Combat Rations.
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I miss the Cadbury Dairy Milk, Fruit & Nut and WholeNut chocolate where the new rations dun come with. Look at the JAM back than and now... now is so much smaller ie lesser.
They have been called Operations Rations;Combat Rations; or Field Rations;, but all three terms would conjure up the same image to our veterans of the past - green packets of hard biscuits, stout cans of beans and a brown box plainly labelled jam;. These were the food supplies for soldiers when they went for outfield training, food that could be eaten quickly while still providing the energy needed for a soldier hungry after a gruelling days work.
1968: WHEN RATIONING BEGAN
Rations were first introduced into the Army in 1968, consisting of dehydrated meals and enough to last a soldier a day. It is not documented what exactly the rations were at that time, but reports showed that the soldiers did not generally find the food palatable. Improvements were steadily made and when the revised rations were introduced in 1970, they were reported to receive better acceptance.
1975: THE WEALTH OF RATIONS
Rations had to be eaten fast while soldiers were on the move, and they soon earned the nickname of fast food. There were two different types of rations: conventional type rations and lightweight type rations meant to be eaten on the go. Furthermore, there were different menus to cater to Muslim and vegetarian diets.
For all the ration types, the staple was twelve packs of hardtack biscuits that provided 65% of the total energy yield for a soldier. Soldiers found various ways to eat the biscuits - with pineapple jam, or broken into pieces, soaked in lemonade and eaten as porridge. Canned food was the main source of protein, with baked beans, sardines, pork cubes, braised chicken and vegetarian food on the menu. The meals were supplemented by chocolate, sweets and vitamin tablets to round off the nutrition a soldier needed for a day.
1994: ACQUIRING A LOCAL FLAVOUR
1993 saw more research and studies done for a review of combat rations with the rapid advancement in technology and the changing needs of soldiers on the modern battlefield. Feedback from soldiers was also taken into consideration.
The main issue was having hardtack biscuits as the staple food, with complaints about the dryness of the biscuits as well as the need to consume a large quantity of biscuits to meet a soldiers dietary requirement. With the food mostly having to be eaten cold, food items like sardines and baked beans proved unpopular. Added to this was the need to provide a greater quantity and variety of food, based on feedback from soldiers that the daily food supply was insufficient and the menus repetitive.
The new rations were thus adjusted, and while still small, light and portable, they offered improved nutrition, variety and taste to satisfy soldiers. The menus now catered to an Asian palate with rice as the staple, and also included drinks and a dessert to round off the meal. There was even a supply of solid fuel, matches and tissue paper.
Today, soldiers can enjoy dishes such as Nonya curry rice and seafood pasta, with red bean or soya peanut dessert, supplemented by energy food bars and instant drink mixes. To continually improve the variety, Singapore Food Industries and HQ Supply & Technology are coming up with new dishes every year while still ensuring adequate taste and nutritional value of the food. Currently, in the works are dhal rice with chicken, oriental seafood noodles and chilli flake glutinous rice.
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So was there any variety in the rations ? Especially for the canned food ? like 2 cans of braised chicken, 2 cans of pork cubes, 1 can of curry chicken for 6 days outfield etc ??? or u get 6 cans of pork cubes ?
Not too sure which JAM packets you are refering to..but the current rations i ate back in 2001 didn't have any Jam packets even.. -
Whoa, that brings back some seriously bad memories!
I've had plenty of meals that came out of me as diarrhoea, but the SAF's pork was the only food I've come across that was diarrhoea even before you ate it.
The SOP during my day was to dump everything except for the chocolate, jam and lemonade, and bring instant noodles and Campbell's soup along. Hell, if you took a tetra pack of UHT milk along, you could have New England Clam Chowder in the middle of a firefight. -
Woah - not seen this for some time. I liked the chocolates, jam, lemonade and the hardtacks. Sometimes we give them out to kids during overseas training in Thailand and Taiwan. (The kids really like them)
Normally - I would bring my own rations - bread for the first days, than small canned hotdogs, a cocktail fruits, etc. My buddy just loved the canned fruits I bring on exercises. Also, had instant noodles with me.
