Do U.S. Soldiers Drink Too Many Energy Drinks?

Spc. Kyle Lauth, of Calverton, N.Y., sips an energy drink in preparation for a dismounted patrol through the Hussaniyah town of the Istaqlal Qada, Dec. 29, 2008. U.S. Army photo

Task & Purpose: DoD Health Experts Want Troops To Cut Back On Energy Drinks

Recent research shows nearly 45% of deployed service members consumed at least one energy drink daily.

Editor’s Note: This article by Matthew Cox originally appeared on Military.com, the premier source of information for the military and veteran community.

U.S. military health officials are warning service members that chugging too many energy drinks can have harmful side effects.

Energy drinks come in small containers and extra-large cans with labels that promise increased energy and performance.

They became the beverage of choice over water for many service members during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Walter Reed Army Institute of Research analyzed data collected during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010 and found that nearly 45 percent of deployed service members consumed at least one energy drink daily. Nearly 14 percent reported drinking three or more per day.

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More News On Concerns That U.S. Soldiers Drink Too Many Energy Drinks

Army warns of new threat: Energy drinks -- CNN
Department of Defense Urges Soldiers To Stop With The Energy Drinks -- Vocativ
Nearly Half Of Deployed US Soldiers Drink 1 Energy Drink Per Day: Why This Is Bad For Military Performance -- Tech Times
Mainstream media patronizes us about energy drinks, service members still dying from real problems -- SOFREP

The U.S. Soldier's Energy Drink Of Choice

Van Winkle's: How the U.S. Military Got Hooked on an Energy Drink You’ve Never Heard Of

One can of Rip It shuttles roughly 100mg of caffeine into someone's system. It's cheap, effective and, if you're in the military, as essential as ammunition.

United States Army Ranger Shane Snell held the chunky aluminum can in his hand and took a deep breath. In the course of 30 minutes, he had downed five 8-ounce servings of Rip It, a military-approved energy drink that was infamous for causing a variety of unpleasant side effects when consumed in excess. This would be can number six. It took him ten minutes to finish it.

In the boredom arising out of a cool night in Ramadi, Iraq, this was a “Case Race,” or an attempt to down as many of the cans in a 24-pack as he and his squadron possibly could. When no one was interested, he and a friend took it upon themselves. By the time he slammed down a seventh, his sergeant burst in and told him to get moving.

“I knew this had been a bad idea,” Snell recalls.

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WNU Editor: Tried it once .... my system did not like it.

An Energy Drink For Soldiers

Marine Major Creates Military Inspired Energy Shot on the Battle Field -- ABC News

ABC News’ Producer Angel Canales and Editor Arthur Niemynski report:

ANNAPOLIS, Md.–When decorated combat veteran Maj. Rob Dyer was on tour in Afghanistan, his troops sometimes struggled to recover from arduous missions that required them to stay alert for long hours.

Dyer saw the need for something that could help the troops back up to speed without any negative side effects. His focus became to create an energy drink geared for special operations in the field to energize the troops. “We knew that whatever nutrition supplements we wanted to create, they needed to fit everybody else’s needs and not just troops,” he says. And that’s how he created RuckPack, a power-packed, caffeine-free vitamin dietary supplement.

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My Comment: Talk about smart marketing.

Caffeine-Charged Energy Drinks Are Popular Drinks In Afghanistan

Report: Energy-Drinking Troops Experience Sleepiness On The Job -- Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON - U.S. service members in Afghanistan battle zones who consumed three or more caffeine-charged energy drinks a day were prone to sleepiness and dozing off while on guard duty, according to a report.

Forty five percent of the service members in Afghanistan combat areas in 2010 consumed energy drinks daily, some of which contain the caffeine equivalent of one to three cups of coffee, the study said. The finding was published Thursday in the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report.

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My Comment: Fighting a war is not a nine to five job. Staying awake and alert is a must .... if caffeinated drinks/drugs can accomplish this .... there will be a demand for it.