MREInfo.com

Hello
I read the Natick letter on CombatReform.com and agree with them on the need to retain the cardboard and existing (1995) sack. If a cheaper method has evolved for external meal sacks to be made of food-friendly plastic I am all for it. Just think, Slick Willy has been gone for 4 years and money has been pumped in (except for recent proposed slimlining the Cold War Military) to the armed forces.

Needs existing for each combat unit likely differ. If air drops are done the packaging as is makes sense. Field-strip the MREs later.

I do see eliminating candy, cream and sugar when beverages (tea and pee; cocoa) don't require it, and replacing Tabasco with seasoning packs . The matches do make sense in the event we get in a tangle with someone out in the woods and not in the sand.

KAT

Then you have drank the poison of the failing status quo. So troops have to waste precious time stripping rations of all that un-nedded packaging crap. If they are not careful they leave trash which the enemy can find and then ambush them.

THE RATION CASE is what protects the individual meals.

If you read our web page more carefully the packaging in the MRE individual meal is so a M113 Gavin tracked AFV can RUN OVER IT and not damage it. Total BS. THE RATION CASE protects the meal; if you have enemy tanks running over your individual MRE meals, you have more serious problems than losing chow. TRANSLATION:

WE DO NOT NEED ALL THAT PACKAGING CRAP IN INDIVIDUAL MRES.

Drop the absurd must survive a tank running over it "requirement".

I am always up for making things in life better and easier. I certainly agree with your argument Mike and it seems the troops do as well if they are always field stripping the MREs as you say, then they should look at doing away with the chipboard carton. It seems they could easily put all the necessary writing on the outside of the component pouch.

Hi Mike. Just two comments on what you just wrote:

Troops wasting their precious time - not having served in the military, I can't attest to this personally, but I've picked up the notion that there's a fair amount of "hurry up and wait". If you no longer have to spend the time (10-15 minutes?) to field strip your MREs, what else are you going to be doing with that time? Is a soldier's schedule so packed that this saved time is worth the cost of redesigning the MRE packaging?

Leaving trash for the enemy - are they actually field stripping the MREs out in the field? I thought they did that before they went out.

Of course they are busy kman, haven't you seen some of those military movies where the soldiers are busy cleaning the toilets with their toothbrushes?

The time spent fieldstripping is negligible to the few who need to!And when I was in we used the matches to burn the trash.Also the little cardboard boxes were kept for kindling in the dark damp forest.If your not on the front line a nice campfire is most relaxing,even at night in the desert!

God Bless the people in the Gulf and New Orleans) I have a friend that lives in Kenner, no contact whatsoever. Why are there 4 different Vege- menu's? Are there that many Vegens and Vegetarians in the U.S. Military? Not to even mention all the Halal meals we make into MRE's. I suggest a "Redneck Menu". Entree: Venison Patty. Side: PawPaw Sauce. Snack: Pork Cracklins. Desert: Fried Apple Fritter. Bread: Biscuit, Real, with preservatives. Spread: Currant Jelly or Apple Butter. Accesory Pack: Standard, but including a 4 pack of Marlboro's and some type of butter/margerine for the biscuit. Anyone? Anyone?

I will have to pass on that Dave, but I would gladly give up one of the vegan meals to accomodate you.... I can live with only three veggie meals per case.

DangerousDave wrote: God Bless the people in the Gulf and New Orleans) I have a friend that lives in Kenner, no contact whatsoever. Why are there 4 different Vege- menu's? Are there that many Vegens and Vegetarians in the U.S. Military? Not to even mention all the Halal meals we make into MRE's. I suggest a "Redneck Menu". Entree: Venison Patty. Side: PawPaw Sauce. Snack: Pork Cracklins. Desert: Fried Apple Fritter. Bread: Biscuit, Real, with preservatives. Spread: Currant Jelly or Apple Butter. Accesory Pack: Standard, but including a 4 pack of Marlboro's and some type of butter/margerine for the biscuit. Anyone? Anyone?

LOL sounds good, but after a meal like that you need a good nap!

We all know theres only 2 vege's in each A and B case now. Why not limit it to 1 Vege and 1 Redneck per case, Dirty? I want more idea's for the redneck menu. Of course, we'll have to think up a better name. Maybe, Appalachian, or Mountain. Are you still messed up from the Botulism? LOL Drink some Tanker-Ray for me, Buddy