Food In The Military

[torakris]

Did I mention that in order to join the Navy, I had to gain 5 lbs. in 2 months? I was 6'1" and 133 when I weighed in the first time. Keep in mind I was 17 at the time. (I'm 33 now, and not a helluva lot heavier either. ) Back then, I didn't know what I know now as far as weight gain was concerned. I pretty much ate everything in sight -- and added a couple of cans of baby food formula each day. The day of the weigh in, my recruitment officer told me to drink a GALLON of water in order to be able to make it past the weigh in.

Hey, I had to gain 5lbs too!!

I was joining on delayed entry so I had 7 months to do it in though. I was 19 years old, just under 5'8" and weighed 104lbs, I was told I had to hit 109 or I wouldn't be able to join. I went on a major milkshake and fast food diet and passed the weight test with flying colors!

[jsolomon]

When I first joined in '95, the food was great... and I ended up putting on 40 lbs in 3 weeks. But at West Point, we were worked much harder than in regular basic training.

Due to forces beyond my control, ended up going through Ft. Benning, Georgia for enlisted basic in 2002. The food there was atrocious.

[Susan in FL]

Speaking as a mom, I have such fond memories of my limited experience with military food. My son in the Navy invited me to a "Dining Out" and it was wonderful. Multi-course meal, with wines to match the food... and Port at the end. With that Port, I think it was the world's record for toasts!

The food at his graduation from Officer Candidate School was pretty good, too.

[Yong Tae Kim]

All able bodied Korean citizenship holding males are required to serve in the Korean military for a set number of years. As a grad school graduate, instead of joining the regular army, I opted to join the Korean airforce as an officer candidate in 1995.

During the four months that I spent at the Republic of Korea Airforce Officer Candidate School I went from a pudgy 85 kilos to a lean and hard 65 kilos (I am 5'9"). The hard physical training aside, I belive that the military food had a great part in this drastic weight reduction.

Forget Atkins, this is the Korean military's version of extreme dieting:

1. Mounds and mounds of white rice mixed in with barley. The rice served by the Korean military rice is b-grade stuff that the Korean government buys on the cheap from farmers and then stored for x number of years. The result is that the rice is not white, but grey or brown in color and smelling of musty socks. I belive that a typical trainee ate about 5 to 6 adult portions of rice in each meal, three times a day.

2. Kimchi in every meal (cabbage or radish).

3. Watery and salty soup that always contained tofu and Japanese daikon style radish. Apparently radish is a good source of water for trainees who sweated so much during training that the uniforms were caked in white salt from the sweat at the end of the day.

4. Frozen squid or cod thrown into various soups of number 3 above.

5. Cucumber and onions marinated with Korean hot chili paste, vinegar, and sugar.

6. Blocks of frozen meat from unidentifiable pork or meat parts thrown into various soups or shaved into Korean style 'bulgogi'.

7. No sugary foods and drinks during the entire four months.

After three months of this kind of eating and hard physical training, my fellow trainees became so light and fit that they could run with full combat gear for one and half hours non-stop under a sweltering 31+ degrees Celsius heat wave and not miss a single beat.

[SobaAddict70]

Welcome to eGullet, Yong.

I take it that the same thing is served to everyone, irrespective of rank? You mention that you were an officer -- I'm assuming what was served in the regular army must be the same -- or somewhat worse.

Soba

[Mabelline]

Pleased to meet you Yong, and you certainly made me think. The kind of foods you ate are restaurant fare for the majority of us, of course, but it's interesting to think about physical conditioning with that sort of provender. Interesting, to be sure. Welcome, also.

[Yong Tae Kim]

Soba,

Because we were officer candidates receiving basic military training during the four months that we spent at OCS, the food that was served to us was the same as the food that got served to regular soldiers. The quality of the ingredients left a lot to be desired, of course.

Input equals output, and it was not uncommon to have the latrines plugged up with 411 trainees who probably ate 15~18 portions of rice a day and lots of fiber from kimchi and stuff...

[SobaAddict70]

heheh

Soba

[hjshorter]

Name something you want that I can send you, and its yours. Thanks.

