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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 123 · Wednesday, 14 October 2026

Veterans

Vetbro apparel company pivots from stupid shirts to aggressively homoerotic ones

AI deemed ‘too smart’ to replace infantry

Hegseth opens up new TradWife MOS

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Vol. 15 · No. 123

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Vol. 15 · No. 123 · Deployed worldwide

Wednesday

14 October 2026

0339 Zulu

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· Page 2

Soldier gets best MRE in box without cheating

Mmm hmm, sure he did.

Filed · 0959

FORT BLISS, Texas — Heroes don’t always wear capes. That’s certainly the case for Pfc. Carlos Ramirez, a soldier with the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. During a recent field training exercise, or FTX, Ramirez accomplished an incredible feat: scoring the best MRE in the box without cheating.

“I never thought this could happen to me!’ said Ramirez, a native of Tucson, Arizona. “I just reached in and grabbed one since my sergeant was watching. Next thing you know…I’m like the platoon hero!”

Inexplicably, Ramirez achieved the impossible. He selected a Chili Mac MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) without going through the usual methods of peaking, trading, or browsing.

His accomplishment was witnessed by his Team Leader, Sgt. Fredrick Hauk.

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