Pentagon Says New Supplier For Kosher MREs Will Be Found

According to a JTA report earlier this week, the Pentagon says it is committed to supporting the religious dietary requirements of service members. The statement comes after Agudath Israel of America complained to  the top military chaplain that a solicitation by the Defense Logistics Agency last April for bids to cover halal and kosher MREs (meals ready-to-eat) was reissued last month to cover only halal MREs. The Defense Department acknowledges it was unsuccessful in obtaining bids for kosher MREs, but says it has issued a new solicitation and expects to select a supplier by April. Meanwhile it has sufficient kosher MREs on hand to meet the needs of Jewish members of the military deployed to the Central Command region (which includes the Middle East and Afghanistan).