer company, say it is impossible to prove that any of the meals were meant for hurricane victims. They note that MREs can be bought in camping stores and Army-Navy surplus outlets. But at least some of...

Posted on Mon, Aug. 29, 2005 Shelter-seekers find long lines, noisy conditions in Superdome BY DAVID OVALLE Knight Ridder Newspapers NEW ORLEANS - (KRT) - As Hurricane Katrina pounded relentlessly on its roof, the tourists and the vagabonds, the poor and the frail dozed awkwardly - if at all - in Mardi Gras-colored chairs in the giant Louisiana Superdome. When they got hungry, there was not the beer-and-hot dog fare served up at Saints football games. More than 10,000 refugees from Katrina dined on the same instant meals as U.S. soldiers in Iraq, fitting because it was soldiers who were...

In the middest of the chaos and despair, that is in the City of New Orleans, there have been people waiting for at least three days for food and water. The media has been squawking the loudest about the slowness of the food convoys. When a truckload of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) finally arrived in to help feed the masses, that have not had any food or water; you would think that these people would be grateful. That seems to be not the case in the eyes of some people. Yes, that is right, there are some people that...

After Rep. Duncan Hunter's eye-opening description of how terrorist suspects are living high on the hog at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, prisoners from around the world will no doubt be clamoring for a 'gulag' cell of their own. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, the House Armed Services Committee chairman began by detailing tonight's dinner menu at Gitmo - which all detainees, including one suspected of being involved in the 9/11 plot, will enjoy. "For Sunday they're going to be having Orange Glazed Chicken, Fresh Fruit Roupee, Steamed Peas and Mushrooms, Rice Pilaf - we treat them very...

NEW YORK As the U.S. military approaches nearly two years in the Iraq conflict, media training for soldiers going into the war zone has been stepped up, becoming mandatory for Army troops since October, E&P has learned. "Talking point" cards for military personnel, meanwhile, are being updated regularly as the war progresses -- often as much as once a week -- to keep up with the conflict's changing issues and the proximity of embedded reporters. Among the current talking points: "We are a values-based, people-focused team that strives to uphold the dignity and respect of all." Soldiers preparing for deployment...

An employment agency pleaded guilty to falsifying forms to get illegal immigrants jobs at the nation's top producer of U.S. military battlefield rations.James Echensberger, vice president of San Antonio-based Tollin Group Inc., on Tuesday pleaded guilty on the company's behalf to one count of conspiracy to provide false and fictitious statements during an FBI investigation.Investigators found that Tollin, which does business as Remedy Intelligent Staffing, was trying to cover up hundreds of fraudulent "I-9" employment eligibility documents. The illegal workers were hired by Wornick Co., which packages high-calorie "meals ready to eat" for troops in Iraq.The FBI initiated the investigation...

The military is trying to make the egg edible for soldiers. Researchers at Ohio State University and two other schools are working on a new process designed to produce a tastier, more tender egg that can be used in combat rations. The use of eggs in ``meals-ready-to-eat'' pouches - or MREs - was discontinued about 10 years ago after soldiers complained they were rubbery, tasted bad and had a grayish tint. ``Eggs are a real challenge to get that quality that is appropriate to heat and serve,'' said Patrick Dunne, senior adviser in the Combat Rations Directorate at the U.S....

Like they say about the mail: Neither rain, nor sleet, nor sand . . . You can imagine Joe Huff's and Aloma Adams' surprise when they got a note in the mail several weeks ago from their son, Tony, 20, a U.S. Marine who is stationed in Iraq — written on part of an MRE combat food ration box. MRE stands for Meals Ready to Eat, though some folks joke that it stands for Meals Refused by Ethiopians. The field rations aren't making anybody's list of fine cuisine to be featured in Gourmet magazine. But the box sure works good...

Now, after an absence of over fifty years, the "assault ration" is back. The U.S. Army just announced a new, lightweight, "assault ration" for combat troops, especially those who march long distances carrying all their gear. During World War II, two special, lightweight, rations were developed for troops going into an offensive where they might not be resupplied for a few days. The "K Ration" was smaller and lighter than the C Ration, using more food in pouches. Three meals, containing 3,000 calories, weighted 2.31 pounds and could be carried in the large pockets of the combat uniform. There was...

--"Ration stripping," they call it when forward- deployed combat troops jettison all but the most essential items from their Meals, Ready to Eat so they don't have so much to carry as they set out on a mission. Troops in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan reported sacrificing all but a few carefully chosen food items from their MRE pouches to lighten their pockets and rucksacks. These reports alarmed food technologists at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center at Natick, Mass, who recognized that warfighters weren't simply tossing aside "luxury" items like flameless heaters and Tabasco sauce. Janice Rosado from the Defense...

MRE menu debuts new items by Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez Air Force Print News 9/4/2003 - WASHINGTON -- Servicemembers in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere will soon have several new MRE options to choose from for their deployed-dining pleasure. The newest meals, ready-to-eat, feature three new entrée items: pot roast with vegetables, barbecue pork ribs and vegetable manicotti. The menu also includes clam chowder, both peanut butter and crispy M&Ms, almond poppy seed pound cake, pumpkin pound cake, chocolate mint cookies and vanilla waffle-sandwich cookies. The new entrée additions come at a cost, according to Defense Logistics Agency spokesman Jack Hooper. "We are...

<p>Active-duty troops overseas can get free hamburgers at Burger King restaurants July 4.</p>

The effort of coordination required to feed the ranks in war creates its own culture of humour and memory. The Commander of the United States Navy’s Medical Corps offers a consumer’s guide for the hungry soldier in the field. Food in war has been used to assess enemy forces as well as motivate our own. Most importantly however, the binding ritual of sharing food that we experience in our own homes continues, even in the most adverse circumstances. In times of war, changes in diet play a large role in the lives of both combatants and civilians. Usual supplies...

<p>The military's top supply officer says American ground troops drove so fast to Baghdad they sometimes outran supply lines bringing bottled water and fresh rations of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs).</p> <p>Army soldiers and Marines wolfed down most varieties of the vacuum-packed, 1,300-calorie meals without complaint at the rate of hundreds of thousands a day. But they held their noses at one dish — beef with mushrooms. Now, it's now off the MRE menu.</p>

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- Supper time has become a double treat at a Marine base outside Saddam Hussein's hometown - not only is there fresh meat, but it's from Saddam's personal hunting preserve. The Tikrit South airfield, where Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 set up base in this week's campaign to take the city, is on the edge of a preserve where Saddam and favored guests once hunted gazelle.Now, Marines are venturing into the woods to hunt the animals, which stand about waist-high. They haul back the carcasses as a welcome substitute for the prepackaged Meals Ready to Eat that...

United States Marines are hunting gazelles with rocks and pistols-to avoid having to eat MRE's.The soldiers at a base outside of Tikrit say they are enjoying eating the unusual meat from Saddam Hussein's personal hunting preserve. Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 are venturing into the woods to hunt the animals before hauling them back as a welcome substitute from the pre packaged Meals Ready to Eat.'It was delicious, I don't know if it was because we were eating MRE's for two months, but everyone has enjoyed it a lot, said Corporal Joshua Wicksell age 26.

Each single-meal MRE is targeted at 1,300 calories, and it's a challenge to get soldiers to eat all the nutrition they need.

At 11 (or about) they will drop alert from orange to yello