NationStates Jolt Archive

COMMENTARY: While Army food is nutritious and doesn't taste bad, it comes nowhere near what most of us were use to. The extra effort the logiscics and food-service folks put out for Thanksgiving was always deeply appreciated, and eagerly anticipated! :)


Deployed troops to get Thanksgiving meal


By Karen Jowers
Times staff writer
Nearly 186,000 pounds of turkey, 108,000 pounds of ham, and 82,000 pounds of stuffing mix will be served for Thanksgiving meals for troops in Iraq and Kuwait, according to officials at the Defense Logistics Agency.
That includes 87,456 pounds each of boneless white turkey meat and boneless dark turkey meat; and 11,000 pounds of whole turkeys. Another 12,050 pounds of boneless turkey and 6,032 pounds of whole turkey are on the menu for Afghanistan.

Troops will also get shrimp and beef.

Side dishes will include 2,915 cases of corn on the cob, 11,664 cans each of mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, and 2,916 cans of cranberry sauce in the Iraq theater. Corn on the cob will not be going to Afghanistan, but the other sides will be on the menu there.

To top things off, 21,204 pies will be served in the Iraq war zone and 10,896 in Afghanistan.

Each year, the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia provides about $12.7 billion worth of food, clothing and textiles, medicines and medical equipment, and general and construction supplies for troops. The supply center is part of the Defense Logistics Agency.

awesome. I had some MRE's once when I was young, it isn't the greatest food in the world, but I suppose I could eat it if I had to.

I couldn't think of anything (short of getting to come home) that would be more appreciated by the troops than some warm food, and the fact that it's good warm food is even better. :p

*walks into general forum*

Damn....They have better food then me for thanksgiving!

Oh, and with that many cans of mashed potatoes, can anyone say, "World's biggest food fight"?

*Salutes Troops*

Nearly 186,000 pounds of turkey, 108,000 pounds of ham...

More forgotten casualties in the 'war on terrorism'. Who will honour these fallen?

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, the way to win this war and bring peace to the Middle East is to kill a load of turkeys and pigs."

awesome. I had some MRE's once when I was young, it isn't the greatest food in the world, but I suppose I could eat it if I had to.

I couldn't think of anything (short of getting to come home) that would be more appreciated by the troops than some warm food, and the fact that it's good warm food is even better. :p
Amen. I well remember how great a job those cooks did with the Thanksgiving meal. It made me feel so happy and a bit closer to home. Army cooks are underappreciated anyway. :)

*walks into general forum*

Damn....They have better food then me for thanksgiving!

Oh, and with that many cans of mashed potatoes, can anyone say, "World's biggest food fight"?

*Salutes Troops*
[ thanks you on their behalf for that salute! ] :)

More forgotten casualties in the 'war on terrorism'. Who will honour these fallen?

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, the way to win this war and bring peace to the Middle East is to kill a load of turkeys and pigs."
Would that that were true! Sigh.

I just decided that I'm going to buy a bottle of really good wine to go with my family's annual Thanksgiving Day meal, and propose a toast to my bros. :)

Thanksgiving on board ship was not bad, but nothing that special. Very nice.

These guys could definately use a little bit of glutony! It's great for morale I hear!

I love how a holiday meal is turned into "gluttony".


Anyway, my Scout Pack is "Adopting a Battalion"- we are putting together care type packages to be shipped in time for Christmas. Aside from most frequently requested items like phone cards, baby wipes and snacks, we are including pictures, magazines and some letters from the boys too.

I love how a holiday meal is turned into "gluttony".

Anyway, my Scout Pack is "Adopting a Battalion"- we are putting together care type packages to be shipped in time for Christmas. Aside from most frequently requested items like phone cards, baby wipes and snacks, we are including pictures, magazines and some letters from the boys too.
Sounds like a great idea to me. Kudos to you and your Scouts! :D

Hurrah for the Americans! I've had MREs and I've had British army issue rat-packs, and my God, I know which one I'd rather have with me in the field. MREs are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Seriously. Kudos to the US army adminisration for deciding to be nice to its men.

Shrimp and beef?

Damn, that makes me hungry.

Hurrah for the Americans! I've had MREs and I've had British army issue rat-packs, and my God, I know which one I'd rather have with me in the field. MREs are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Seriously. Kudos to the US army adminisration for deciding to be nice to its men.
ROFLMAO!!! Yeah, they are, kinda. But you gotta admit that they pile on the energy. :D

One of my friends is a medic with the Army Reserve, which meant that whenever we went camping, he always brought the neat stuff (btw, did you know you can 'paint' with chem lights if you break them open?). One trip he brought in the Thanksgiving version of an MRE. My respet for them that have to eat that... thing went way up. Here's hoping that they can get a chance to get the real stuff.


... and wishing that I could somehow get a bit of turkey myself.

I'll be thinking of the troops as I tuck into my "traditional" TG dinner of an excellent burger. (Don't ask what's traditional for Xmas dinner here in the land of Wa.)

Hurrah for the Americans! I've had MREs and I've had British army issue rat-packs, and my God, I know which one I'd rather have with me in the field. MREs are an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. Seriously. Kudos to the US army adminisration for deciding to be nice to its men.

At least they're better than the old C-rats. and I understand they're much better than the old Soviet Sukhoi Pak rations. (The current Russian ration pack is supposed to be a bit better, but still awful.)
The French RCIRs (http://www.mreinfo.com/france.html) are supposed to be the best. They still contain the pate, but no longer have the wine. (The reported trading value is 1 RCIR = 3 British GP ration packs = 5 MREs.)

NERVUN, try the FBC if you want turkey for Xmas.

