AFPC ends Rip-its at downrange locations

[Spoo]

The new guidance, which could go into effect in the next few months, stems from health concerns associated with energy drinks, William Spencer, head of the Air Force Food and Beverage Section, said in emailed responses to questions. “Dining facilities offer numerous healthy beverages and food items to include juice, milk, fresh fruit and vegetables,” among others.

“What we’re really trying to do is make sure our service members and airmen are informed consumers and that they are aware of all the potential risks and side effects,” said Col. John Oh, chief of health promotion at the Air Force Medical Support Agency.

Wait one God damn minute, are you fucking kidding me? So we ('we' being AFPC apparently) let Airmen choose between "numerous healthy [food options]" and numerous unhealthy TCN-grilled/fried crap-food options, but when it comes to what caffeinated beverage Airmen can drink, we're going to make them an "informed consumer" by banning a singular delivery vehicle based on what someone likely read on the internet? REALLY? GMAFB. AFPC, start looking internally for RIF options - somebody's got too much fucking time on their hands.

Serious question I haven't seen answered: Why the hell does AFPC have ANYTHING to do with downrange chow halls?

[OregonHerc]

Serious question I haven't seen answered: Why the hell does AFPC have ANYTHING to do with downrange chow halls?

I'm not a personnelist, but from a friend of mine: there is a services "agency" underneath the AFPC umbrella that dictates what is served in AF chow halls.

[busdriver]

Simple answer, make Col Doctor so and so deploy and work the same schedule that we all do. 12 on 12 off for the whole deployment, no opportunity to leave the alert facility while "on" and tell him he can't use anything other than good food and good sleep to maintain the alert (ie zero caffeine and no Ambien) and he has to ride along on every flight on his shift. I bet he'd be a zombie by the end of a four month trip.

[FallingOsh]

“What we’re really trying to do is make sure our service members and airmen are informed consumers and that they are aware of all the potential risks and side effects,” said Col. John Oh,

How low-threat does war have to be before sugary drinks become the potential risk to airmen? Maybe bronze stars are in order for everyone who braved the hazardous fluid intake (sts).

Edited March 19, 2014 by FallingOsh

[Tnkr]

How low-threat does war have to be before sugary drinks become the potential risk to airmen? Maybe bronze stars are in order for everyone who braved the hazardous fluid intake (sts).

Shack.

Let's wrap this war up, boys. We're done here.

[MountainHerc]

I'm not a personnelist, but from a friend of mine: there is a services "agency" underneath the AFPC umbrella that dictates what is served in AF chow halls.

I still dont see how this supersedes the AFCENT authority for decisions on services. I know the base commander can make decisions based on the health of his folks, ie, the great BAF debacle of 2011 (PT Tests upon boots on ground and no fast food), but AFPC making decisions for AFCENT? Seems like they are stepping on toes.

[Danger41]

How low-threat does war have to be before sugary drinks become the potential risk to airmen? Maybe bronze stars are in order for everyone who braved the hazardous fluid intake (sts).

Pretty sure I would deserve a Silver Star by that metric.

[brabus]

I bet he'd be a zombie by the end of a four month trip.

Man you're generous; I'd give a shoe a week before they go full zombie/break down and lose it.

[hispeed7721]

I reluctantly admit I share the unpopular opinion that this shit is hazardous to your health and they should never have been handed out like candy in the first place.

It conceals and exacerbates the problem of poor work/sleep schedules as well as your ability/inability to rest.

So is the real problem the ops tempo/manning/lack of sleep/etc or the drinks themselves?

I don't think the Ripits are hazardous to anyone's health at all, but I can at least understand (albeit disagree with) the view that Ripits keep an already high ORM situation high, rather than lowering it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stract]

the great BAF debacle of 2011 (PT Tests upon boots on ground and no fast food)

The PT test thing started back in 2009 at BAF. Sad to hear it continued through multiple changes in leadership.

[Vertigo]

I reluctantly admit I share the unpopular opinion that this shit is hazardous to your health and they should never have been handed out like candy in the first place.

It conceals and exacerbates the problem of poor work/sleep schedules as well as your ability/inability to rest.

Handing out and you choosing to get on of your own free will are two different things. I was never issued Rip-its on any of my deployments. I was, however, given the option to make a decision like an adult and decide for myself if this was something I wanted to ingest.

This is no different than Bloomberg banning large sodas in NY. Idiotic.

