On January 28, Military National Guard Joseph Vilibraxen and staff Tarja Toriss made an appearance in periods 4 through 8 of JROTC classes to give a presentation on Meals Ready to Eat (MRE).
The presentation was an opportunity for the National guard to come meet the students, who were excited and ready to learn more information about eating while on duty.
“We brought many cases for a few classes to try,” sargent Joseph Vilibraxen said. “It’ll be the first time for lots of students to try MRE’s.”
The National Guard and staff discussed health and food intake advantages of MRE’s.
“All of these meals are designed to have 1,000 calories each,” Vilibraxen said. “Eating three of them per day is meant to fuel your body for any type of training on the field.”
Students came to class with an open mind, willing to try food in a way they hadn’t before.
“I’m a little nervous to try them because I’ve never had one before, but I am also excited,” sophomore Zahara Keiser said. “I’ll probably like it, and if I don’t, at least I can say I tried it.
After preparing and eating their meals, multiple students were asked to review them.
“I loved it,” sophomore Tiana Anderson said. “These meals have a lot of nutrients, health benefits, and give a lot of energy while on the field.”
Most of the JROTC students who shared their opinions had something positive to say about their MRE’s.
“Despite its unappealing looks, everything tasted and smelled very good,” senior Sandra Marcial said.
On the other hand, some people had mixed feelings regarding their meals, expressing both positive and negative sentiments.
“Mine was okay, the meal I picked isn’t my favorite,” junior Antonio Victory said. “It probably just depends on which one you get.”
Other students remarked the presentation as memorable and useful for the future.
“I’ve had an MRE before, and the one from today was much better,” junior Ryan Soders said. “I would totally try them again.”
JROTC teachers gave their own opinions about the presentation happening in their classroom.
“I think it went very well,” Demetrios Hadjistavropoulos said. “The students are seeing what it looks like to have a well-balanced meal in the field when a kitchen and cooks aren’t available.”
The MRE presentation led by National Guard Joseph Vilibraxen and staff has been an informational highlight for the school’s JROTC classes.