Good stuff. They deserve every last bit of it and more. What these guys do is great and amazing. I'd like to see any non-vet military bashers doing the stuff they do.

Amen. I well remember how great a job those cooks did with the Thanksgiving meal. It made me feel so happy and a bit closer to home. Army cooks are underappreciated anyway. :)

Indeed. I can remember some Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in Air Force hospital cafeterias that rivaled very nice restaurants. When people are given the freedom to "make it the best you can", they often will.

We will be having a BIG turkey, ham, and chicken dinner on Thanksgiving, and then Tuesday my wife leaves for basic training (Air Force) She's gonna be a crew chief for F-15s and F-16s.

I think this will be the best/worst Thanksgiving I've ever had. :( And she'll be gone for Christmas. :(

I have tried the British ration pack. Nothing big if you ask me. Not much different than a standard MRE. But here is some pics of rations from around the world. Take note of the Chinese pack.

http://www.cominganarchy.com/images/rations.jpg

I have tried the British ration pack. Nothing big if you ask me. Not much different than a standard MRE. But here is some pics of rations from around the world. Take note of the Chinese pack.

http://www.cominganarchy.com/images/rations.jpg
That looks like the kind of food I make when i'm REALLY drunk, and I just don't care what it tastes like.

I have tried the British ration pack. Nothing big if you ask me. Not much different than a standard MRE. But here is some pics of rations from around the world. Take note of the Chinese pack.

http://www.cominganarchy.com/images/rations.jpg

I agree w/ FireAntz.

We will be having a BIG turkey, ham, and chicken dinner on Thanksgiving, and then Tuesday my wife leaves for basic training (Air Force) She's gonna be a crew chief for F-15s and F-16s.

I think this will be the best/worst Thanksgiving I've ever had. :( And she'll be gone for Christmas. :(
Please tell her that she has my undying admiration [ as do you! ] ... not to mention envy!

Indeed. I can remember some Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in Air Force hospital cafeterias that rivaled very nice restaurants. When people are given the freedom to "make it the best you can", they often will.
Oh yeah! They knock themselves out! :)

Good stuff. They deserve every last bit of it and more. What these guys do is great and amazing. I'd like to see any non-vet military bashers doing the stuff they do.
Here's what they're hoping for at one Marine Firebase:

Marines' Thanksgiving Wish: 'Hot Chow'

Christian Science Monitor | November 23, 2005
KARABILAH, Iraq - There's a rumor circulating among the Marines of the 2/6 that "hot chow" is coming.

The fervor with which marines here talk of the possibility of a hot meal - roasted turkey, steaming stuffing, and tart cranberry sauce - being delivered to their sandy, remote outpost in Iraq's Anbar Province from the nearest base for Thanksgiving is understandable, especially when you taste what they've been eating.

There are stacks of Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) around but most marines can't bear to even look at them. They've already spent months eating Country Captain Chicken and Vegetable Manicotti from hermetically sealed brown plastic bags. Inside: "wheat snack bread," "jalapeño cheese spread," or "pumpkin pound cake."

But few of the marines here of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment were even aware that Thanksgiving was approaching until asked by this reporter.

Capt. Brendan Heatherman had just finished a long morning of raids, jumping rock walls, and racing through houses looking for insurgents. "It's in two days? Man, snuck up on me," he said, incredulous.

Standing next to him in a dim room constructed of rocks and cement, Capt. Conlon Carabine of East Hampton, N.Y., was equally confused. "When is Thanksgiving? Two days?"

It's easy to lose track of time here.

They fought their way west to east through three towns along the Euphrates River near the Syrian border early this month. Now, the marines are responsible for security detail in the towns, some of which haven't had a military presence in a year.

They run patrols on foot and sit in humvees 24 hours a day and race out on raids, following tips on insurgent movement.

Back at base, they have no running water or electricity. They live in giant metal containers and sleep on wooden bunks they built themselves.

Captain Carabine is considered fortunate because his camp already had one half-built rock and a cement structure when his group arrived. Now it serves as the headquarters.

If the turkey and stuffing doesn't arrive, Captain Heatherman's company has already a contingency plan - a local turkey farmer. "The Iraqi [soldiers] say they'll [cook] it, and we've got some guys from down south who know how to clean it and have already volunteered their services," says 1st Sgt. William Thurber of Manchester, N.H.

He pauses. "I didn't realize it was in two days," he muses.

Nearly 186,000 pounds of turkey, 108,000 pounds of ham, and 82,000 pounds of stuffing mix will be served for Thanksgiving meals for troops in Iraq and Kuwait, according to officials at the Defense Logistics Agency.

Those are the biggest portions I've ever heard of. Is your DoD trying to sabotage its own army?

Those are the biggest portions I've ever heard of. Is your DoD trying to sabotage its own army?
LOL! Listen, those guys have been sweating it out in the desert for months. I seriously doubt one meal is going to make them fat! :D

I have tried the British ration pack. Nothing big if you ask me. Not much different than a standard MRE. But here is some pics of rations from around the world. Take note of the Chinese pack.

http://www.cominganarchy.com/images/rations.jpg

I'm ethnically Chinese, and I have no idea what the Chinese are eating.
It looks awful ...

Sounds like a great idea to me. Kudos to you and your Scouts! :D

Thanks. We have shared the idea and details with other packs in the area, suggesting they start a similar program.

I have tried the British ration pack. Nothing big if you ask me. Not much different than a standard MRE. But here is some pics of rations from around the world. Take note of the Chinese pack.

http://www.cominganarchy.com/images/rations.jpg

Now the Chinese one, I'm assuming that's after someone had trouble keeping it down, right?