# Budget cuts in the field kitchen?



## granfire (May 31, 2013)

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/...-by-loss-of-hot-meal-at-afghanistan-base?lite

Is this for real?
Considering they do not have a PX to walk to...cutting out breakfast? I am floored.

Yes, I know, it's Obama's fault...Michelle's produce doesn't ship well, I am sure.


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## arnisador (May 31, 2013)

Sounds like they'll get cold food instead...yeah, that does suck, but a drawdown is a drawdown I suppose.


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## billc (May 31, 2013)

Not just cold food...MRE's.  Although I personally don't mind them...but for weeks on end...that would be rough.

I have to say it sounds necessary because of the pull out...but the fact that this administration doesn't like the military...makes me suspicious...especially with the way they have used the government to go after groups they don't like...


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## Carol (May 31, 2013)

Sounds like a cruel game to me.  A hurtful cut  is taking place not because its the most efficient way to scale back on a budget but to prove a point.

This is a cut that not only hurts the morale a bit but IMO also the performance.  I don't mind MRE's either, but I think when in a situation where one is under a heavy load (physically as well as mentally), a hot meal makes a difference in how a person can perform.


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## billc (May 31, 2013)

Personally, I think obama's minions are taking a shot at the troops.


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## arnisador (May 31, 2013)

billc said:


> Personally, I think obama's minions are taking a shot at the troops.



The scale of the Obama conspiracy is just stunning.


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## billc (May 31, 2013)

You doubt that his people would be that petty...with the information on the I.R.S., the E.P.A., OSHA and any number of other government agencies targeting conservative groups...you don't think they would stoop to taking away these meals just for snicks...

going after reporters in the A.P. story, or Fox news's Jim Rosen...going after his parents...


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 1, 2013)

billc said:


> Personally, I think obama's minions are taking a shot at the troops.


To what end? What do you suppose they get out of hurting troops?
Sean


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> To what end? What do you suppose they get out of hurting troops?
> Sean



Just plain old fun of making them miserable.  He made a marine hold an umbrella for him. Here Marine keep me dry as you stand in the rain  Last I checked when I was a marine it was against marine regulations to even have an umbrella in uniform.  He doesn't salute them when he enters or exits Marine 1.  Just a total lack of respect for them.  Then that speech he gave the other day when he said that troops overseas fight for him.  Troops don't fight for the president its not his personal army.   

I understand draw downs and needed to remove the chow hall at some point but unless the base is closing in the next few weeks that should be one of the last things removed.  
Everyone that says MREs are fine.  Trying eatting then  every meal for weeks at a time.  Not so much fun then


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## arnisador (Jun 1, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> He made a marine hold an umbrella for him. Here Marine keep me dry as you stand in the rain  Last I checked when I was a marine it was against marine regulations to even have an umbrella in uniform



You know that this has been done for every president before him, right? Pictures were posted everywhere of Marines holding umbrellas for presidents from at least Nixon on--including both Bushes. This has been debunked everywhere except at Fox News.

Reagan also was reluctant to salute at first, reasoning that he was, technically, a civilian, even as CINC. He had to be talked into it.


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

I would like to edit to add however I don't think it was Obamas idea to remove the chow halls.  The prez doesn't get that involved in troop planning.  So I don't blame him for this.


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

arnisador said:


> You know that this has been done for every president before him, right? Pictures were posted everywhere of Marines holding umbrellas for presidents from at least Nixon on--including both Bushes. This has been debunked everywhere except at Fox News.
> 
> Reagan also was reluctant to salute at first, reasoning that he was, technically, a civilian, even as CINC. He had to be talked into it.



Really where I've looked and found no pictures of Marines holding umbrellas for bush Reagan or Clinton.


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## jks9199 (Jun 1, 2013)

arnisador said:


> You know that this has been done for every president before him, right? Pictures were posted everywhere of Marines holding umbrellas for presidents from at least Nixon on--including both Bushes. This has been debunked everywhere except at Fox News.
> 
> Reagan also was reluctant to salute at first, reasoning that he was, technically, a civilian, even as CINC. He had to be talked into it.



