--- title: "Read 22 real reviews of new MRE menus from troops in the field" description: "Sometimes, the U.S. military actually asks its troops what they think of new developments in food. The troops don't pull punches." date: "2022-08-22" modified: "2022-08-22" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/these-are-22-real-reviews-of-the-newest-mre-menus-from-troops-in-the-field/" categories: - "Join the Military" - "Military Life" tags: - "Food" - "Military Culture" --- # Read 22 real reviews of new MRE menus from troops in the field ![]() If there's one thing the Department of Defense can count on soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines to be bluntly honest about, it's their food. And to the Defense Department's credit, sometimes, it actually asks troops what they think. **Also Read: [The 6 absolute worst MREs and field rations ever created from any era]()** Anyone who thinks that what American troops eat in the field doesn't matter as long as it sustains them has clearly never served and should probably sit down. Food isn't just about sustenance; it affects waste management, health, and morale (just to name a few). Having good food and a variety of it is one of the things that has made the American military the elite fighting machine it has been since World War II. Variety is just one of the reasons the U.S. routinely changes its ration menus. But the labs that create the meals don't always know what troops will eat (that's obvious to anyone who's had a veggie omelet). In 2005, 400 soldiers from Fort Greely, Alaska, were asked to taste-test a new menu of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) for anything that might stand out to them. There were a lot of standouts. ![]() *Fort Greely is one of the coldest places in the U.S. military. This is how they warm up. Probably. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Daniel Love)* Fort Greely's finest filled out evaluation forms to make comments on the MREs, which were then compiled and sent to the Defense Department office that manages the procurement of field rations. Grunts don't pull punches. That's kinda the whole point of their job. The main result was that U.S. troops got new MREs. Luckily for us, [The Smoking Gun got its hands]() on the actual reviews. There was a lot of useful, practical feedback from the soldiers, but some of the comments are pure gold. **1. We'll call this trooper** "**Shakespeare:**" "Cheese spread with bread is never a liked mix. Anger is usually the result." **2. "The Prophet:**" "I noticed this meal # was 666... I will probably die of a massive heart attack thank you for feeding me possessed food." **3. The Skeptic:** "This donut is just a brownie in a circle with crappy 'frosting', what are you trying to pull?" " **4. The Poet:** "I believe it was the dinner meal that caused this (Chicken and Dumplings), but it sounded like a flatulence symphony in my tent all night." **5. The Biographer:** "I have disliked cabbage since childhood." **6. The Drama Queen:** "Oh my god what were you thinking... don't give cabbage to a soldier ever again even POWs deserve better." **7. The Fortune Teller:** "The entree will only be eaten if you haven't eaten all day." **8. The PR Rep:** "Maybe change the name 'Chicken Loaf,' \[it\] scares me." **9. Pfc. Midwest Childhood:** "Put Ranch Dressing on everything! Airborne!" **10. The Guy Who's Wrong About Everything** "F\*ck hot sauce \[put\] gummy bears inside." **11. Sgt. WTF:** "Tabasco is good in your coffee." **12. Found the Sapper:** "Change the Ranger bar name to 'Sapper Bar'" **13. The Stream of Consciousness:** "5 Veg ravioli 'friggin' sucks. Spiced apple 'friggin' rock. Apple cinn. Pound cake taste like cheap perfume. (Friggin). Is chocoletto a foreign Name crap? Pizza anything friggin rocks! Gum is good." **14. Staff Sgt. TMI:** "This new menu has me using the latrine 3x a day." ![]() *The Post-MRE Experience we all know.* **15. Sgt. Maj. No Chance:** "Please bring back cigarettes." **16. Pvt. Ungrateful:** "Jerky is very, very good. How many years did it take to figure that out?" **17. Sgt. Missing the Point:** "The name should be fiesta breakfast party. That would be funny." **18. Sexual Healing**: "The vanilla pudding is so good I ripped it open, Licked the inside and rolled around on top of it like a dog. I prefer not to eat anything called loaf but in this case I made an exception... thank god I DID." **19. Tell me it caused stomach problems without telling me it caused stomach problems:** "Add baby wipes. More toilet paper." **20: "I want them to know it was me."** "The whole meal pretty much sucked balls. If the side dish were better as well, I might try eating it. Thank you sincerely PFC George Esquire." "What happened to the cheese? Where was the side dish? I dislike the coffee, pudding not bad. Wish I had more to eat, but its food so its ok I suppose. Thanks for the Twizzlers. Sincerely PFC George Esquire." **21: Anthony Bourdain:** "The breakfast enchilada was a bit spicy for my taste, but hey, that's just me. The granola with milk and blueberries was good, just a little small. Also, even in the harsh conditions of the field or combat, the way it turned my mouth blue flooded my mind with childhood memories and for a slight moment, I was at peace! Oh and there is one too many toasts in the title of the French toast, toaster pastry. Just call it a French Toast pastry." **22. We don't want to know.** "Oil was a great idea. Wink Wink." ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty **• **[6 rations troops are thankful the military discontinued]()**** **• **[Modern dishes anyone can make using Civil War foods]()**** **•** **[11 regional American foods we’d like to see in MREs]()** ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()