I remembered some guys on exercise in Thailand were too lazy to open the can of pork cubes - they just threw the can into a fire they built. Minutes later, the whole can exploded - pork cubes everywhere. -
hardtack, pineapple jam, lemonade,canned food baked beans, sardines, pork cubes, braised chicken and vegetarian on the menu. supplemented by chocolate, sweets and vitamin tablets.
how one prepare a meal on the move.
hardtack will be the most eaten on the move. to add more taste to it. wat i do is take 2 and in between put 2 cube of chocolate and press on it and wala... chocolate hardtack.
sardines will be whipped like whipped potato in KFC and add in lemonade... i dun like that taste at all.
for those who like chewing gum back than, pork cubes is the one.
all canned food... braised chicken is the best and chinese get to have it oni in Temburong.
for vegetarian, they got lohan zai and it nice too.
btw, the very 1st few new ration do come with JAM that look like those in McD breakfast. -
the chicken was pure puke, throw away the sardines, beans make you fart until your buddy cannot take it anymore
and do you remember when you try to take a shit back at camp after having the hardtak?
awful memories man, i dumped those things pronto! all i bring is cans of fruits whereby you get a refreshing sensation even drinking the syrup from it -
wah, better than mi meals leh
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Originally posted by Xprobe:the chicken was pure puke, throw away the sardines, beans make you fart until your buddy cannot take it anymore
and do you remember when you try to take a shit back at camp after having the hardtak?
awful memories man, i dumped those things pronto! all i bring is cans of fruits whereby you get a refreshing sensation even drinking the syrup from it
always eat those canned food when you are at the hungriest time... chicken cook in/with porridge is best... manage to do that in TEMBURONG, rice get from the local.
ya... long Q back in camp toilet... everyone had a hard time getting the hardtack out... in hard long stick form. hard time flush away oso... -
Present Combat rations still not really good leh...I tasted some at SFI factory...find some of them yucky...
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all Combat rations will never taste good...
1. it not heat up.
2. it pre cook.
3. it always near expiry date than give to us.
4. and you are out field and had lost you appetite. -
Now the Combat Rations taste nice but if you eat a lot, you will feel sicked of it and don't want to eat it anymore. By the way, the desserts like soya peanuts soup etc are nicer than the chicken rice and etc.
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my friend teach me say wait for the chocolate melt (in the afternoon) then you dip with the hard biscuit taste nice,i never try.anyone try before?
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read those in red... btw day one in field will not get your chocolate melt.Originally posted by NAMELESS WONDER:my friend teach me say wait for the chocolate melt (in the afternoon) then you dip with the hard biscuit taste nice,i never try.anyone try before?Originally posted by Joshua1975:hardtack, pineapple jam, lemonade,canned food baked beans, sardines, pork cubes, braised chicken and vegetarian on the menu. supplemented by chocolate, sweets and vitamin tablets.
how one prepare a meal on the move.
hardtack will be the most eaten on the move. to add more taste to it. wat i do is take 2 and in between put 2 cube of chocolate and press on it and wala... chocolate hardtack.
sardines will be whipped like whipped potato in KFC and add in lemonade... i dun like that taste at all.
for those who like chewing gum back than, pork cubes is the one.
all canned food... braised chicken is the best and chinese get to have it oni in Temburong.
for vegetarian, they got lohan zai and it nice too.
btw, the very 1st few new ration do come with JAM that look like those in McD breakfast. -
pai say pai say
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anyway... did anyone read what is print on the green pack hardtack packets not....
it say
KONG GUAN.
my grandma like it a lot... make her think back WWII -
Yeah, that's why we used to say that the KGB was alive and well in the SAF.Originally posted by Joshua1975:anyway... did anyone read what is print on the green pack hardtack packets not....
it say
KONG GUAN.
my grandma like it a lot... make her think back WWII -
what innovative ways of preparing / mixing combat rations do you guys have, either amongst the combat rations, or between combat rations and outside food?
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my contraband rations when i go for exercise:
1. Gardinier bread - just eat like that also shiok, but must finish fast fast due to take too much space in pack and if ganna rain will be soggy and yucks
2. Maggie mee - cook in mess tin with one piece of solid fuel. put 1 pack inside mess tin to save space
3. Canned sausage (with pry off lid, tulip brand) - just boil it, super shiok.
4. few cans of peaches, cocktails and pineapples - for variety
5. One carton of Marlboro small pack - keep them fresh!
6. for kicks, one can of pacific clams + a few dashes of lemon juice - sometimes eat with maggie mee, super duper shiok -
all that sounds very heavy.Originally posted by Xprobe:
my contraband rations when i go for exercise:
1. Gardinier bread - just eat like that also shiok, but must finish fast fast due to take too much space in pack and if ganna rain will be soggy and yucks
2. Maggie mee - cook in mess tin with one piece of solid fuel. put 1 pack inside mess tin to save space
3. Canned sausage (with pry off lid, tulip brand) - just boil it, super shiok.
4. few cans of peaches, cocktails and pineapples - for variety
5. One carton of Marlboro small pack - keep them fresh!
6. for kicks, one can of pacific clams + a few dashes of lemon juice - sometimes eat with maggie mee, super duper shiok -
Oh I brought in Campbell's Chunky Clam Chowder
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i had a PC who bring canned spaghetti and corn beef to field.