Interesting article here on Presidents and salutes...

Regarding the chow hall...  I can't say I agree with it.  There's too much solid reason not to close it for the one meal -- and I can't help but wonder if it's not another case of sequestration budget cuts hitting the most visible areas possible, and administration refusal to look at less visible, or less painful cuts.  But the bottom line is simple: food is closely tied to morale, and is one of the last places that they should be cutting.


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## granfire (Jun 1, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Really where I've looked and found no pictures of Marines holding umbrellas for bush Reagan or Clinton.









Maybe Reagan and Clinton didn't melt in the rain?

But it could be worse:


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

granfire said:


> Maybe Reagan and Clinton didn't melt in the rain?
> 
> But it could be worse:



Not a Marine in fact not even an American


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 1, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Just plain old fun of making them miserable.  He made a marine hold an umbrella for him. Here Marine keep me dry as you stand in the rain  Last I checked when I was a marine it was against marine regulations to even have an umbrella in uniform.


Well obviously Bush taught him he could use the Marines for weather issues, but the idea that he is just relishing the idea of punishing troops is about the stupidest thing I have ever heard.


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## granfire (Jun 1, 2013)

I find the idea ridiculous that the man is sitting in the oval office, figuring out how to piss off the troops. 

There are enough people in the mix, never having been on a camp out, much less in the field, figuring where to save a penny.

And plenty of people who - as unPC as it is - don't like soldiers and veterans. 

But it really is the suck, picking on people who ahve no means to substitute their meal plan on their on.


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 1, 2013)

No matter how hard I can't bring myself to feel outrage over this MRE thing.


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## granfire (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> No matter how hard I can't bring myself to feel outrage over this MRE thing.



maybe you need to eat them for a year then 

I hear Tuna Casserole is pretty bad!


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> Well obviously Bush taught him he could use the Marines for weather issues,


How do you figure that?


> but the idea that he is just relishing the idea of punishing troops is about the stupidest thing I have ever heard.


I dont think he does it on purpose.  I do not believe he has much respect for them however.
I also dont believe this chow hall closure thing is his Idea.  I Hope he has much more important things to do then figure out what chow halls get shut down and which dont


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> No matter how hard I can't bring myself to feel outrage over this MRE thing.



Its not a big deal if there is no alternative but when you can easily feed them hot chow there is no reason not too.


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 1, 2013)

ballen0351 said:


> Its not a big deal if there is no alternative but when you can easily feed them hot chow there is no reason not too.


Everyone agrees we need to make cuts, but nobody agrees on what to cut. This is a cut. Nobody gets hurt. They may re-think re-enlisting, but this is a cut we can live with.


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> Everyone agrees we need to make cuts, but nobody agrees on what to cut. This is a cut. Nobody gets hurt. They may re-think re-enlisting, but this is a cut we can live with.



Really Im not sure how its a cut when an MRE costs more then a plate full of powdered eggs and lowest bidder bacon.  The labor to cook it is already paid for.  I prefer not to make cuts they effect out military members serving in a war zone.  Cut chow for the Marines back home that are safe.


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 1, 2013)

granfire said:


> maybe you need to eat them for a year then
> 
> I hear Tuna Casserole is pretty bad!


This isn't about my diet, this is about our tax dollars. If you want to make sure they have hot meals, you and some like minded individuals should pay for it. Vote for the guy who wants to throw money at the military. 
Sean


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## ballen0351 (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> This isn't about my diet, this is about our tax dollars. If you want to make sure they have hot meals, you and some like minded individuals should pay for it. Vote for the guy who wants to throw money at the military.
> Sean



The problem with your theory is they are still serving hot meals to everyone except the Marines working the midnight shift.  Not sure how much of a savings that is.  They claim its in preparation for the troop draw down but that's not for another year at least.


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## billc (Jun 1, 2013)

As we have learned from the I.R.S. and the other scandals, liberals are embedded in every layer of the bureaucracy and are more than willing to take action against groups they don't like.  They have been petty, as seen by the vandalism to the Old Executive Office building before Bush assumed office, the activities of the OWS movement, pooring fecal material in a bank lobby, pooping on police cars, throwing pies at conservative speakers (all juvenile, out of control behavior )  and with the use of OSHA, the I.R.S. and the E.P.A. they are more than willing to punish opponents in any manor they can think of.  It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think some liberal, military hating bureaucrat would get his kicks taking away that meal, knowing it made marines suffer.

