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Simple resealable plastic bag will allow for hot beverage in the field
Simple resealable plastic bag will
allow for hot beverage in the field By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes European edition, Tuesday, June 22, 2004 ARLINGTON, Va. ? Starting next year, tired soldiers in the field will be able to quickly cook up a cup of Joe, thanks to a sealable plastic bag that will be put in every Meal, Ready to Eat, or MRE. The new ?hot beverage bag? is designed to be used in conjunction with the flameless ration heater bag included in every MRE. The warfighter would fill the bag with a cup of water, seal it, place it inside the heater bag, and after six minutes, be able to place the hot bagin a cardboard box and mix in the instant coffee or other beverage mix. The bag provides a solution to a dilemma that has nagged defense food experts since steel helmets went out of style. ?[What] we haven?t been able to do well is provide hot water in the field,? according to Gerald Darsch, director of the Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass. Soldiers used to be able to boil water in their helmets; no more with Kevlar. Offering within the MREs a simple plastic bag that costs taxpayers less than one cent ?is a real no-brainer,? Darsch said during a June 17 demonstration on Capitol Hill of the directorate?s latest innovations. ?But it?s probably going to make more of a difference to the warfighter than any of the other fancy, bells-and-whistles [food packaging] developments we?ve done.? The ration heaters are intended to heat the MRE entree, but Darsch said Natick researchers have long noted that many troops don?t use the device. ?There are always plenty of spare [ration heaters] around,? Darsch said. Likewise, the cardboard containers that surround many food items, including the entree, are often discarded, he said. In the process of conducting their research into improving MREs, Natick scientists had collected numerous comments from troops saying that a waterproof, resealable plastic bag would be handy ? not just for storing uneaten snacks, but also to hold small personal items. So last year, Natick researchers decided to combine the obvious, Darsch said ? a plastic bag for carrying items that doubles as a coffee mug. The plastic bags were field-tested by troops in Iraq over the winter, and were ?an unbelievable hit,? Darsch said. In response, Combat Feeding officials decided to put the bags on the fast track, Darsch said. Natick?s schedule now calls for the devices to be inserted into all MREs that will be manufactured beginning in 2005, Darsch said. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp...4&article=22906 Ellie
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND SSgt. Roger A. One Proud Marine 1961-1977 68/69 http://www.geocities.com/thedrifter001/ |
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DOD food specialists aim to improve variety with latest versions of MREs
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes European edition, Wednesday, June 23, 2004 ARLINGTON, Va. ? As they design the combat rations that will keep U.S. troops fueled and moving in the field, the specialists at the Defense Department?s Combat Feeding Directorate sometimes look for meals that provide emotional nourishment, as well as physical. With its echoes of Thanksgiving meals with family and friends, ?stuffing,? said Kathy-Lynn Evangelos, an executive assistant in the feeding directorate, ?is comfort food.? The stuffing, with its chunks of sausage and fresh herbs, was the hit of the day Thursday, when directorate staff traveled from the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., to Capitol Hill to give civilians a taste of the latest in troop combat chow. Pending troop approval, cornbread stuffing may make a 2006 appearance in Meals, Ready to Eat. Natick food technicians were kept busy dishing up more than a dozen other entrees, ranging from cheesy ham and potatoes to beef burgundy. Some are destined for the field as soon as 2005, while others, such as the stuffing, are still waiting for a thumbs-up from troops who will test them this summer. Natick is continuing a push to improve combat rations that began after Operation Desert Storm, when MREs were so bad ?the best way to eat them was wearing goggles and with a bad head cold,? according to Gerald Darsch, head of the combat feeding group. Since 1993, more than 150 new items have been improved for inclusions in the meals, and menus are reviewed and reformulated on a yearly basis, Darsch said. Troops also have more variety to choose from: 24 different MRE menus, instead of 12. A larger selection is important for morale, First Sgt. Colin Rich, a combat veteran with the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment out of Fort Bragg. ?Variety is the spice of life,? Rich, who attended the tasting session, told Stars and Stripes. Variety is especially critical for the minority of troops who have to eat MREs for weeks, and occasionally months, on end: Darsch said he?s heard from a one-star general deployed to Iraq who together with his troops ate ?nothing but MREs, three times a day, for 118 days straight.? ?I think that may be a record,? he said. Told that many servicemembers eat MREs for weeks at a time, Richard Hoar, a 22-year-old staffer on the House Committee for Education in the Workforce, looked startled. ?I feel bad for them,? he said after eating his first military rations. ?It?s pretty bland.? Then he looked impressed. ?More power to them,? Hoar said. A fellow staffer on the education committee, 23-year-old Donald McIntosh, said the spread was uninspiring. ?It looked good when I first saw it, but everything tastes the same, honestly,? said McIntosh of his first encounter with MREs. ?But I ate it all, if that says anything,? McIntosh said. ?Tabasco helped,? he said ? a discovery made by countless chowhounds before him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Expanded MRE offerings The Meal, Ready-to-Eat is used by all the services to sustain individuals during operations that preclude organized food service facilities. The following is a list of what's in the new MREs. MENU 1 Grilled beefsteak with mushroom gravy and western-style beans Jam Cracker Candy Steak sauce Dairy shake Red pepper Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 2 BBQ pork rib New England clam chowder Cookie Cheddar cheese 2 wheat snack bread Electrolyte drink Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 3 Beef ravioli Fruit, wet pack Fudge brownie Cheddar cheese Veg.