Standard meal plan while in the box?

LTC Joseph Gross — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:58:34 -0400

A friend's son is at NTC on rotation. He is telling her that they are only getting two meals a day anod often they are both MREs. Naturally the fanatics turn this into a "military is getting screwed by Obama" meme. I say it is likely a screwed up support system. Now, who has been at NTC lately and can shed some light? What is the standard meal plan while in the box?

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jun 9 at 2014 12:01 PM

SSG (ret) William Martin — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:01:35 -0400

Sir, I have seen been this before. A soldier hears that getting hot meals way out in the box is going to be difficult so he or she tells another buddy this and they assume all there is to eat is MREs. When I was in the box we received at least 2 hot meals a day but that is because our cook section drove back to the rear twice a day to get it. We had the leadership to tell them to do it and we had the resources like fuel and vehicles to make it happen. So I believe the resources are there; we just need the leadership to make it a priority.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Jun 9 at 2014 12:12 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:12:21 -0400

LTC Gross, I concur. Sounds like the S4 didn't do his job.

Last time I went (2002) we had a mermite-M-mermite schedule, but I was with the Regimental Support base cluster so we had the cooks within our footprint. There ARE advantages of being a support weenie... ;o)

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Jun 9 at 2014 1:07 PM

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 13:07:28 -0400

Not sure there is a standard meal plan. We just finished our rotation at JMRC and the ration cycle was:

2 - 21 May: A-M-A (hot - MRE - hot)
22 - 30 May: M-M-M (MRE)
31 May - 5 June: A-M-A (hot - MRE - hot)

as a FYSA, meal cards were issued and although the MRE improved drastically, I don't think anyone was able to eat 2 to 3 MREs a day!

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 10 at 2014 1:23 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 13:23:03 -0400

Was there in January. All meals in the box were MRE, we are a Stryker infantry unit though. We were all over the place and game on at all times. You're MOS and duties in the box may affect what kind of meals you will be able to get. Your suppose to get three a day but sometimes we didn't know when we would get resupplied so we only ate two a day sometimes

Response by LTC Joseph Gross made Jun 10 at 2014 5:14 PM

LTC Joseph Gross — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 17:14:04 -0400

Great feedback from everyone! I'll post much of this to my friend's FB and try to explain that the dastardly, evil Obama is not taking food from her child's mouth...

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 10 at 2014 8:06 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 20:06:08 -0400

Sir,

Our unit is preparing to go there later this year. I just returned from a PDSS there. It is up to the RTU (BDE) which meal plan they choose. Of course, not everything is feasible, however, an A.M.A plan seems like it would be. If they are receiving only 2 meals a day, with both being MREs, then I would assume it was planned that way or something wasn't coordinated properly.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2014 12:51 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 02 Nov 2014 00:51:21 -0400

Sir I am stationed at Fort Irwin now. The Soldiers in the box receive 2 hot meals a day, breakfast and dinner. The only time a soldier may not receive 2 hot meals is probably due to being engaged in the war at that time which they will get a MRE if they are complete with that exercise after dinner hours (which is rare). Each position in the box has DFAC stations set up where the Companies come pick their chow up and return it to their Soldiers at the fighting line. The only time Soldiers eat MRE's twice a day the entire time they are out there is by choice or of lazy leaders.

Response by SFC Craig Hahn made Dec 12 at 2014 12:08 PM

SFC Craig Hahn — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 12:08:59 -0500

Sir,
Also being stationed here I have seen units getting all MRE's and some getting hot chow and MRE. Really all depending on what the Brigade has set up to have.

Response by SSG Genaro Negrete made Dec 12 at 2014 12:20 PM

SSG Genaro Negrete — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 12:20:53 -0500

The typical pattern I've seen is hot breakfast and hot dinner. MRE for lunch. Elements not located near the field kitchen get mermites with the hot meal transported to the specific training site they are operating for the day.

This gave us at the aid station an opportunity to have any soldier that needed to be seen by our PA in the field a ride to the BAS, then a ride back to their element if they were deemed return to duty with necessary medications.

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made Jan 1 at 2015 8:45 PM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 20:45:14 -0500

The standard meal plan at the dirt CTCs (NTC, JMRC, JRTC) is there is no standard meal plan. Some explanation:
- The purpose of the dirt Combat Training Centers is to train, exercise and stress a Brigade Combat Team's personnel, equipment, formations, and systems.
- Because of the purpose, the CTCs do not dictate what are essentially unit commander decisions.
- Therefore the BCT Commander, based upon staff input, issues guidance as to what the BCT's meal plan is based upon METT-TC. More than likely the meal plan changes throughout the rotation such that during RSOI (D-4 to D Day) the meal plan is AAA. D Day to D+2 might be MMM. D+3 to D+14 might be AMA.
- Part of the meal plan decision, beyond METT-TC, might include training, morale, and system considerations. For example, cooks need to be trained how to cook in MKTs rather than DFACs, Soldiers prefer hot meals to MREs, and the supply, mission command, and logistics systems need to be used in order to be stressed to determine if they will work in combat or not.
- Personally, I think the Army's experience in OIF and OEF has caused expectations to be unnecessarily high (contractor run DFACs in a mature theater). The next fight our nation gets into will most likely be an immature theater with a failed nation state which means a majority of MREs for the first 30 days minimum if not the first year. Look at DS/DS in 1990, OEF in 01, and OIF in 03 to understand what I am talking about.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Oct 26 at 2015 4:33 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 16:33:39 -0400

The meal plan is dictated by the unit. Generally the Class I section at the BCT SPO. If they are getting two MRE's a day, that's because that's what the plan was. I can assure you, the President plays no part in the CONOP/Planning process...