"K" rations and MRE'S

[Blackadder1916]

We ate MRE's in europe when  was on Reforger exercise 84, 86. I recall getting our first IMP's during an exercise around 83-84. Might have been nice to tell us we were getting new rations rather than having the box handed to us in the dark at 11:00pm to figure how to issue and use them. I missed the canned bacon, but not the powdered tea. From the MRE's I still have the packaged brownie, even then it was hard enough to beat a man to death with.

It seems that Canadian hard rations in Germany were usually purchased from the major (English speaking and similiar food eating) allied militaries that we worked with (The Brits when we were up north and the Americans down south).  So when MREs were introduced in the US forces, that is what became available to us.  I recall that in the waning days of 4 CMBG (the early 90s) MREs were what we received while on ex, though it was an unusual occasion (in the fd amb anyway) to actually eat them - that is a compliment to the unit cooks who, even on days during FALLEX designated for hard rats, provided "soup" (which was authorized as a supplement/beverage) that was so hearty as to make the eating of MREs stupid.  Yes,  there were a set number of days during higher formation exercises when Bde ordered that MREs had to be eaten by all - it was probably the only way that the Canadian stockpile of MREs got used.  During Kurdish humanitarian operations (4 Fd Amb deployed to southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq) there was a suggestion during a CFEHQ coord conference to donate the remaining Canadian stockpile of MREs since they were nearly at the "do not use past date".  Even at that early stage in the operation there had already been press reports about complaints from refugees concerning the quality and dietary incompatibility of MREs, so it was not a hard sell to get that stopped.

A few years later during another humanitarian operation (Rwanda), we also gained some local opinions about IMPs. Though we did not provide hard rations to refugees or patients in our facility, we did offer left-over (unused) main meal pouches to the locals working for us.  Granted the reason they were "left-over" was they were the least tasty menu items (lots of the chicken stew thingy -forget the actual name- in that group).  After one meal of that menu, most of our Rwandans refused to accept that pouch.

During that time in Rwanda, we were only on hard rats.  Because of an in-country shortage of IMPs, we received a quantity of Bangladeshi and German rations.  On a "bulk quantity" comparison Canadian hard rations always seems to win and we often come out on top in taste, and I enjoyed most of the German items, but, while the Bangladeshi package made a flavourable meal (if you like a spicy curry), their one-day ration was barely one Canadian meal.

 

[Kat Stevens]

MRE were the only hard rats we ever saw in 4 CER while I was there (88-92).

 

[my72jeep]

MRE were the only hard rats we ever saw in 4 CER while I was there (88-92).

82-84 We used C Rations in 4 CER.

 

[Danjanou]

I remember C rats in 3 RCR in 1980. When did the MREs come into use? IIRC IMPs replaced IRPs around 1981

 

[fraserdw]

That's the name!!!!......IRPs [mountie]

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I remembered that the unit pooled the money we got to supplement the MRE and made deals with the local gastoff to supply a meal. We often traded the MRE’s to the local kids who gave us their dad’s beer. Seems they loved the Hershey bars, why a kid would want American chocolate when they had access to German chocolate was beyond me.  I was sent to a location to pick up “fresh rations” from the Americans, the list said potato’s and the American handed me a big box, quite light and I said; Where are the potato’s? He said in the box, turns out it was dried potato flakes……. Even their fresh rations were not so much. I suspect the cooks in the flying kitchens sometimes bought fresh produce to add to some of the food. 1984 I was with 1RCHA and 86 was with 1 Service Battalion. Both units were excellent to work with and it was an eye opener to work directly with a Service Battalion and changed my opinion of them quite a bit.

 

[SuperMonkey]

I had the privilege of eating a dusty chocolate bar from a 1998 ration found in 2008.

I come across '04 rations now and then.
Most common ones seem to be '10 for my unit. Tastier than anything I can cook at home.

I have given up trying to find the elusive 2012 rations for this year. Must've been bought out by the theorists and doomsday preppers.