I know, let's stop funding the shrimp on the treadmill and use that money to give that meal back...


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## billc (Jun 1, 2013)

Some more examples of liberal petty behavior toward people they don't like cited by Bill O'reilly...

http://townhall.com/columnists/billoreilly/2013/06/01/a-wrong-against-the-right-n1609682



> The paper looked at the invited commencement speakers for 150 colleges and universities. There are just four conservative speakers, as opposed to at least 69 liberal speakers.





> The reason few conservative speakers are invited is that college administrators are frightened by radical-left students and faculty. Last month, Karl Rove's speech at the University of Massachusetts was disrupted, and so was the address by Sen. Rand Paul at Howard University. Nobody wants a graduation ceremony turned into an ideological circus, and that's what often happens when perceived conservatives are invited to speak on certain campuses.





> Last year, I headed up a benefit for the It Happened to Alexa Foundation at Boston University, where I received a master's degree in broadcast journalism. As a freshman, Alexa Branchini was raped in a BU dorm and had to withdraw from the school. She eventually founded, with her parents, an organization to help victims of violent crime. I felt the campus of Boston University would be the perfect place to hold a fundraiser for this fine charity. How wrong I was.
> A number of far-left professors and administrators, including a university vice president, boycotted the event. The school did little to promote it and essentially folded under the pressure of zealots. It was an absolute disgrace and an insult to Alexa and her family. That tells you all you need to know about the mentality of fanatical college professors and the cowardly administrators who enable them.
> There is no question that liberal indoctrination is a fact of life on most American college campuses. Tenure means never having to say you're sorry or you're wrong. And, overwhelmingly, tenured college teachers are liberal. They dominate and intimidate their students. If you go up against them, your grade often suffers. There is a tyranny in higher education that is gravely harming this nation.




Yes, they caused problems for a fundraiser to help rape victims...because they don't like Bill O'reilly...
It isn't hard to believe that these liberal types get jobs in government and bring their childish, petty behavior with them...

Keep in mind as well that obama is an acolyte of saul olinsky, and good friends with bill ayers and bernadine dorhn(violent  domestic terrorists)...and the military, in particular marines, are the very things he doesn't like about America...


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## granfire (Jun 1, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> This isn't about my diet, this is about our tax dollars. If you want to make sure they have hot meals, you and some like minded individuals should pay for it. Vote for the guy who wants to throw money at the military.
> Sean



Unwad your knickers, mate.

The meals aren't bad, but not a substitute for something not from a pouch. 
Our scouts love them (minus the Tuna) but our leaders, the gentlemen who had spend some considerable time eating them could happily do without. (fwiw, one gentleman is a retired Marine, the other has just been promoted to MST, with time in 'the sandbox')

The point it: It sucks. 
I really do not care who tightened the purse strings. These folks cannot get a hot meal from the next Taco Bell where they are. It's my farm girl creed: you work for me, you will be fed. And I mean real food if at all possible. 
These men and women do work for us, the least thing they should expect is a decent meal for their troubles!


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## granfire (Jun 1, 2013)

billc said:


> As we have learned from the I.R.S. and the other scandals, liberals are embedded in every layer of the bureaucracy and are more than willing to take action against groups they don't like.  They have been petty, as seen by the vandalism to the Old Executive Office building before Bush assumed office, the activities of the OWS movement, pooring fecal material in a bank lobby, pooping on police cars, throwing pies at conservative speakers (all juvenile, out of control behavior )  and with the use of OSHA, the I.R.S. and the E.P.A. they are more than willing to punish opponents in any manor they can think of.  It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think some liberal, military hating bureaucrat would get his kicks taking away that meal, knowing it made marines suffer.
> 
> I know, let's stop funding the shrimp on the treadmill and use that money to give that meal back...





billc said:


> Some more examples of liberal petty behavior toward people they don't like cited by Bill O'reilly...
> 
> http://townhall.com/columnists/billoreilly/2013/06/01/a-wrong-against-the-right-n1609682
> 
> ...



