PHILDELPHIA –
Meals, ready to eat, provide a critical feature during disasters and unforeseen events for warfighters and other Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support customers around the globe.
As September, the peak of hurricane season and proclaimed U.S. National Preparedness Month, comes to a close, DLA Troop Support shines the spotlight on how MREs play a role in building a stronger and more resilient nation in the face of emergent disasters.
First and foremost, MREs are ordered by Troop Support subsistence branch customers through the Subsistence Total Order and Receipt Electronic System or FedMall.
When the intended use for such MREs are for emergencies, the customer inputs “emergency order” in the exception data section.
“Order frequency and quantities always vary depending on world events (hurricanes, fires, COVID-19, civil unrest, refugees, etc.),” said Stephen Priore, DLA Troop Support Subsistence supply chain Individual Rations branch chief. “My team maintains an ‘always ready’ approach so we can support any emergency order, regardless of when the requirements are needed.”
13,572 cases, approximately $2 million in value, of MREs were acquisitioned and delivered through DLA Troop Support to support fire disaster operations in this fiscal year alone.
Furthermore, 749,343 cases, approximately $88 million in value, of MREs were acquisitioned and delivered specifically due to COVID-19 since 2020.
MREs are used by the services and other customers to sustain individuals during operations that preclude organized food service facilities, such as a ship’s galley or a military installation’s dining facility.
In the event that a military dining facility is unable to operate or when individuals are unable to make their way to the facilities due to emergencies, the services may maintain MRE stock through Troop Support to ensure warfighters get fed.
“We track all types of emergency orders through a project code or our own spreadsheets internally,” Priore said.
To prepare for customer’s needs, Troop Support aims to always maintain a minimum MRE stock level.
“The Troop Support operational rations division has a 5 million MRE case stock level objective that we are constantly planning for,” Priore said. “So, if we were required to support a major disaster, we would coordinate with contracting and our vendors to ramp up production of MREs for the next contract so we can make up for stock that was depleted to support such emergencies.”
Most recently, Troop Support has fulfilled orders concerning wildfires and hurricanes across the continental United States or CONUS.
“There have been CONUS orders that needed to be expedited to reach their destinations within two to three days, therefore, a lot of communication is required with the depots, vendors, and transportation to get these orders done correctly and efficiently,” Priore said.