how he prepare it?
he will dent the can and put the whole can in the fire.... once the can bloated means it cooked(anyway it cooked, just make warm that all) and open up(it hot) put in mass tin and mix/stirred well with corn beef and wala...
well it a 4 person share (large can)... he himself, runner. medic and of course me.
i always bring longang, lychee or mix fruit can (cocktails).
ya, i always have fun size chocolate bar. but that is for my man on the move. for me to count man...
if 1 or 2 bar still with me after last man passby me... hey hey... someone sleeping somewhere behind. and for the chocolate, not many want to miss it and of course no one want to sleep in camp for 3 weekends. -
SAF Compo Ration - Gourmet's Guide
1. Chicken Rice ala Field Camp.
Cook plain rice with the water replaced by SAF canned Braised Chicken soup & oil. When rice is cooked, add the rest of the chicken. Yummy chicken rice in the field. Better than Loy Kee ...
2. Hard Tack Porridge
SAF Rangers love this. Tear open one side of the green hard tack packet. Pour water from water bottle (Its been noted that water directly tap destroys the taste. Must be direct from water bottle.) Use spoon to crush the softened hard tack and finally add Pineapple Jam. Heavenly and good to share with your buddy. Beware, very addictive. Wild Boars love this
- tribute to Willie.
3. Chilli Padi Sardine Surprise
Step one, collect chilli padi while patrolling in Kanchanaburi training area. Step 2, use jack knife to slice chilli padi into strips. Step 3 mix chilli padi into sardine can. Va Va Voooooom! Add lemonade powder-mix to taste.
4. Chocolate Bar
No recipe here. This is the first thing you confiscate from enemy when overrunning objective. All I remember is "Psst, can you give me 1 map square"...LOL
Anyway, those after '95 won't know what the hell I'm talking about. Enjoy! -
Originally posted by hardyhall:
hmm i think the tradition of pouringwater into the biscuits been carried in to the 21st century
[b]SAF Compo Ration - Gourmet's Guide
1. Chicken Rice ala Field Camp.
Cook plain rice with the water replaced by SAF canned Braised Chicken soup & oil. When rice is cooked, add the rest of the chicken. Yummy chicken rice in the field. Better than Loy Kee ...
2. Hard Tack Porridge
SAF Rangers love this. Tear open one side of the green hard tack packet. Pour water from water bottle (Its been noted that water directly tap destroys the taste. Must be direct from water bottle.) Use spoon to crush the softened hard tack and finally add Pineapple Jam. Heavenly and good to share with your buddy. Beware, very addictive. Wild Boars love this - tribute to Willie.
3. Chilli Padi Sardine Surprise
Step one, collect chilli padi while patrolling in Kanchanaburi training area. Step 2, use jack knife to slice chilli padi into strips. Step 3 mix chilli padi into sardine can. Va Va Voooooom! Add lemonade powder-mix to taste.
4. Chocolate Bar
No recipe here. This is the first thing you confiscate from enemy when overrunning objective. All I remember is "Psst, can you give me 1 map square"...LOL
Anyway, those after '95 won't know what the hell I'm talking about. Enjoy!
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. most ppl still pour water into the chocolate or vanilla biscuits to soften up the biscuits for makan when on the move or the ration sucks.
anyone seen the french combat rations ? http://www.mreinfo.com/france.html the french can really eat in style man.wonder do they have escargots for the generals ?
Anyone tried the US MREs ? looking at the size of the ration, the tabaso sauce and the skittles that comes with it ..its more like a fun pack of out NDP man ... -
no full pack mah...i ar-ga-liao with medics, they let me shower at the medical center, so no need the other standard full pack stuff OR go back with CSM to collect more stores on RoverOriginally posted by quivalen:all that sounds very heavy. -
thanks to the combat rations, i lost quite a lot of weight during my fireld camp.