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This is my first experience eating a meal-ready-to-eat, or more commonly MRE. So, if you have not had the pleasure of trying one of the new MRE's I'll share mine.
I showed Tuesday morning for a 24-hour stay with the S.C. National Guard to cover the Vigilant Guard disaster drill for the newspaper. The drill, a massive earthquake which sparks several other events, is meant to test local, state and federal emergency response systems.
Half-way through the day my fellow reporters and I were taken back to the media tent for lunch.
My MRE
We were told to sift through a box of brown packages until we found a lunch that look appetizing. I picked the vegetable manicotti. It looked better than the sloppy joe. Rumor has it the cheese tortellini is the best MRE.
Step one: rip open the top of the bag.
Inside the khaki container there are several other plastic bags. Mine included a packet of peanut butter, crackers, pound cake, a drink mix packet and a clear bag filled with condiments.
Contents of an MRE
the condiment packet
Step two: heat up the entree packet by placing it in a larger bag and pouring water on top. This sparks an exothermic reaction that heats up the food. The food has to heat up for about 10 minutes.
Step three: Rip open the bags and dig in.
Now, remember the MREs have about 2,000 calories packed into them, enough to sustain troops in combat. I made it through the vegetable manicotti and a few crackers with peanut butter before having to pack the rest away for later.
Not only is the National Guard responding to events of the week-long Vigilant Guard disaster drill as they would in the real deal, they are living life like they would when deployed to an emergency. They sleep in tents, wash up with sinks in the middle of fields and eat MREs.
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ive had MRE's before... some of them are not that bad. i think the crackers are the best. but ive also heard becareful and not to eat alot of the peanut butter :P
I am assisting as part of a support unit over the next day or so...I was told "lunch will be provided".....I have eaten MRE's before - I will stop at Subway - foot longs for $5.
I grew up in a millitary family, I have had my share of MRE's They arn't half bad. But there is alot of food i would rather eat!
At least they're better than the powdered grapefruit juice that some of our soldiers had as their only food for three months during WWII.
Elida,
It's a shame that any military personnel had to or has to do without anything. That powdered grapefruit juice sounds awful. I suppose however that as long as there are people around (like you) who have no appeciation for the military and offer no support for their selfless efforts, that they will indeed have to do without something!!!!!
Can someone (Elida) explain to me how someone can actually live off just that for 3 months?
Can someone (Elida) explain to me how someone can actually live off just that for 3 months?
They can't. It results in starvation and can and did result in permanent disability for some of those soldiers. It was a situation that occurred during World War II on one of the Pacific Islands. They cleaned with it, and mixed it with water to drink, that's all some of them had until they got more supplies. I don't remember which island, but I'll find out.
Also, Time magazine's new cover has a picture of those soldiers on Iwo Jima (I still call it that even though it has a new name) - the soldiers are not raising our American flag, but are pictured raising a tree. The green environmental movement. TV reports say many veterans are very displeased.
The name you are looking for is Mt. Suribachi and there is nothing new about it! They weren't soldiers, they were MARINES and one Navy Corpsman! The flag was raised not once, but twice and the photo from which we got the immortal image was of the second raising. It was not a tree, it was Old Glory! Any other reference to that event is very insulting and displeasing! I can absolutelty assure you that those Marines and that Corpsman would have made sure the flag was raised even if they hadn't eaten in months! Elida, you need to get a grip! The U.S. military makes sure that you are safe and have all of your freedoms (including the one that you continually use to bash those same fine folks right here). The Marine Corps and to a lesser degree the Navy support this fine town we live in, and unless you are self sufficient and can live here alone, you owe your continuing existence to them.
The name you are looking for is Mt. Suribachi and there is nothing new about it! They weren't soldiers, they were MARINES and one Navy Corpsman! The flag was raised not once, but twice and the photo from which we got the immortal image was of the second raising. It was not a tree, it was Old Glory! Any other reference to that event is very insulting and displeasing! I can absolutelty assure you that those Marines and that Corpsman would have made sure the flag was raised even if they hadn't eaten in months! Elida, you need to get a grip! The U.S. military makes sure that you are safe and have all of your freedoms (including the one that you continually use to bash those same fine folks right here). The Marine Corps and to a lesser degree the Navy support this fine town we live in, and unless you are self sufficient and can live here alone, you owe your continuing existence to them.
You seem confused - I was speaking of two separate issues. Specifically:
1. The Pacific island was being used by some of the Army Air Corp soldiers when they went without enough food. It was one of the Marshall's, probably Kwajalein. The Marines had been there earlier to take the island, but had moved on. I know that shortly after that the new B-29s started arriving on the island, hundreds of them in the sky, and that plane helped us win that war, along with the Marines, Navy, and Army. Maybe the Seabees were in the Pacific too - those I'm not sure of. Don't remember much about the Coast Guard then, maybe they were around our US coast protecting against those German submarines.
2. Time Magazine printed the picture of the tree with the Iwo Jima Marines - it was on the TV news this week, I find it very insulting too! Hopefully people will complain to the publisher.
I had two brothers and a husband in World War II, all three in the Army.
It was you, not I who blanketed the two subjects into one. I'm not at all confused. And the B-29 base was at Tinian, and the Coast Guard stays at our shores. I'm glad you were insulted by the Time Magazine photo, there may be a little hope for you after all. I am also glad to know that you had family who served, they should be honored for their bravery. It continues to bewilder me however that you could have had such honorable family members and still continually bag on our fine military.
.....I'm not at all confused........
There is a least one good belly laugh here every day....thanks to scooter for providing it today.
Lisa2,
Thanks, it always makes my day when I can do something nice for you.