Hey Grandpa! What's for Supper?

Well, We are cooking something good and tasty. We have an entry, a cracker, some spread, a snack or candy. Theres fruit and bakery item..let's not forget the beverage and sauces to compliment what goes down..the entree may be eaten cold or hot, heated by submersing in hot water while still sealed in its package. You have 24 meals to choose from all with the day's vitamins and minerals required. It is totally self-contained and packed in a flexible bag. It can fit in your pocket as you go along...What more could you ask for besides an MRE?

MRE's (meals ready to eat) are better than their predecessors. They can be transported easily and quickly heated. They have A-rations--meals prepared on site and transported, B-rations that are for units often called T-rats as they are trays. There is the First Strike that is edible while on the move and the HOOAH Bar which is an energy bar that used to be called the D-ration.

The history of the meals and how they have changed throughout the years is unbelievable. When you think of the lifetime of the meals from the Revolutionary War that consisted of salt fish, bread, and a vegetable with the Garrison Ration or the Spirit Ration consisting of 4 oz rum in 1785 and then reduced to 2 oz of whisky or rum in 1790 which if they were in battle zones doubled in amounts...it makes one sit in disbelief on how they survived.

World War I they had the Reserve Ration, the Trench Ration, and the Emergency (Iron) Ration. These were in sealed tins which became problems as they were big and bulky and trash became a problem. Plus the life expectancy still was not long.

After WWI the different "lettered" rations were going:

• A-ration: Fresh, refrigerated, or frozen food. on base or established camps
• B-ration: complete pre-cooked, ready-to-eat canned individual meal. on base or established camps
• K-ration: short duration, for specialized light infantry forces. Declared obsolete in 1948.
• D-ration: Bars of concentrated chocolate for high calorie content (intended as an emergency ration only).
• C-rations could be eaten hot or cold and required no special preparation or storage, so these could be served almost anywhere.
• Many other types were developed for specific areas like mountain, jungle, aircrew, etc.

MREs are the successor to the lighter LRP ration developed by the U.S. Army for Special Forces and U.S. Army Ranger patrol units in Vietnam and they also replaced the Meal, Combat, Individual rations (MCI) in 1981

MREs have improved through the years, they now have longer shelf quality depending on the temperatures. They also need to meet standards for battlefield conditions and be accepted by the Surgeon General's nutritional requirements.

Food for the soldiers is just as essential as fuel for the vehicles and ammunition for the weapons. Food is extremely important to human performance and our soldiers must be taken care of.