E-Mail me.

I'm in too. We'd happy to send whatever we can. My 4 1/2 year old wanted to know what a soldier was the other day. She'd be excited to mail something overseas to someone who is helping to keep us safe.

Do the army, navy, etc. have programs where you can find soldiers (serving in Iraq or elsewhere) to help and send care packages to?

[Jaymes]

Do the army, navy, etc. have programs where you can find soldiers (serving in Iraq or elsewhere) to help and send care packages to?

They used to, but I think they may have discontinued it. Used to, you could address mail to "any soldier" and they'd pick someone that didn't regularly get mail. But I read where they discontinued it due to the potential for various forms of mischief, including things that one can see, like bombs, and things that one cannot, like poison.

But I'm not sure. They may have found a way to reinstate it with some sort of increased security methods.

[StInGeR]

Do the army, navy, etc. have programs where you can find soldiers (serving in Iraq or elsewhere) to help and send care packages to?

They used to, but I think they may have discontinued it. Used to, you could address mail to "any soldier" and they'd pick someone that didn't regularly get mail. But I read where they discontinued it due to the potential for various forms of mischief, including things that one can see, like bombs, and things that one cannot, like poison.

But I'm not sure. They may have found a way to reinstate it with some sort of increased security methods.

I'm pretty sure they're still doing this. Check out the following site and they should be able to help you.

http://www.lt-smash.us/

There's alot of links to other milblogs and you might find exactly what you're looking for there.

Cheers

Tom

[Chris Cognac]

I used to love getting the "any soldier" letters and packages during the first gulf war. They are a real moral booster to a home sick G.I.. make sure to include a hometown newspaper as reading material is scarce and chances are someone from your town is over there and would love a local paper!

[FistFullaRoux]

Do the army, navy, etc. have programs where you can find soldiers (serving in Iraq or elsewhere) to help and send care packages to?

They used to, but I think they may have discontinued it. Used to, you could address mail to "any soldier" and they'd pick someone that didn't regularly get mail. But I read where they discontinued it due to the potential for various forms of mischief, including things that one can see, like bombs, and things that one cannot, like poison.

But I'm not sure. They may have found a way to reinstate it with some sort of increased security methods.

The best bet (I'm shipping a package out this week) is to contact a group (Reserve or something) that is going out, and see if one of them will haul it out there for you. It's a lot harder to figure out where it's heading, but it will get there, and it will be appreciated by whoever gets it.

If you have something specific for one person, then that's a different matter. If you want to send some goodies over, send them with a person headed in-country. Just don't send things that will melt. Granola bars, Now and Laters, and Skittles are hits out there, as well as baby wipes and the "chenille" things we used to call pipe cleaners.

[Mabelline]

I've been speaking with Beto, and although he's far too modest, I've gotten a short list of things he was wanting to make a Chicken mole:

Cumin

Abuelita Chocolate

Dried Ancho Chiles

Dried Cascabel Chiles

And he said there's such a shortage of HAM products there that he'd like some GOYA JAMON cubes. As per my Mexican shopping thread, I am now adding those on my list, and taking out some frivolities. But, however, I have asked if the mail permits those canned small hams, or SPAM, and I am quite sure I can remember how to sweat a seal off a wine vinegar bottle and reseal it, don't youall?

I've also asked Beto for his cousin's address in the field. Fist, I gotcha on the babywipes and pipe cleaners.Dry candies too.

[Mabelline]

Shit, when I get a brain, I'm gonna be dangerous...

Jeff Givens

335th TSC

Camp Doha, Kuwait

APO AE 09889

Chris, also got you on the local newspaper.Oh boy, someone to appreciate the Billings Gazette! That may be a first (actually it does help to see ads and whatall of places you know, when you are in Hell).

Edited February 26, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[fifi]

Mabelline... I can get all of those things from Fiesta. Cheap!!! (Well, maybe the chocolate might be a problem, but they will have something.) Now, how do we find out if we can send products like dried peppers? You know... ag restrictions? Tell Beto that so far, he is talkin' peanuts!!! Get with the list, man!

