Thread: DIRT Broke: Troops 'survive on spam for up to 50 days'

Troops 'survive on spam for up to 50 days'

British soldiers serving in Afghanistan are being made to eat boil-in-the-bag rations or tinned Spam for up to 50 days in a row because of insufficient food supplies, the Conservatives claimed yesterday (Mon).

By Nick Collins
Published: 7:30AM BST 30 Mar 2010


British soldiers eat 'ready to eat' individual meal rations in Afghanistan Photo: GETTY

Lord Astor of Hever, the Conservative defence spokesman, said a lack of supply helicopters meant forward operating bases could sometimes be left for long periods without fresh food.

Speaking at question time in the House of Lords, he challenged the Government to give assurances that "everything possible" was being done to make sure supplies were reaching bases.

Related Articles
Britain at War: Evacuated to Western Australia
Afghanistan: father accuses Government of 'ignoring blood on its hands'
Afghanistan: 'We are fighting ghost soldiers'
Helmand: The more troops you use, the less you lose
British military in Afghanistan 'insufficiently resourced', says former commander
Richard Dannatt: Boots on ground key to victory in Afghanistan

He said: "On occasions soldiers and Royal Marines are having to make do with boil-in-the-bag ration packs or tinned spam, sometimes for up to 50 days, because of helicopter resupply shortages.

"What assurances can you give the House that everything possible is being done to ensure forward operation bases are resupplied with fresh food and what research is being done to bring our food rations in line with our allies, such as the Americans, who have self-heating meals?"

Lord Tunnicliffe, for the Government, said occasions when troops had to rely on boil-in-the-bag rations were "rare" and that the "superb" one-day food packs were "the envy of our allies".

He said: "Most forces are in forward operating basis of about 400 people. They will typically have chefs working with about 80 per cent fresh or dried food and about 20 per cent from 10-man ration packs.

"The armed forces feeding project is examining the actual food and energy intake – gender, ethnic and cultural difference are also being considered. This study is due to report at the end of the year."

Lord Astor told the Daily Telegraph he had been alerted to the situation through conversations with soldiers and marines, for whom food was one of the most common "gripes".

He said: "In the forward operating bases there was some concern about it.

"This has not happened a lot but there is an issue. Occasionally there is a shortage of helicopters so they are stuck with their packs.

"I have looked into it and I think it is being addressed. The food that they get is much better than it was."

Last month it was reported that Corporal Liam Francis, an army chef whose supply helicopter was shot down by the Taliban, had come up with an inventive menu to feed troops with nothing but Spam for six weeks.

In a situation reminiscent of a famous Monty Python sketch, Cpl Francis's cupboard was filled with nothing but hundreds of tins of Spam.

The chef managed to turn the tinned pork and ham into a variety of different dishes including sweet and sour Spam, Spam fritters, Spam carbonara, Spam stroganoff and stir fried Spam.

Despite his inventive menu, Cpl Francis accepted that "morale improved" when fresh supplies finally arrived at the base.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... -days.html

really pisses me off .... It's time to start the New Nuremburg War Crimes trials

this is what the Megalomaniac politicians are doing to our soldiers all in the name of oil pipelines to service the EU

Ask George Soros how much money he stands to make from Baku Pipelines

AirborneSapper7 wrote:

really pisses me off .... It's time to start the New Nuremburg War Crimes trials

this is what the Megalomaniac politicians are doing to our soldiers all in the name of oil pipelines to service the EU

Please, there are worse things that Spam and boiling bag meals.

There were times during my military career that I wish I'd had it so good.