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Damir Sagolj / Reuters
A U.S. Marine drinks the blood of a cobra during a jungle survival exercise with the Thai Navy as part of the "Cobra Gold 2013" joint military exercise, at a military base in Chon Buri province, Thailand.
These beastly feasts exist somewhere between the hard edge of gunpoint diplomacy and the soft belly of “Man v. Food.”
In Thailand, some Americans recently munched jungle grubs and guzzled snake blood alongside Thai military members. In Afghanistan, 13 U.S. men were invited by locals to slice the throats of goats, and they later reciprocated by offering steaming bowls of their own exotic fare: Ramen noodles.
The common denominator: The U.S. Marine Corps.
“We’re bred from the beginning to do what it takes to become one with the local populace and win over their trust,” said former Marine Sgt. Thomas Brennan.
In 2010, while serving with a dozen other Marines and seven Afghan National Police members in the Musa Qala district, town members politely asked one of Brennan’s men to kill a goat — part of a sacred custom on a Muslim holiday. The Marine complied, spilling fresh blood on the street as nearby Afghani men chanted Muslim prayers. Later, the entire group shared cooked goat meat inside a small dwelling.
“We were more than willing to be part of their culture because we had that team mentality that we needed to develop” with the Afghan National Police, Brennan said. “From there on out, we shared more dinners with them.”
The same ethic led a group of Marines late last month to kill king cobras and drink the snakes’ blood in a Thai jungle as members of the Royal Thai Marines cheered. The event was part of an annual joint training exercise called Cobra Gold that teaches jungle-survival skills and other field exercises.
Units from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps — numbering about 9,500 service members — participated along with troops from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, said First Lt. Gregory H. Carroll, a Marine Corps spokesman.
“The jungle provides a number of animals and some are common to us like birds, fish and even some reptiles,” U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel A. Hernandez told dvidshub.net, a website that provides military-oriented content. “However, if you’re not a good hunter, there are smaller prey you can eat like insects, such as grasshoppers, cockroaches, scorpions, larva, worms and beetles.”
In Afghanistan, the goat butchering came after the Marines had given some rice and bread to the town members as part of the Muslim holiday.
“The Afghan National Police saw that we were caring about the locals when it came to the holiday and they invited us to their celebration. For the (police) commander and his higher echelon, it meant a lot and they were more willing to incorporate with us and share their culture,” Brennan said.
But Marine food swaps can work both ways.
Brennan’s unit offered the Afghan National Police members a few of the morsels that their families had sent from America: cans of Chef Boyardee pasta.
The post-taste reaction among the Afghanistan locals may have mirrored the faces of the Marines who recently sipped snake blood in Thailand.
“They thought,” Brennan said, “it was the grossest stuff in the world.”
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Hell, give a Marine a choice: Drink cobra blood or no Libo in Phattaya, I can promise you that cobras would be on the endangered species list by 1630.
The only thing good to come out of Afghanistan is the Afghan dog. These barbarians don't eat them too, do they?
Before you start calling ANOTHER people of ANOTHER culture "Barbarians", research how the American Indians, African Slaves, etc., etc., etc., have been treated.
What I meant by etc., etc., etc., was: Chinese, Japanese, Middle Easterners, Italians, etc., etc., etc., were, are treated.
I can say whatever I want--it's a free country. I stand by my statements. :)
Tish: Before you shoot off your mouth, you should look up the definition of 'barbarian'. It fits the subject matter.
THANK YOU for verifying what I just wrote! Does the American Calvary ring a bell?
No, it does not. Calvary was a hill outside of Jerusalem.
Thank you, Jesus. NOW, go get your son's elementary history book and look up the escapades of the American Cavalry's history, to include the "Last Stand", then get back to the list.
We await your reply, if you have uno, or dos, or tres, or cuatro, etc., whatever.
I am not going to trade insults with you because I am too polite. The other reason is that you are a nutty person. You don't know how to write, you don't know what you are talking about, and you don't understand the context of this discussion. 'bye.
Poor Marines--spilling blood is ALWAYS a Muslim tradition! They're brave boys to even be over there in Af-guano-stan. Goes double for any female military.
To become one with the local populace is to stoop to their level, you have already lost.
Guess that is why so many people wish to come to America. They wish to STOOP TO OUR LEVEL. Hmmmm. You OBVIOUSLY don't know when fat meat is greasy.
Tish = t-r-o-l-l. Don't feed the troll.