Love, ya, mate. But you cannot stick to a topic if your life depended on it. 
This has nothing to do with Liberals, OWS or any of the stuff you love to rant about.

If truth be told, your club is just as guilty - if not more - to cut the budget for those soldiers. After all, it has become way to easy t shift the blame on the one single person in the White House....when social studies should have taught us that it takes a Congress to drive the cart into the muck. 

it's kind of like a nephew of mine: when he was little, he would instigate trouble among the younger cousins, then go tattle on them, having the market cornered.....


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## DennisBreene (Jun 1, 2013)

One of the favorite pastimes of a soldier is midrats. The other is complaining.


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 2, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> Everyone agrees we need to make cuts, but nobody agrees on what to cut. This is a cut. Nobody gets hurt. They may re-think re-enlisting, *but this is a cut we can live with*.



Well, this is obviously a cut you can live with.  You do realize you don't speak for me?



Touch Of Death said:


> *This isn't about my diet,* this is about our tax dollars. If you want to make sure they have hot meals, you and some like minded individuals should pay for it. Vote for the guy who wants to throw money at the military.
> Sean



Obviously it isn't about your diet.  If it were, I think you would have an entirely different perspective, and different things to say about it.



ballen0351 said:


> The problem with your theory is they are still serving hot meals to everyone except the Marines working the midnight shift.  Not sure how much of a savings that is.  They claim its in preparation for the troop draw down but that's not for another year at least.



Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't they talking about a civilian company running their mess facilities?  Congress loves to hire civilian companies.  They aren't openly for sale, or the people of the US would complain.  But PACs and Super PACs and other means, put a lot of money at congress' disposal.  But if you want to save money, why in the world would you pay civilians what military can easily do for themselves at a great cost savings?



granfire said:


> Love, ya, mate. But you cannot stick to a topic if your life depended on it.
> This has nothing to do with Liberals, OWS or any of the stuff you love to rant about.
> 
> *If truth be told, your club is just as guilty - if not more - to cut the budget for those soldiers. After all, it has become way to easy t shift the blame on the one single person in the White House....when social studies should have taught us that it takes a Congress to drive the cart into the muck. *
> ...



Pretty much so.  Look who decided to cut the military and rely on the Reserves and National Guard to be part time combat soldiers.  Rumsfeld?  And after cutting the military, tried to find as many civilian companies to be paid more than the military do do the job the military should have been doing for themselves?  Both parties have been very guilty of screwing the military for the comfort of congress.  It seems to have been going of for a long time, just seems to be worse now.


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 2, 2013)

DennisBreene said:


> One of the favorite pastimes of a soldier is midrats. The other is complaining.



So does that some way excuse not taking care of troops when it is possible to do so?


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 2, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> Well, this is obviously a cut you can live with.  You do realize you don't speak for me?


Ok then... Nobody will die but you. I was hoping you would have taken it but since there isn't a whole lot you can do about it.


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 2, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> So does that some way excuse not taking care of troops when it is possible to do so?


was it supposed to?


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## DennisBreene (Jun 2, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> So does that some way excuse not taking care of troops when it is possible to do so?



A commanding officer is always charged with taking care of his/her troops.  That doesn't mean that they don't end up sleeping in fox holes or being sent in harms way. It comes with the job description. As does grumbling about it. This was not meant to be a comment on an individual decision over rations. I don't have the information to second guess the decision.  I expect local commanders on the ground have made their point in private if they feel the troops are being treated inappropriately.  It was more an observation about military culture and by inference an admonition to take what you read with a grain of sand.


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## rlobrecht (Jun 2, 2013)

I used to have a buddy in the reserves, and we would take MREs while camping. From what I can remember, we usually ended up not eating all we took, because they just aren't that great.

Obviously they don't really cost this much, but they are expensive on the after market.  $95 for 12 on Amazon. That's a lot of bacon and eggs.


