Some of our hooches had refrigerators, but most did not and they never had anything of interest in them anyway, except the occasional can of beer or soda. We'd assemble in what passed for our Day Room around a table and share cans of potted meat and crackers and PX-purchased beans-and-meat stews with built-in Sterno warmers as belly warmers before we tossed ourselves back into the bunks to face another day.
C- and K-rations had passed us by in other wars, LRRP's were occasionally available but rationed mostly for troops who spent their time in Indian Country. We were mostly garrison troops, working what amounted to day jobs in a combat zone but many of us spent time in the field as still and motion picture photographers. We were lucky enough to have a regularly working mess hall when we were at base. We ate a lot of fried rice.
Watching and reading about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I can't imagine what it's like for field troops there. The image at left shows what field rats are like for our soldiers these days. Click on it to see what's included.
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