"military" news and stories

Here's an agricultural trend we can all get behind. Combat veterans are making the transition to civilian life by way of farming, reports Cooking Up A Story. Even better, they're not being asked to hoe that row on their own. Groups like California's Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training program; Nebraska's Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots program and the California-based Farmer Veteran Coalition are providing training, funding and support to get veterans back on the land that they fought to protect.

"This is an excellent path for veterans," says Weldon Sleight, dean of University of Nebraska's College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA). "There are huge numbers of veterans that come from rural communities -- 17 percent of the U.S. population is rural, yet 45 percent of the military come from those communities."

The problem, he says, is that there are few economic opportunities in rural America, and many veterans end up in urban cities.

"They don't know how to go home, so we teach them that," said Sleight.

Perhaps even more crucial to proper U.S. military training than learning how to shoot an M107, is learning how to fuel a body in order to be able to run with an M107. And the typical greasy grub and soda fountains at training camps aren't cutting it -- not to mention the candy bars oft-mistaken as sufficient energy boosters.

So a new system is entering the mess hall, adding more produce, whole grains, yogurt and granola, where sugary cereals and sausage-gravy topped biscuits once ruled the fort. Though these less-healthy standbys are still available, "color-coded labels point the way to healthy items, and drill sergeants stand watch over the chow line, calling out soldiers who don't put enough fruit on their plates" and making sure they hydrate with enough water after stacking their trays with two cups of coffee, reports the Associated Press.

MREs -- those infamous "Meals Ready to Eat" packets taken onto the field -- may also see an update. A typical pack now contains an entrée of spaghetti or beef stew; a side of rice or mashed potatoes; crackers; cheese or peanut butter spread; a dessert of cookies or pound cake; candies like Skittles or Tootsie Rolls (a standard since World War II, in fact, for its non-melting qualities); and beverage mixes like Gatorade or coffee. On average, these run 1,250 calories (13% protein, 36% fat, 51% carbohydrates), states MREinfo.com. So perhaps more pressure-packed whole grains and veggies are in the future?

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and a whole slew of restaurant chains are getting into the spirit by offering free deals to both active duty and retired military personnel. And to show our own appreciation, here's a roundup of some of the best offers out there. (Just remember to take along your military ID or some proof of service to avoid any hassle.) And for more free deals for veterans, visit our sister site, WalletPop.

Krispy Kreme: Free doughnut of choice.

Hy-Vee: The Midwest supermarket chain is offering a free hot breakfast at all locations with in-store dining, including scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrown casserole and biscuits and gravy.

Subway: Free 6-inch sub (at participating locations). See more deals after the jump.

Upshot Energy drink is more and less than most other energy drinks. More in that it is "2 ½ times stronger than canned energy sodas", less because it comes in a small, "2.5-oz. energy shot." Just pop open the container and chug it down in one small gulp. You may have seen it for sale in gas stations, truck stops, and 7-Eleven where it has become popular with long distance drivers and truckers who need more than just the quick fix of a cup of coffee. Now, Teen People Magazine's "Trendspotters" says it is one of the top trend setting products for 2007.

They have a new product to their line, a camouflage style bottle "Formulated in accordance with research commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense... and has been scientifically engineered as a perfect dose of energy." The small bottle was chosen because soldiers must travel light, and due to military feedback the silver cap used on retail products will be replaced with a non-reflective black cap so it can't compromise a soldier's position in the field.

Source

Chocolate bars designed to stand up to hot climates are nothing new. There's actually a Wikipedia page about the U.S. Military's attempts to create heat resistant sweets. However, Nigerian food scientists have apparently made some progress in creating non-melting chocolate, according to a recent LiveScience article. Cornstarch is apparently what keeps this new blend from melting. This new chocolate is also supposed to be a lot more pleasing to the palate than other earlier attempts, some of which tasted "little better than a boiled potato."

One of the other recent attempts at heat-resistant chocolate was the Desert Bar that was distributed to U.S. troops during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. From what I've read, these bars were never released commercially, but I swear I remember Hershey selling some sort of non-melting chocolate bar in the 80s or 90s. Anybody else?

[Via Whitley Strieber's Unknown Country]