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 4, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> Ok then... Nobody will die but you. I was hoping you would have taken it but since there isn't a whole lot you can do about it.



Sorry, I don't quite get that.  I simply thought you didn't have the experience to understand why it was important to feed the troops better as opposed to putting it off to cost savings.  If I am wrong about your experience, sorry.



Touch Of Death said:


> was it supposed to?



It seemed DennisBreene was saying so.  However he has clarified that and I accept that.



DennisBreene said:


> A commanding officer is always charged with taking care of his/her troops.  That doesn't mean that they don't end up sleeping in fox holes or being sent in harms way. It comes with the job description. As does grumbling about it. This was not meant to be a comment on an individual decision over rations. I don't have the information to second guess the decision.  I expect local commanders on the ground have made their point in private if they feel the troops are being treated inappropriately.  *It was more an observation about military culture and by inference an admonition to take what you read with a grain of sand.*



I can dig that.  However, there are two things military don't like to have messed with, food and pay.  They will put up with a lot of other things they don't care for without much more that grumbling, as you said.  They realize their job can be hazardous to their health.  But that is one of the reasons some things are more important to them.

In my day, at least in the Army, there were three meals served in a day.  If you wanted them, you got up for them, or were relieved for them, or got your own elsewhere, or did without.  It appears they have changed that to have a 4th meal.  Once you give something, it is hard to take it back.  Try cutting out free medical care or social security now that we have them.

As to the MREs, I have had them.  I don't think they are that great.  I would prefer LRRPs or C rations frankly.  But they are better than starving.

I would add that I think if they are not, cooks should be taking care of troops at the company level.  Then you wouldn't have that problem.  Somebody with more recent experience - is it correct that cooking and KP are done by civilians, or do the military still do that for themselves?


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 4, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> Sorry, I don't quite get that.  I simply thought you didn't have the experience to understand why it was important to feed the troops better as opposed to putting it off to cost savings.  If I am wrong about your experience, sorry.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh, I did enough time in the military to be considered experienced. The way I remember it, I am sure this was a commanding officer telling someone his troops could handle it, and not some Obama idea. This will make a tougher Marine.
Sean


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## Tgace (Jun 4, 2013)

If the chow hall is still open I dont see the point in not having midrats. Midrats are nothing but reheated leftovers, sandwich makings, fruit, ceral, coffee, etc that are left out for the late workers to grab. It's not like they are making and serving an extra meal....

I don't get the point.


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## arnisador (Jun 4, 2013)

Tgace said:


> If the chow hall is still open I dont see the point in not having midrats. Midrats are nothing but reheated leftovers, sandwich makings, fruit, ceral, coffee, etc that are left out for the late workers to grab. It's not like they are making and serving an extra meal....
> 
> I don't get the point.



I assume like all else it's contracted out at this point and so it is  savings whenever there's something omitted from the terms.


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 5, 2013)

arnisador said:


> I assume like all else it's contracted out at this point and so it is  savings whenever there's something omitted from the terms.



I expect that is correct.  I just never understood contracting out all the things a service member could do cheaper, and still be called on to bolster defense.


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 5, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> Oh, I did enough time in the military to be considered experienced. The way I remember it, I am sure this was a commanding officer telling someone his troops could handle it, and not some Obama idea. This will make a tougher Marine.
> Sean



Care to share you military experience?  

How far down the chain do you expect the decision was broached?


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 5, 2013)

oftheherd1 said:


> Care to share you military experience?
> 
> How far down the chain do you expect the decision was broached?


Some Three Star.  What do you want to know? 
Sean


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## granfire (Jun 5, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> What do you want to know?
> Sean



Name, rank, serial number!


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## Touch Of Death (Jun 5, 2013)

granfire said:


> Name, rank, serial number!


I was known as, That Damn Specialist, and I am pissed off that some long dead general wont let the Signal Corps wear our Orange ropey thingy! >_<


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## granfire (Jun 5, 2013)

Touch Of Death said:


> I was known as, That Damn Specialist, and I am pissed off that some long dead general wont let the Signal Corps wear our Orange ropey thingy! >_<



OOOHHHHH, that was YOU!


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