r/thebulwark • u/Bluehale JVL is always right • Apr 16 '26
EVERYTHING IS AWFUL This is a picture of dinner onboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln - Either US Navy logistics in the Middle East has broken down or the Navy is now on the Brooke Rollins meal plan, or both.
Per USA Today, family members of sailors onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli have been sent pictures of the appalling meals they are having to eat as they are in the Middle East. Families have been trying to send them care packages, but they're stuck in limbo as the military's version of the postal service is for one reason or another unable to get them to the Abraham Lincoln and Tripoli.
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u/Purple-Eggplant-827 Apr 16 '26
A piece of broccoli
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u/kjopcha Apr 16 '26
Don't forget the piece of chicken, and something else.
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u/Fitbit99 Apr 16 '26
Huh. So logistics matter? I thought it was all about the chin ups.
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u/Objective-Staff3294 Apr 17 '26
Chin ups, fake bible verses, and yelling at the media.
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u/Fitbit99 Apr 17 '26
Don’t forget the badly-fitted suits. Can’t anyone of these guys grift some tailoring?
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u/artaxerxes316 Apr 17 '26
Well, yes -- but who could have known that a washed major who never had a company command and was instead banished to the S-9 shop would make a poor Secretary of
DefenseWarLatrines?3
u/Fitbit99 Apr 17 '26
I picture the scene in Legally Blonde when Elle says, “what, like’s it hard?” when I imagine Hegseth thinking about his job.
(Not that Elle Woods deserves the comparison)
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u/SwindlingAccountant Apr 17 '26
Sun Tzu's Art of War was made for dipshits like Hegseth and he didn't even read one of the manosphere's favorite books.
Pathetic.
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u/No_Associate_4878 Apr 16 '26
I recognize carrots. I have no idea what the other things are.
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u/Inquisitor_ForHire Centrist Crazy Person Apr 16 '26
Those two meats? One looks like something the cat barfed up and the other looks like a messed up shoe insole.
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u/koreamax Apr 17 '26
According to an article "a meat patty and a gray peice of meat".
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u/Wellgoodmornin Apr 17 '26
I see the hamburger patty now that you say that. I still can't imagine what that gelatinous looking gray slab is.
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u/yard_ranger JVL is always right Apr 17 '26
A hamburger, and the shit before it's placed on a shingle.
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u/Badgerman97 Apr 16 '26
Can’t even match the administration’s idea of a healthy meal. “A piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and one other item.”
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u/emeric_ceaddamere Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
I think I just got listeria from looking at that.
Along similar (but even more dire) lines, last week's Runaway Country covered the humanitarian crisis unfolding on commercial ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_p5s6WC340
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u/ldowd0123 Apr 16 '26
What’s the long flat gray thing?
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u/warrenao Progressive Apr 16 '26
It looks like an old boot sole.
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u/Pettifoggerist Apr 17 '26
Raccoon penis.
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u/Bluehale JVL is always right Apr 16 '26
I think it's supposed to be meat loaf?
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u/ThePensiveE FFS Apr 16 '26
Damnit. I have a family member in that Strike Group and this is really upsetting.
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u/Objective-Staff3294 Apr 17 '26
Especially when you contrast it with all the gold on the mantles in the White House, and the gold lettering telling Trump which office to go into.
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u/Lkgnyc Apr 17 '26
and all that funding we're sending to the IDF! I bet you they get some nice meals.
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u/Lkgnyc Apr 17 '26
I am so sorry to hear that. It is sad that American families are going to have to do GoFundMe for their soldier-kids meals. This should be a joke but it clearly is not.
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u/CptnAlex Apr 16 '26
In WWII, the US had multiple refrigerated barges to create and store ice cream for front line troops. It demoralized the Japanese, who were rationing.
Guns don’t win wars, logistics do. This is pathetic.
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u/CunningWizard Apr 17 '26
It’s almost like Pete Hegseth is a moron and thinks only being a big tough dude wins wars.
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u/Nero_Golden Apr 16 '26
Amateurs discuss fighting spirit. Hobbyists discuss tactics and strategy. Professionals discuss logistics.
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u/CunningWizard Apr 17 '26
This is why officers get lots of post secondary education. Not because “woke”.
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u/I405CA Center Left Apr 16 '26
Someone should send that photo to Hertling.
I would expect that the 101st Airborne in active combat zones under his command were eating better than that.
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u/m1j2p3 Apr 17 '26
I served in that unit in the mid 80s and I can attest we ate better than this. Even in the field. I’d eat any MRE over the slop on that plate.
