The Marines want a slimmed down MRE, the goal being less a 'Lean Cuisine' version of Meals Ready to Eat and more of a way to reduce the size of the packages troops carry in the field.
Infantry Marines typically "field strip" MREs before going into the field for several days, explained Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, head of Marine Corps Systems Command. The service is looking for ways to reduce the weight and packaging of these bagged and boxed high-calorie meals to keep that from happening.
"They take out what they want, put it in their pack," Shrader said Tuesday at the Marine Corps League's annual Modern Day Marine symposium at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. "What they don't want, typically they'll discard. The reason they field strip it is because it lightens it up and reduces the size of how much room it takes to pack."
MARCORSYCOM has looked at finding lighter ammunition and other gear that Marines have to haul. So slimming down MREs is the next step being considered, Shrader said.
Still, the general said he has not heard of a specific strategy for making MREs lighter and more compact.
"There’s nobody that has come to the table and said, ‘Hey’ I’ve got this solution,’" he said. "There may be something out there. I’m just not aware of it right now."
The Army is in charge of developing MREs, but the Marine Corps frequently works with the other services that have purview over specific gear, Shrader said.
"If we need to go back and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got an idea about how to improve, to make them lighter, make them better,’ we’ll do that," he said. "I’m tied in very closely with [The Army's Program Executive Office] Soldier on a pretty frequent basis."
Experts consulted by Marine Corps Times concluded that "field stripping" an MRE is different from a practice known as "rat f------," in which troops scavenge MREs for preferred items they like and toss the rest into a communal "ratf--- bin."
Marine Corps Times is not aware of any plans to provide Marines pre-rat f------ meals.
Staff reporter Jeff Schogol covers Marine Corps leadership, integration and gear for Marine Corps Times. He can be reached at jschogol@marinecorpstimes.com
