May 23, 2006: American troops can finally get a hot cup of coffee in the combat zone. Over the last two decades, U.S. troops have lost the ability to cook their own food, including just preparing a cup of coffee. The World War II era "steel pot" helmet was great for boiling water (for coffee), and the aluminum mess kit could be used for cooking. The helmet was replaced with a Kevlar model, that gave better protection, but was unusable for cooking. The mess kit was replaced with MREs, and withdrawn from service because of the difficulty of providing cleaning facilities (to prevent dirty mess kits from spreading disease.) In the field, when there were portable kitchens, paper trays and plastic utensils were provided. There was still the metal canteen cup, but even that was disappearing, as rigid canteens were replaced with flexible ones. Preparing hot coffee, or any other hot beverage, using the canteen cup and heating tabs was messy and a hassle. Many troops, it turned out, just didn't bother. Fighting a war without coffee is one of things the troops would rather avoid.

So the army finally relented and provided a new system that is simple, convenient, and works. Troops mix instant coffee with water in a Hot Beverage Bag (HBB), then slide it into the flameless ration heater bags normally used to heat up meals. A chemical reaction within the ration bag heats the water in the HBB. After a few minutes, the coffee is hot and ready to drink. But not out of the bag, obviously. A foldable cardboard carton is used to protect the hands from the heat and, in effect, creates a coffee cup with a plastic liner.

While veterans are often nostalgic about the steel pot and mess kit, and warming up food over a campfire, in the combat zone this was often not possible. Such fires would draw unwanted attention from the enemy. The HBB/heater bag/cardboard carton combo works anywhere, anytime, and does not reveal your position to the enemy. The troops like it a lot, and it proved particularly popular in Afghanistan this past Winter. While it gets chilly in Iraq during the Winter, it gets downright freezing cold in Afghanistan. A hot cup of coffee, for guys standing guard at 4 AM, was much appreciated.