SAF Combat Rations
“You will not find it difficult to prove that battles, campaigns, and even wars have been won or lost primarily because of logistics.” – General Dwight D. Eisenhower, USA
Great military tacticians and leaders in history have also echoed similar sentiments as Eisenhower. While men, material, and weapons are important, logistics and specifically food form the backbone of a successful military. This #FoodieFriday, a week after celebrating SAF Day, we feature our very own SAF combat rations!
Indeed, a central part of the SAF / NS experience are the meals that our combat servicemen and servicewomen most commonly eat out in the field.
Small and light enough to be carried in a field pack without taking up too much space. Each 24-hour ration pack comprises two packets of meals, dessert, and an assortment of snacks and sweets weighing at only 1.6kg. They are also extremely calorie-dense, with each pack containing more than 3,000 calories, providing the necessary nutrition and energy for soldiers during training or in field operations.
Love it or hate it (or simply both), these rations are packed with flavour, so much so that according to a pair of food reviewers from the UK, the SAF rations ranked the 2nd taste-wise, only losing out the top spot to the French’s.
And while these rations can be consumed on their own, many soldiers throughout the years have concocted various ways to elevate their meal experience in the field. One of the more accessible ‘hacks’ involves cooking the ration in a mess tin for a piping hot meal. Some take it further by turning into creative ‘gourmet chefs’ in the field, adding all kinds of seasonings (such as maggi curry powder) and ingredients into their cooked rations for an exquisite outdoor ‘dining experience’.
What’s your favourite combat ration? Share with us in the comments below!
#FoodieFriday #FoodieFridaySG #Singapore #SAF #combatrations