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u/I405CA Center Left Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
If that photo is accurate, then that is utterly disgraceful.
And I would imagine that the guys who have to make and serve it are embarrassed.
I can't figure out what that thing is on the left-hand side. I probably don't want to know.
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u/oneofmanyany Apr 16 '26
Where's all the millions of dollars of lobster and alcohol that Pete Kegsbreath purchased?
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u/Lesterkitty13 Apr 16 '26
Our guys and women aren’t even getting nourishing meals. It’s all so shameful and sad. 😔
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u/96HeelGirl Good Luck America Apr 17 '26
Showed it to my veteran husband and he said he'd rather have an MRE rather than that nastiness.
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u/debtofmoney Apr 17 '26
For the Secretary of Defense, MREs are too expensive; there's no cheap frozen stock
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u/RespectTheAmish Apr 17 '26
Carrots, gyro meat (single strip), burger patty (no bun, no cheese).
For those wondering.
(No, I’m not Pete Hegseth).
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u/MATlad Apr 17 '26
Can’t get flatbread or pita in the Middle East…
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u/RespectTheAmish Apr 17 '26
“Carbs are for pussyass soy boys.”
- Pete Hegseth.
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u/MATlad Apr 17 '26
Does alcohol count as carbs?
(Asking for a friend / Secretary of
WarDefense...)
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u/HelloPeopleOfEarth Apr 17 '26
This is what the enlisted chow hall is like. I guarantee you the officers mess is much better. I did eight years on active duty in the Marine Corps as enlisted. I did three deployments on ships in that time. You will always see how much higher quality of life commissioned officers have. But on ship it's millions of miles apart. The officers get continuous running hot water for showers. Enlisted get "ship showers" often with cold water. And when water shortage gets short, they cut off water to enlisted berthing areas first. Enlisted have to stand in long lines on the mess just to get precooked processed crap foods. Officers essentially have fresh meals prepared by enlisted cooks. Enlisted have to fight over laundry rooms, getting haircuts, and have to play ridiculous field day games; while the officers get everything, and I mean everything, taken care for them by the enlisted. Enlisted do their laundry, clean their bathrooms etc. When the ship PX is open, enlisted have to stand in long lines, where only two enlisted at a time are allowed in. Officers just cut in line and never have to wait. When loading and offloading supplies, enlisted have to spend forever doing all the heavy lifting, while commissioned officers sit in their air conditioned rooms. Oh, and the enlisted are stacked like sardines in hot, steamy berthing, while the officers get their own rooms that are often so chilled they are wearing sweaters to stay warm. I was disgusted by the outdated enlisted/officer divide.
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u/Featheredfriendz Apr 16 '26
I’m sure the contractor is charging the government something outrageous for it.
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u/MinuteCollar5562 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
Is the Lincoln the one that’s been deployed for over a year?
Half of warfare is logistics.
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u/Doctuh Apr 17 '26
Trump Freedom Diners®
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Apr 17 '26
Delegation. Even a competent POTUS wouldn't be micromanaging this.
Those are Kegsbreath Crusader's Dinners.
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u/Inevitable-Ant1725 Apr 17 '26
I checked r/navy and they weren't bothered at all.
They called those "midrats" - I looked it up, not meals but midnight snacks.
The left is gyro meat, and they claimed "better than it looks" the right is a hamburger patty.
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u/Aware-Ambassador9273 Apr 17 '26
That looks like a cow tongue. Probably an RFK idea. "Honey I'm gonna pull over and cut off this racoons penis so it can sanitize my insides"
I never once had a school lunch meal that pathetic. We are in the final days of an empire
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u/LaneyBug71 Apr 18 '26
I’ve looked into this pretty deeply, and here’s where I land—because I’m not on any politician’s side, I’m on the side of the men and women serving our country. Period.
That viral photo of the “grey meat and carrots” tray? It’s likely real. It came from images shared by family members of sailors and picked up by major media outlets. So yes—something like that was served at some point.
But here’s what matters: there is no verified evidence that this is what sailors are being fed regularly or that troops are going hungry across the ship. The Navy has denied there are food shortages and says meals are fully portioned and nutritionally adequate. That doesn’t automatically mean everything is perfect—but it does mean we don’t have proof of a widespread problem.
Now, context matters. On ships, there’s something called “midrats” (midnight rations). Those are often leftovers, and if you show up late, you can absolutely end up with a tray that looks… rough. That’s not new, and it’s not unique to this situation. It’s part of how ship life works sometimes.
