New MRE bag designs

Hardtack · Post by **Hardtack** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 11:38 pm

I like the Colonial Marine style font on design #3. I never liked the "Warfighter" nickname. Just plain "soldier" is good enough.

mreheater72 · Post by **mreheater72** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 4:41 am

kman wrote:If you guys can think of any MRE bags I missed on there, feel free to let me know. I just went through my supply and took pics of what I could. I think I hit all the major highlights but you never know what I might have missed.

Here is a MRE where the menu number is added to side of the pouch too, but here the cipher is smaller. I do not know the exact age, but I estimate it is from 1986 or 1987.

So long mreheater72

Post by **kman** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:19 am

Nice find, mreheater72. I took a look at the menus and the Ham Loaf was used between 1981 and 1987. The 1987 version of that menu had accessory packet C - not A. So that narrows it down to 1981-1986. :-)

I'm guess you're right about it being around 1986. That bag looks like it has slightly newer printing than the earliest MREs.

MREdepot · Post by **MREdepot** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:12 pm

Hardtack wrote:I never liked the "Warfighter" nickname. Just plain "soldier" is good enough.

Hardtack; I agree with you, I never liked the word “Warfighter” either. I suspect that is just DoD trying to be PC. Technically “soldier” refers to Army Troops. The three other branches probably objected (4 if you include the Coast Guard, who also uses MREs, and don’t forget all the “independent contractors” hired to fight along side troops or provide support). You have Marines, Sailors and Airmen who most likely gave them a hard time would be my guess, and “Warfighter” covers everything I guess.

I would have rather seen something like just “Combat Tested, Combat Approved” or “Field Tested, Field Approved” - but that’s just my two cents...

mreheater72 · Post by **mreheater72** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:50 am

kman wrote:Nice find, mreheater72. I took a look at the menus and the Ham Loaf was used between 1981 and 1987. The 1987 version of that menu had accessory packet C - not A. So that narrows it down to 1981-1986.

You are right kman, thanks, I have not noticed that

!!

Here I found another "MRE variant" Menu No. 5 "BEEF STEW" in my basement, it is one where the menu number is added to side of the pouch, too, but that has to be be a very early one, because the "SO-PAK-CO, INC." here still is called "SOUTHERN PKG. AND STORAGE CO., INC." It has to be latest from 1987, because 1988 the Menu No. 5 has changed to "SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE".

Here are two photos:

So long mreheater72