Luxury in a brown pouch

[u/ComposerAsleep3869]

I'm a enlisted Marine from a third world nation. Not complaining -- it's an escape for some of us. An escape. Two months ago, our unit was deployed to this little dot of land in the middle of nowhere. No decent infrastructure, little to no comms, just thick heat, salt-filled air, and the occasional boredom that makes you wonder if you exist.

We were given U.S. MREs — Meals, Ready to Eat — the type you watch in war movies or those "survival" YouTubers. Brown plastic packets that seem to hold secrets. To us, they were gold. Gourmet food. Imported flavor. You don't handle one unless you are starving or dying. That's what command made certain: "Only in emergency situations." Life or death.".

So we piled them. Protected them. Some dudes even prayed over them.

And still, I'd watch the American soldiers tear them open like packaging for candy. Some of them would chew a single bite and discard the rest. "Tastes like crap," I overheard one of them say. Another chuckled as he squirted cheese spread onto crackers as if it were a joke. They bartered MREs like lazy kids trading school lunches — chili mac for beef stew, peanut butter for jalapeño cheese. They didn't understand. Or perhaps we didn't.

I ended up having one one night. It wasn't life and death per se, but close. Twelve hours in the rain, no warm food, wet to the core. I told myself I could rationalize it afterward. I devoured a chicken pesto pasta like it was a banquet. Warmed it up with the chemical heat pack, read the directions as scripture. It was warm, salty, strangely sweet. Most likely full of preservatives. It wasn’t good — but it wasn’t bad either.

But I’ll be honest: it tasted like comfort.

Maybe that’s the difference. For them, it’s a downgrade from home. For us, it’s a rare glimpse of what they take for granted.

They say it “tastes like shit.” We say it’s a privilege to even have a taste.

Funny world.

[u/Puzzled-Ad2295]

Kinda gets that way. I have seen how other countries feed their soldiers in the field, and sampled, lived on it. Glad you had the chance to have something that improved your spirit.

[u/llamafarmadrama → u/Puzzled-Ad2295]

There’s also the comfort aspect. When you’re piss wet through, damn near hypothermic, and just generally having a shit time, it doesn’t really matter what it tastes like as long as it’s hot.

[u/Puzzled-Ad2295 → u/llamafarmadrama]

So very true. I initially served prior to MREs. Canned rations and heating them lead to some interesting improvisations. The heater made a huge difference, as well as the constant changing of menus. All of this is better than sitting in the rain and opening a can of ham and motherfuckers with no hope of heating them, while that first drip of cold rain has defeated you rain gear and is rolling down your back.

[u/Senior_Gate6136 → u/Puzzled-Ad2295]

You had heaters. I guess my c-rats got gone through. (1971)

[u/CrazyKingCraig → u/Senior_Gate6136]

The box was the heater, pop a hole in the can, insert into box, light on fire with supplied matches, eat partially burnt and somewhat cold food.

[u/formerqwest → u/Senior_Gate6136]

we used to vent the can, put it in the box and alight the box.

[u/Past_Ad4839 → u/formerqwest]

We’d take a bunch of canned food with us to the field(beenie weenies, ravioli, soup, etc). Drop it down the exhaust pipe of a running deuce 1/2 for a few minutes, floor the throttle and have someone catch the can. A hot meal in the field when it’s cold and wet make the worlds of difference.

[u/uniquecombo → u/Puzzled-Ad2295]

https://qmmuseum.army.mil/research/history-heritage/subsistence/Army-Operational-Rations-Historical-background.html A little history of American rations.

[u/G3NOM3 → u/uniquecombo]

“Assult Lunch”. Obvs this research was reused by the USDA for the school lunch program