As Napoleon put it, "an Army marches on its stomach," and this statement definitely applies to the United States Army of modern day. The backbone of any military are the men and women who make up the ranks, and what keeps them going on any given day anywhere around the world can make or break the fight.

The MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) is synonymous with a military meal, and the US military has produced and consumed millions of them since they were introduced in 1981. Service members often complain about the overall taste of the meals; however, given the tough job of nourishment in unforgiving conditions, the meals get the job done.

The Combat Feeding Directorate operates out of the Natick Soldier Systems Center and is under the command of the US Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM). Charged with total life cycle development and fielding of combat rations and field feeing systems, the Combat Feeding Directorate has a lot on its plate in serving up meals to the military. Combat feeding is a logistical challenge that faces all battlefield commanders and NCOs with units who are forward deployed outside of normal supply lanes. Solutions have been created within the Directorate from scratch to provide for those downrange.

Listen in on this podcast as Gerry Darsch, who serves as the Director of the US Department of Defense’ Combat Feeding Directorate, discusses the unique challenges his office faces in feeding the force.