How Much Food is in an Urban US Armory?

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

... especially since as far as I know, only HM forces have boiling vessels in their AFVs...

I could've sworn that I someplace saw a mention that the newest update of the M1 Abrams included a BV.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Witchking

Best example is probably Grant.

Definitely OT, but Grant's rapid promotion had something to do with his levels of Talent (Born War Leader) and Luck.*


*Tell me that the events at Shiloh weren't Luck or Destiny - On the first day, when the Confederates were driving surprised Union troops before them, the Confederate General, Albert Sidney Johnson got hit in the leg. The wound seemed superficial but the ball actually nicked his femoral artery, and the bleeding was hidden because it ran down the inside of his trousers and collected in his boot. By the time Johnson realized that he was in trouble, he had bled out to the point that his wound was mortal. His death slowed the Confederate advance on the first day of Shiloh, allowing Union forces to regroup.

On the second day, as he was leading the reorganized and reinforced Federal Troops to drive away the Confederates, Grant also got hit in the leg by a minie ball. In his case, however, the damage was stopped because the ball hit his sword, breaking it in the process.

Shiloh made Grant's Reputation - both good and bad.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Definitely OT, but Grant's rapid promotion had something to do with his levels of Talent (Born War Leader) and Luck.*

%snip%

Shiloh made Grant's Reputation - both good and bad.

Also state of mind or attitude.

After getting hammered all day on Day One of Shiloh Sherman dreaded what Grant's state of mind might be, IIRC he was thinking of how to get his men out.

When he came across Grant in camp he found him calm and planning for what HE was going to do to the CSA. One conversation about that always stuck with me, Sherman '“Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day, haven’t we?” A determined Grant, his mind already made up, responded, “Yes, lick ’em to-morrow, though.”

Strong Will perhaps:

Sherman again

“But I tell you where he beats me, and where he beats the world. He don’t care a damn for what the enemy does out of his sight. . . . He uses such information as he has, according to his best judgment. He issues his orders and does his level best to carry them out without much reference to what is going on about him.”

After the battle of the Wilderness:

By the morning of May 7, the two armies were essentially where they had been at the start of the battle, 48 hours earlier. The Battle of the Wilderness ended inconclusively, though the Union Army suffered more than 17,500 casualties over the two days of fighting, some 7,000 more than the toll suffered by the Confederates. Despite the costly nature of the battle, Grant refused to order a retreat, having promised Lincoln that regardless of the outcome, he would not halt his army’s advance.

That night, exhausted Federal troops left their trenches and began marching south, toward the lower edge of the Wilderness. As Grant came riding to the head of the troops, the blue-coated soldiers slowly realized they were not in retreat (as had been assumed), and broke into wild cheering.

First time that any (and there were many) commander of the Army of the Potomac fought a major battle and after it...continued to advance.

About that simple. However as Carl von Clausewitz said “Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult”. Grant was willing to do difficult things.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

That article reminds me - flameless ration heaters ... if you're using them, how do you boil water for tea/coffee (or washing and shaving for that matter?) ... especially since as far as I know, only HM forces have boiling vessels in their AFVs...

I'd imagine the closest you can manage is to use one to heat some water up to a decent temperature and then mix some instant coffee into it. When my brother was in the USMC, he mentioned there were stories of some guys trying to use the water in the flameless heater itself to make coffee or the like... which would undoubtedly end poorly.

Speaking of things ending poorly, he also demonstrated what happens when you put Tabasco sauce into one of the things. As it turns out, aerosolized hot sauce isn't very pleasant to breathe in...

Allegedly, MRE's stopped having Tabasco sauce in them for a while in large part because of soldiers using this for pranks.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Varyon

I'd imagine the closest you can manage is to use one to heat some water up to a decent temperature and then mix some instant coffee into it. When my brother was in the USMC, he mentioned there were stories of some guys trying to use the water in the flameless heater itself to make coffee or the like... which would undoubtedly end poorly.

Probably at least a quite nasty flavor (it starts out as salt water and presumably winds up with dissolved or powdered magnesium oxide -- which is not super toxic, but can be toxic in large quantities and is a laxative in moderate quantities).

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Varyon

I'd imagine the closest you can manage is to use one to heat some water up to a decent temperature and then mix some instant coffee into it.

IIRC there have been instances of US servicemen just 'eating' the Instant Coffee Crystals. An unpleasant but somewhat effective stimulant I would guess.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Probably at least a quite nasty flavor (it starts out as salt water and presumably winds up with dissolved or powdered magnesium oxide -- which is not super toxic, but can be toxic in large quantities and is a laxative in moderate quantities).

Magnesium oxide is considered a workplace hazard starting at 15mg/m3 and there's about 375mg worth of magnesium in a flameless heater. Thankfully, it is very likely that most (or all) of it turns into magnesium hydroxide during the chemical reaction instead, which as you say is basically harmless to humans in those amounts.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Witchking

IIRC there have been instances of US servicemen just 'eating' the Instant Coffee Crystals. An unpleasant but somewhat effective stimulant I would guess.

Yeah, I could see that. I think a lot of soldiers also tend to abuse various weight-lifting / weight-loss supplements for a similar effect (I remember one of the characters in Generation Kill basically eating them like candy, and my brother - despite not being in a combat MOS - would often use them while going days with minimal to no sleep). Heck, back in WWII methamphetamines such as Pervitin were in official use in some armed forces.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by Varyon

Yeah, I could see that. I think a lot of soldiers also tend to abuse various weight-lifting / weight-loss supplements for a similar effect (I remember one of the characters in Generation Kill basically eating them like candy, and my brother - despite not being in a combat MOS - would often use them while going days with minimal to no sleep). Heck, back in WWII methamphetamines such as Pervitin were in official use in some armed forces.

I think our boys were mainly running on straight amphetamine - the crystal meth was a German thing...

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Well, at least if used according to the directions. MREs are flammable.

Well, you know your Sergeant Zim: "There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men." In the right hands, everything is a weapon. Naturally, MREs are flammable -- just in case.