The new Army chow

Ever wonder what soldiers in Iraq are eating? I called the military press office in Baghdad to ask—and got sent to Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), which serves more than 360,000 patrons daily at 59 “in-theater food-services and dining facilities” in Iraq, said Marisol Espinosa, a public-relations representative at KBR’s Kuwait office. Her description makes military chow sound like a deluxe college cafeteria—at least for those in camp. (KBR doesn’t provide meals-ready-to-eat, so no word on whether soldiers in the field get fajitas and buffalo wings, too.)

“Lunch and dinner generally involve both short-order selections and a set menu. Short-order choices include hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, egg rolls, tacos, buffalo wings, cold-cut sandwiches, baked beans, French fries, onion rings, chips and pretzels, salad bar, potato bar, pizza bar, assorted breads and ice-cream bars. Set menus … might include cream of mushroom soup, baked fish, beef fajitas, chicken cordon bleu and spaghetti, along with steamed broccoli, rice pilaf, mashed potatoes and vegetable stir-fry.”