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Old 04-03-2003, 08:30 AM
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Default Great article about Marines and MREs...a lot like our C-rations !!!!

http://www.pilotonline.com/military/ml0402mre.html
By DENNIS O'BRIEN, The Virginian-Pilot
? April 2, 2003

NASIRIYAH, IRAQ -- Pity the poor fellow who draws the MRE equivalent of the short straw -- Beef with Mushrooms. Most of these Marines will go hungry before they eat that one.
Ah, but the Beef Enchiladas, and the Beef Ravioli -- when you get those in the meals-ready-to-eat lottery, you've hit the jackpot.

The Marines of the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance's Charlie Company don't have much to look forward to here in their camp on the banks of the Euphrates River. They've been away from home for almost three months, have spent the past six weeks in the desert, haven't had a shower since March 16, and have been getting shot at for the past week.

So it is that meals are the highlight of the day -- which makes it all the more important that they get a meal they like.

``Beef Ravioli, this is my favorite!'' said Lance Cpl. David Ploughe, 21, of Cloverdale, Ind., Tuesday morning as he prepared the dish.



Ravioli for breakfast. Somewhere in camp, chances are good that other Marines are starting their day with Chili and Macaroni, or Chicken Salsa. The MRE menu does not allow for breakfast dishes.

There are 24 different MRE's. Some almost sound exotic, such as the Chicken Cavatelli. Others are quite basic, like Beef Frankfurters, affectionately known as ``the Four Fingers of Death'' by the Marines.

Despite their unappetizing appearance -- both in and out of their drab, brown package -- the Marines generally like most of the offerings.

``But none are recommended for daily use,'' joked Cpl. Andrew Belt, 23, of St. Charles, Ill.

Certainly not the dreaded Beef with Mushrooms. Best described as a greasy Alpo-like base with slimy mushroom heads mixed in, the meal is legendary in this camp. An example of how hated it has become:

The Marines have a communal chow bag in which they drop in MRE's they don't really care for and pull out another. But if the Marines catch someone putting a Beef with Mushrooms in the bag, the offender has to drop and do pushups.

MRE's are given out in either three- or six-day allotments. Each MRE includes several side items and a beverage powder, maybe a citrus flavor or instant coffee.

The Beef Ravioli MRE is prized not just because of its main course -- a Chef Boyardee-style noodle and beef mix -- but also for its side items: potato stix, snack bread, cheese spread and fudge cake.

Peanut butter is a side item cherished by some Marines, but avoided by others because it is somewhat runny and has a tendency to wind up all over the face. And in the desert, a mess is magnified due to the sand and lack of proper clean-up materials.

There are several schools of thought regarding MRE preparation and eating. One popular approach is to mix all the ingredients together -- with Beef Ravioli, that would be the main course, potato stix, snack bread and cheese spread -- and cook it up. Each MRE comes with a heating kit that is activated by water and a mix of chemicals.

Of course, some like it hot, and some like it cold. No matter what the meal, many Marines prefer not to heat their food.

And some like to shovel it in as fast as they can -- 60 seconds is not unheard of -- while others will draw out the meal by ``savoring'' each bite, making the event last up to 15 minutes.

Each MRE comes with an accessory pack that includes a tiny bottle of hot sauce. With some meals, the hot sauce is a nice addition; with others, it is an essential ingredient.

The meals are 1,500 calories each and are fortified with vitamins, minerals and preservatives to keep them ``fresh'' for several years in extreme conditions. The Marines are also convinced that the meals include a constipation additive.

On occasion, Marines will swap MRE's. More common is the trading of side items, especially desserts. Some Marines love chocolate, others don't care for it, and that makes for lively swap sessions at mealtime.

Once the meal is over, the routine is to stuff all the trash back into the plastic pack the MRE came in, and light it with the book of matches included with each meal. By the end of each mealtime, there is usually a full-blown burn pit going with Marines tossing in their MRE trash.

When the Marines of Task Force Tarawa first crossed into Iraq almost two weeks ago, they were somewhat generous in handing out MRE's to civilians. That has slowed considerably in recent days, as Marines began guarding their limited food supply more carefully.

But, there are always those Beef with Mushrooms . . .

Staff writer Dennis O'Brien is with Task Force Tarawa in Iraq. He has been with the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based Marines since they left the coast of North Carolina in mid-January. You can reach him at dobrien@pilotonline.com. #et
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