Momma Tish: One doen't stoop to get to our level, one must reach high - where the bar is.
Boy, you are one pi$$ed off Momma, had too much to drink tonight?
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem." -Reagan
Semper Fi
"The Afghan National Police saw that we were caring about the locals when it came to the holiday and they invited us to their celebration. For the (police) commander and his higher echelon, it meant a lot and they were more willing to incorporate with us and share their culture," Brennan said.
Okay that was cool I'd participate and enjoy the camaraderie.
Brennan's unit offered the Afghan National Police members a few of the morsels that their families had sent from America: cans of Chef Boyardee pasta.
The post-taste reaction among the Afghanistan locals may have mirrored the faces of the Marines who recently sipped snake blood in Thailand.
"They thought," Brennan said, "it was the grossest stuff in the world."
Nice to see that the Afghani's have good and discriminating taste :) Chef Boyardee is only one step up from having to eat a Big Mac for my 2 little brothers and me. :(
As for Thailand my Grandma and Grandpa would think they are at a buffet. They love chicken feet, deep fried baby scorpions, starfish, snake, and all of that crazy stuff. As for me Satan would win the Stanley Cup before I drink Cobra blood or go Grubbin' as an Army Recon family friend calls it. For me this would be a good time for Chef Boyardee :)
@Russell Lemasters,
Great post...............A smile and a vote for you sir :) Thanks I know that my Korean War Veteran Marine Grandpa and other former and/or current members of my family will get a kick out of your comment. Stay Well
@rachel-3673200,
"Poor Marines--spilling blood is ALWAYS a Muslim tradition!"
Only Jihadi Jacka$$s that are part of The Radical Fundamentalist Islam (bowel)Movement fit your discription.
Many of our better culturally trained (mostly Asymetrical Warfare trained Forces) have come to care about and appreciate the average everyday Afghani and their culture. Some of them that live in the Afghani villages teaching and protecting the Afghani's would probably kick our a$$es if we got out of line while there.
Regards,
Brandon
Have to agree with you & the Afghans on the "Chef Boyardee pasta".
Even if you try doctoring it up, by adding oregano & parmesan, or even add some real sauce, the bad just shines through....
Not sure if the Mac is a step up or down....
Well, I don't think the Italians would recognize Boyardee as Italian food. The company that makes it even Anglicized the Chef's name to fit the American market better. Sad thing is many Americans do not require that the food be particularly good, just plentiful. That being said I would soon eat pasta from a can than blood from a snake.
The headline should've been, "Marines' Cuisines Send Locals to Latrines".
@Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor
I just wanted to take a moment and say Thank You for this article. It is rather nice to read something uplifting for a change. My compliments to you sir :)
Regards,
Brandon
Those who find anything negative about this article have no idea what they're talking about.
In many cultures it is a great honor to be invited to sit down and share food. Food is a great equalizer, builds communities, forges relationships, and creates strong bonds among people.
oohrah! Semper Fi!
Cuisine!!! Ramen noodles and Chef Boyardee pasta. Really now!
Cutting the goat's throat is no holiday ritual really. It is the customary way animals are butchered every day in every market across that part of the world, and even some of Europe and other places. It is quiet, the animal dies quickly with no fuss. Now about drinking the snake blood, that might be quite another story. I would have to give that one a miss.
When i took my son in law to africa we killed a goat and he had to eat a piece of offal raw as the custom requires. The meat was cooked shortly and enjoyed by all.
As an old Marine I salute the efforts of my fellow "Jar Heads". As for eating goat, I, myself, have eaten it many times. I especially enjoy curried goat over a bed of white rice. The snake blood, I probably would have done it for the sake of good relations, but, I probably would not have enjoyed it!
Look up the word "Potjiekos" If done with goat meat you in good company
It's not too bad once you bite it's head off..
“We were more than willing to be part of their culture because we had that team mentality that we needed to develop” with the Afghan National Police, Brennan said. “From there on out, we shared more dinners with them.” And then they shot us all.
Don't most halfway decent jungles have anything at all less gross than snakes and bugs to survive on, like fruits and roots? Can they not stockpile cheap nourishing foods? If so, doing this survival exercise seems pointless other than maybe a bet, a test of gag reflexes, and/or to show how macho you are.
This reminded me of a STNG episode where Riker and the first officer of a Klingon warbird exchanged places.
Take care,
Jonnotjohn