XBradTC

For some reason, I’m obsessed with small unit rations and feeding. Mostly because I spent so much time eating the first generation MREs and not getting more than one or two hot meals in the field for weeks at a time.

Anyway, the current standard for small unit feeding is the KCLFF, or Kitchen, Company Level, Field Feeding.

But the Army is replacing this with the Assault Kitchen. First, take out whomever named it and beat them to death. The kitchen is not leading the charge.

Second, there are some pros and some cons to this “upgrade.”

First, the pros:

• Much improved burner unit.
• Smaller logistical footprint.
• Heat on the move capability
• Space for both AK and roughly four days rations on Humvee and trailer.
• Easy to operate and maintain.
• Ability to feed two hot meals per day.

Now the drawbacks.

• Only suitable for heating UGR-H&S (Unitized Group Rations- Heat & Serve)
• Not capable of preparing UGR-A and UGR-B (basically, fresh foods, and canned meals with some shelf stable items).
• While KCLFF is rated for only one hot meal per day, it too can prepare two UGR-H&S daily under most circumstances.
• Did I mention Assault Kitchen was a really stupid name?

UGR-H&S isn’t a bad feeding system, for the short term. But the inability to provide cooked fresh hot meals such as the UGR-A is a serious handicap if the supported company will be isolated for extended periods, such as deployed in a Combat Outpost in Afghanistan.