Are MRE's really that good?
 

My Son just started the combat phase of his Seabee training and got some MRE's last night during the navigation instruction and said they were excellent! He is or was kind of a fussy eater, do they give these guys in training something special? BTW he said the instruction was done by an ex-Marine who he thought was one of the best instructors he ever had!

First of all, great that your son is doing well and is with the Seabee's...great outfit!

For me, MRE's are like range time with a 22. pistol: Fun for a while but then you want something more.

Again, best to your son.

MRE's
Meals rejected by Ethiopians..
they have improved...
when your hungry...
you eat ...
sounds like he's having fun & doing well..
let him know the birds wish him well..

Rika

According to my friends who have been in-theater, there are three phases of MRE:

Phase 1: Disbelief. These aren't so bad. I kind of like them, actually.
Phase 2: Boredom. I've had the same meal 42 times in six months.
Phase 3 Acceptance. They disassembled the KFC in Kabul. It's better than not eating. I guess.

they are a lot better than the previous... ah, "stuff"

the Army spends a lot of your tax dollars to improve them - IIRC, the research is done at the same facility where they time how long it takes to roast 6 grunts in an APC, so there may be some - ummm.. mixing of meat products...


MREs also vary somewhat variable...

and some can be used as a multi-purpose weapons system:

the heavier packs can be hurled at the enemy just before hand to hand fighting is engaged in, and some of the ingested material can be expelled towards an advancing enemy either as a chemical weapon or as a small flamethrower...

No they are not that good.

LOL!:D

They have definately improved from when I was in.( Mid '80's ) From what I remember there was only like seven different choices back then. I remember the big thing, was when you got the MRE with the fruit/chocolate bar in it. You could sell that baby for big bucks!
I have 2 cases of the latest Issue MRE's Now there are something like 20 different meals.

I spent a couple of weeks in Haiti and ate Canadian MRE's for several weeks. There not bad, a few times we traded with American Air Force guy's for a change. The American MRE's aren't bad either. The Canadian MRE's don't have the heater package, you need to boil water but everything can be eaten cold.

They are better than the old "C Rations" but not by a whole lot.

C Rats don't even come close to the latest MREs. For those of you that have never experienced Ham and M***** F******, or green eggs and ham, well, those were part of the old days that can stay in the past. But as many have stated MREs get old after a time.

And if you have them for over a week for each meal you understand the real meaning of MRE: Meals Refusing to Exit.

And yes the cheese and the peanut butter in the tube will infact grout your butt shut.

You guys are crazy! in a good way! I talked to him today and he said they pretty much just grabbed MRE's out of a box, he is starting to learn quick because they then did a lot of trading, he ended up with chicken and dumplings! Not moms but what the hell!

The longest I ever ate them 3 meals a day straight was for 2 1/2 weeks a couple times in the mid-late 80's while in Honduras. They were OK with some being better than others. I actually liked the dehydrated beef patties and would get plenty of them from my buddies who hated them. I would open the package, dump a little cold water in them then several minutes later sprinkle the dehydrated ketchup on them and enjoy. The only main item I can remember really hating was the hamloaf.

I found that the only way to get filled up while in the field was to actually eat the nasty crackers w/ either the peanut butter, cheese or jelly that they randomly came with in every meal. The chocolate or maple nut cake was always a good score, but I did not care much for the fruitcake.

The Army is always finding ways to be kinder/gentler military, so several years ago they decided to meet the needs of vegetarian soldier and came out with vegetarian MREs. The first time I saw one I thought "WTF is the world coming to...." but after having a "Cheese Tortellini" I decided to accept the new found sensitive side of the Army.

Overall the MREs are light years ahead of what was available 15/20 years ago. Anyone who can recall what a "Dehydrated Pork Pattie" was will know exactly what I mean. No matter how good the Army can make the MRE, the solider is going to eventually think that it taste like $hit after eat the same thing for several weeks/months at a time!

My first shot with the U.S. MRE was in Korea 2007. I was the night (6pm-6am) bellybutton on a 24hr shift supporting our nations finest for a 2 week exercise. Here are my thoughts -

1. Best part of the MRE is the instant coffee and candy bar
2. These things are designed to keep you going...or if you're a software engineer like me bulk on pure fat lbs.
3. You're not 'for real' unless you open your heated entree with a knife blade over 18"
4. If you think these things taste great then -
a. you are a single clueless dude
b. your wife is a **** poor cook

The sad thing is one of my support guys I was in charge of thought the MRE was the best eats he came across in years. Yes he was married and yes that dude put on 15+ lbs in two weeks.

28 years of eating them. They are a lot better than C rations, and the new ones are better than old ones. When I go to the field, I usually go about 24 hours without eating them, and then am hungry enough to really like them.

The importance of spending the money to make them appealing to our Soldiers is that if they don't like them, they won't eat them in sufficient quantity to maintain their weight and strength. If you are in an austere environment, and patrolling with all the body armor and gear, you really need the high calories. They run about 2000 calories per meal.
The vegetarian ones are good because they have lots of things like nuts, raisins, chips and other items to provide the fat and calories you get with the meat.

I NEVER eat them at home even though they sell them at the commissary. Great when you are hungry and there are no other options but.....

do they still contain cigarettes ?

Haven't since the mid 70s at the latest. I have never seen them.

Long time ago, I had a girlfriend who's parents bought and rented out houses. We helped clean them up. In one garage, we found boxes of C Rations. Canned stuff, mostly, but there was chocolate wrapped in brown wrappers, and other stuff.
Curious (and obviously stupid, not thinking of various yckies they could have grown), we opened some of them and tasted them. They tasted fine, so we ate some.

They weren't bad.

just remember that MRE's have like 2000 calories. meant to keep our soldiers fighting. not snacking on for lunch hehe. besides i remember eating it all the time will get u constipated...good thing for a soldier short term, bad long term.

Yea when you are burning 7 to 8 thousand calories a day on patrol killing bad guys the MRE has the perfect amount of calories. If you are doing less than that then yea you will gain weight like a cow headed to slaughter.

If you are hungry you will eat them. I think they are not too bad but are pretty expensive to make.