What the hell do they need pipe cleaners for? (Boy, am I curious.)

[StInGeR]

What the hell do they need pipe cleaners for? (Boy, am I curious.)

When I was in the service we used to use the pipe cleaners for keeping our rifles and handguns clean. A touch of oil and then run the cleaner along a groove and bingo a ton of muck, carbon would disappear. Another good one are cotton buds (same principle).... and that's buds not balls If you want a list of anything else we would use or kill for just let me know and I'll post a complete list.

edited for spelling

Edited February 26, 2004 by StInGeR (log)

[Mabelline]

fifi, I'm probably wrong but I reckon they're for getting miles and miles of miles and miles of sand outta the stuff it ought not be in.

Postcards! Every store in this town's got real pretty postcards.

Some cool paperbacks.

Edited February 26, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Mabelline]

StInGeR: You mean you aren't writing yet? Go for it ! And thank you in advance.

[StInGeR]

StInGeR: You mean you aren't writing yet? Go for it ! And thank you in advance.

OK here's complete list of things that I always got family to send over when I was stationed in Somalia and during GW1:

cotton buds (for cleaning weapons)

pore cleanser (for cleaning yourself)

baby wipes (for cleaning yourself)

moisturizer (for baby soft skin )

newspapers no matter how old they were

decent COFFEE (preferably instant because of trying to find a percolator)

hard candy (for the soldiers and hearts and minds)

any sort of spices preferably in plastic containers

LETTERS from anyone (we didn't care if we knew the person writing it)

AA batteries for personal stereos (there were never enough to steal )

Non army issue toilet paper

oreos - double stuffed

industrial type soap (the gritty kind) - even with showers it's a bitch to get rid of all the dirt after being on the ground for so long

clearasil or any other acne cream

I know alot of this sounds very unsoldierlike but it's amazing how it contributes to morale.

During Somalia because we interacted with the general population a fair bit, my batallion also got family and friends to ship across small stuffed animals, candies and such to hand out to the local kids.

When I can think of more I'll repost them

Regards

Tom

[Jaymes]

Mabelline... I can get all of those things from Fiesta. Cheap!!! (Well, maybe the chocolate might be a problem, but they will have something.)

Actually, Fifi, I get Abuelita chocolate all the time from my local HEB up on the corner. I'm sure it's in yours as well. You've probably seen it, but just not paid any attention. It's in this cute bright yellow hexagonal box, and on the front, there's a photo of a grinning "abuelita" (granny) proferring a cup o' cocoa.

And Maybelline, I'll be sending some stuff as well. And Stinger, thanks for that comprehensive list.

[fifi]

I am sure you are right, Jaymes. I just haven't noticed the chocolate.

Mabelline, I am thinking that if you can take care of the correspondence and lists, I can get stuff together. You don't need to short your haul list from Mexico. Jaymes, I know you are in the middle of a lot of stuff so I would be willing to get a package off to start.

How do we find out about shipping those chiles? I have looked around on web sites and I can't find anything.

[Mabelline]

StInGeR, do they have any problem getting canned pork products? Is that allowed in Kuwait or Iraq? Beto said that there was a real shortage of it, and then requested the Goya Jamon cubes. But I thought those small canned Danish hams would ship okay.

I thought about the spices too, and I'm glad they can use the plastic containers. Will they allow a labelled container that is from bulk spices? The best ones I can buy are in bulk from the health store, and I have containers.

All the personal items are not weird. I've been at cow camps where you made do, and anything that made you fresher or more human was worth more than gold (but maybe not more than some good Scotch!).

Edited February 26, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Mabelline]

fifi, I'll send an email, and as soon as I find out, I'll put it up. It seems though that Beto wouldn't request them if he knew they couldn't get them. If they are dried ones, in the packaging, that'll be okay. I'm assuming he meant dried. I guess I'd better find out, hmmm?

[fifi]

I was wondering about the peppers because I have often been gifted with critters hatching out of my dried peppers. Now, I freeze them to kill the critters.