WASHINGTON, DC - Boot Camp just got a little bit harder.
Military officials announced that Basic Training dining facilities will stop adding saltpeter to their meals, as part of sweeping efforts to reduce dangerous substances in troops' diets.
The switch to saltpeter-free food is scheduled for March 1.
Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, is an ionic salt added to rocket propellants, fireworks, and fertilizer. In the military, it has been used for centuries as a food additive that suppresses libido.
"Saltpeter's job is to keep erections down, but we determined that any benefits were outweighed by its potential to cause cancer, glandular issues, and disorders of the reproductive system," said Col. Germaine Thompson, a public health researcher at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The practice of adding saltpeter to troops' food began during the Revolutionary War, according to Michael Blackstone, military historian and author of the bestselling Guns, Germs, and Whores.
"If you look at some paintings from the time, you'll see evidence of raging, uncontrollable erections," Blackstone said. "There's one depiction of a visibly disgusted General Washington inspecting his ranks and noticing the bulges."
"That's about the time when the Continental Army decided it needed to do something," Blackstone added.
Saltpeter was originally added to all troops' food, but after the Korean War, the practice was limited only to basic training dining facilities.
Some groups have criticized the Pentagon for the upcoming change, claiming that it stems from the recent decision to allow homosexuals to serve in the military.