-flavored cracker Chocolate-fortified drink Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 4 Cheese and vegetable omelet Hash browns with bacon Toaster pastry Jam Cracker Candy Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet C MENU 5 Chicken breast fillet Minestrone stew Pound cake Jalapeno cheese Wheat snack bread Candy French vanilla coffee Jalapeno ketchup Spoon Accessory packet B MENU 6 Chicken fajita Yellow and wild rice pilaf Nut and raisin mix Cheddar cheese Tortilla French vanilla coffee Seasoning blend Spoon Accessory packet C MENU 7 Chicken with salsa Mexican rice Shortbread cookie Jalapeno cheese Veg.-flavored cracker Candy Mocha-flavored coffee Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet B MENU 8 Hamburger patty Mexican-style macaroni and cheese Nacho-filled pretzels Bacon cheese 2 wheat snack bread Cured beef snacks BBQ sauce Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet B MENU 9 Beef stew Chocolate sports bar Peanut butter Cracker Dairy shake Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 10 Chili with macaroni Cookie Jalapeno cheese Wheat snack bread Candy Cocoa Red pepper Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 11 Penne with veg. sausage in spicy tomato sauce Dried fruit Pound cake Peanut butter Cracker Electrolyte drink Seasoning blend Spoon Accessory packet C MENU 12 Veggie burger in BBQ sauce (vegetarian) Dried fruit Cinnamon scone Potato sticks 2 wheat snack bread Chocolate-fortified drink Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet B MENU 13 Cheese tortellini (vegetarian) Spiced apples Pound cake Peanut butter Cracker Candy Seasoning blend Spoon Accessory packet C MENU 14 Vegetable manicotti Fruit, wet pack Pound cake Peanut butter Cracker Ranger bar Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet B MENU 15 Beef enchiladas Refried beans Cookie Jalapeno cheese Veg.-flavored cracker Picante sauce Chocolate-fortified drink Red pepper Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 16 Chicken with noodles Fruit, wet pack Pretzels Cheddar cheese Cracker Candy Cocoa Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 17 Sloppy Joe filling Baked snack cracker Cheese Shortbread cookie Jalapeno cheese 2 wheat snack bread Electrolyte drink Hot Sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 18 Cajun rice with sausage Cheddar-filled pretzels Peanut butter Cracker Nuts Chocolate-fortified drink Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 19 Pot roast with vegetables Dried fruit Cookie Peanut butter Cracker Cocoa Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 20 Spaghetti with meat sauce Blueberry-cherry cobbler Cheddar cheese Wheat snack bread Electrolyte drink Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 21 Chicken tetrazzini Cookies Jelly Cracker Dairy shake Seasoning blend Spoon Accessory packet C MENU 22 Jambalaya Pound cake Jam Wheat snack bread Dairy shake Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 23 Chicken with cavatelli Fig bar Pound cake Bacon cheese Wheat snack bread Carbohydrate-fortified drink Hot sauce Spoon Accessory packet A MENU 24 Meatloaf with gravy Mashed potatoes Vanilla wafer cookie Jelly Cracker Candy Cocoa Red pepper Spoon Accessory packet B Source: DOD Combat Feeding Natick Soldier Center What?s new Penne with spicy tomato sauce; sloppy Joe filling; chicken fajitas; cheese omelets with vegetables; tortillas; and hash browns with bacon Smoke House almonds; Ranger bar; Cheese Nips; raisins, white chocolate/raspberry cookies; cinnamon scones; and blueberry-cherry cobbler Carbohydrate-fortified beverage mix; carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage mix; jalapeno ketchup; and steak sauce What?s better The texture of many foods, thanks to better processing methods. Rice stays separate and isn?t mushy; beef chunks are grained and chewy, like normal steak, instead of that ?mystery meat? quality. More interesting seasoning. Many new entrees have clearly visible herbs, such as the oregano in tomato sauce, while others offer more sophisticated flavors, such as fire-roasted red peppers. Condiments are also more varied ? not just salt or Tabasco sauce. New meals also offer red pepper, spicy ketchup and seasoning blends. What still needs work Keeping the taste and texture of cheese in meals prepared with it. ?Cheese doesn?t do well,? even with the improved MRE processing methods, according to Janice Rosado, a physical scientist at the Combat Feeding Directorate. High cooking temperatures also prevent pasta from being offered ?al dente,? or chewy, although it isn?t as mushy as it used to be, according to troop feedback. Sources: Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center, Natick, Mass.; interviews with military and civilian taste testers. Lisa Burgess / S&S Wesley Long, left, a student employee in DOD's Combat Feeding Directorate, and Mike Acheson, a food technologist for the directorate, dish up samples of the latest hot chow last week on Capitol Hill. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?...&article=22928 Ellie Do We Say Tabasco Sauce!
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND SSgt. Roger A. One Proud Marine 1961-1977 68/69 http://www.geocities.com/thedrifter001/ |
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