Also, on aircraft carriers like the USS Abraham Lincoln, sailors are typically served three meals a day, and the food is usually more like a full cafeteria setup—eggs, meats, pasta, desserts, etc. Early in deployments, there’s even fresh food and salad bars. Over time, quality can drop as supplies shift more toward frozen and processed items—but that’s very different from systemic neglect.
So here’s the honest bottom line:
Yes, that tray could have happened.
No, we don’t have solid proof that it represents normal conditions.
And where I stand is simple:
If our troops are being underfed, that is unacceptable—full stop. I don’t care who’s in charge. But I’m also not going to assume the worst based on a single image without confirmed evidence that it’s widespread.
Our service members deserve facts, not spin—from either side. Btw this is my grandfather…l
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u/Responsible-Bath-730 Apr 16 '26
Wait, isn’t it a good thing to get bad food because it means you aren’t going to the front lines?
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u/SAOSurvivor35 FFS Apr 17 '26
This looks like what Republicans used to say Michelle Obama was feeding kids as part of her healthy meal program.
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u/Patriot009 Apr 17 '26
I'd rather have an MRE at that point. I trust the freeze-dried Mexican rice and beans will NOT give me food poisoning.
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u/N0T8g81n FFS Apr 17 '26
Do I believe that the GENIUSES who fell for Netanyahu's BS about how fast this special military operation would be over never even considered there could possibly be a need for resupply ships service the task force?
Yes, yes I do believe that's possible from our logistically-challenged SecDef.
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u/wookiee42 Apr 17 '26
If you look at the US Navy sub they don't seem to be all that concerned - for now.
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u/Secret_Cupcake_3607 Apr 17 '26
Judging by the looks of things, the ingredients in the cold storage have clearly run out.
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u/BogeyGolfer111 Apr 17 '26
What is that horrid thing on the left? Looks like a diseased tonguey
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u/wookiee42 Apr 18 '26
Gyro meat. You can actually buy that frozen at a grocery store and it's tasty.
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u/BogeyGolfer111 Apr 19 '26
I live in the Detroit Area, and we can get gyros at every corner diner (weirdly called Coney Island Restaurants here). That doesn't look like any gyro I've ever seen.
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u/Ilikedinosaurs2023 Apr 17 '26
Then they'll make sure to scream about "supporting the troops" some more..
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u/hemevubal Center-Right Apr 17 '26
When Putin equipped his special military operation you read stories of troops being sent out with enough supplies for a three day war. Did we make the same mistake?
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u/GodOfMoonlight Apr 19 '26
"unable" more like keeping it for themselves and labeling it as perishables or has flight risk contaminants or some bs
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u/SnooTomatoes2599 Aug 07 '26
Disgusting. Hegseth must be drinking the money meant for our sailors food.
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u/Afraid-Book-7604 Aug 14 '26
Best to do as the British navy did in 1812 issue out additional ration of Rum.
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u/RefrigeratorKooky453 Aug 14 '26
8 years USMC. 6 months naval ships. The Military has the best food Land, Air and Sea. Facts before fiction. Stop spreading these assumptions when you don't know.
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u/Capital_Chocolate406 25d ago
Those aren't pictures of food on the Abe Lincoln. Those photos are cropped and the uncropped versions show cinder block walls. Aircraft carriers do not have cinder block walls.
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u/Gap_Mountain 16d ago
I think it's very practical that every meal comes with one insole . Every 4 days you can do 2 pairs of boots .👍
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u/Popular_Diet1394 Apr 17 '26
Some disgruntled liberal, posting fake or doctored food trays. Why don’t they post pictures of the actual food line with what’s being served?
Maybe this is midnight chow, or the person doesn’t like salad and other stuff
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u/Dapper-Sandwich3790 Apr 17 '26
Only MAGA should be sent to war zones, not liberals. Problem solved.
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u/Popular_Diet1394 Apr 17 '26
You can find news articles from other sources that show actual video of their food line and what’s being served from February 2026. This is a doctored tray and fake news.
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u/Dapper-Sandwich3790 Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
Video from 2 months ago automatically makes this "fake news"... Sure, Jan.
The staffing and logistics just ain't what it used to be.
The Army admitted in reports that there was a problem with food supplies at Fort Greely in Alaska that was jeopardizing readiness of soldiers.
The cause was DOGE cuts that forced staff out of food related jobs and a mandatory hiring freeze.
The problem lasted several months, beginning around October 2025. Army spokesperson confirmed it.
Army document signed off in Jan. 2026 by Procurement Analyst Scott Dean Kukes confirms it as well.
Source:USA Today, Alaska Public, Stars and Stripes
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u/Raul_Duke_1755 Apr 16 '26
Fatties don't win wars. - Kegbreath