Just for the record, Pitbull blueberry-pomegranate energy drinks were 10x better than Rip-its; if you could find them.

[Bender]

This is nothing like the Bloomberg ban. You can still choose to drink them (energy drinks), you just have to pay for them. They're no longer being purchased by the AF and provided to you free of charge. I don't see the problem.

The connection to the Bloomberg ban is in authority making a change that removes the ability to choose for yourself what you will or will not do*. It is, at its core, the removal of liberty under the guise of security, in this case health (not that drinking a Rip-It has a negative impact on your health any more than that stupid burn pit does). However, you are correct that he who gives can take away; although one's ability to purchase them on their own is not resolute either. For the record, you can order them and have them delivered if you are so inclined. I attempted to do this for a PERSCO troop that had been helpful throughout my last deployment, although I accidentally had them shipped to my house back in the states (oops). The case of snickers bars for the Loggie did make it though.

You don't see any problem? Nothing at all? Makes perfect sense to you? That's cool...at least we're only talking about an energy drink. I wonder how much of your lack of concern is tied to the fact that you don't drink them. "Take away their Rip-Its, Bob. Once that distracts them, we'll try and cut their pensions again, after they fight that one off, we'll hit them all with that stop loss we've been planning. They'll be happy again when we re-order the Rip-Its!"

Bendy

* Buying them yourself still preserves that choice, but this move is change intended to alter your choices...forcing you (at least as you're standing in front of that cooler) to make a choice "they" want you to make.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Bender

[MountainHerc]

[Snooter]

Well if it's the Deid, the porn, the booze, the tobacco, now the ripits?!?! Ermagherd it's totally the Ramstein of the Middle East...

[flyguy2181]

To me this is a generational issue. Nobody over the age of 35 ever drinks these energy drinks. But everything he says about energy drinks can be said about coffee. People use coffee to compensate for not sleeping well, poor work/sleep cycle, drinking too much coffee keeps you up at night, it dehydrates you, causes ulcers, etc. But nobody would ever think of taking a general's coffee away from him/her. Since its only the younger folks that drink rip-its, then its not that big of a deal.

[Tnkr]

To me this is a generational issue. Nobody over the age of 35 ever drinks these energy drinks. But everything he says about energy drinks can be said about coffee. People use coffee to compensate for not sleeping well, poor work/sleep cycle, drinking too much coffee keeps you up at night, it dehydrates you, causes ulcers, etc. But nobody would ever think of taking a general's coffee away from him/her. Since its only the younger folks that drink rip-its, then its not that big of a deal.

Shack.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bender]

I reluctantly admit I share the unpopular opinion that this shit is hazardous to your health and they should never have been handed out like candy in the first place.

It conceals and exacerbates the problem of poor work/sleep schedules as well as your ability/inability to rest.

Kids...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2012/10/24/we-know-about-caffeine-in-energy-drinks-like-monster-but-what-about-the-other-ingredients/

Did you find that the article referenced supported your opinion that they are hazardous to your health?

Even if it didn't seal the deal, there is definitely something too that (a supporting article pertaining to teens in general, those with heart conditions, even ADHD are easy to find), although drinking enough of anything can kill you: http://www.caffeineinformer.com/death-by-caffeine

Your retort to flyboy2181's post pointing out common issues caused by stimulants, yet an uncommon stance is taken towards them based upon demographic, is to mention that there are other things in energy drinks? It's kind of like arguing with a stick. You're wrong, stick! *stick continues being a stick* Your wrong! *Yup, still a stick*

Hey, I'm over 35 so apparently I shouldn't even be drinking them because I'm too old for that shit and should apparently be drinking coffee, cause that's what old dudes drink. Truth be told, I would be perfectly content to drink only coffee...although I find the endless supply of coffee I would desire to be difficult at best to obtain while airborne (proof my airplane sucks).

Bendy

ETA: ...and the pisser doesn't work, so there wouldn't be enough room in my bag for the piddle packs that would be required to make it happen. Proof #2 that my airplane sucks.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Bender

[pawnman]

The connection to the Bloomberg ban is in authority making a change that removes the ability to choose for yourself what you will or will not do*. It is, at its core, the removal of liberty under the guise of security, in this case health (not that drinking a Rip-It has a negative impact on your health any more than that stupid burn pit does). However, you are correct that he who gives can take away; although one's ability to purchase them on their own is not resolute either. For the record, you can order them and have them delivered if you are so inclined. I attempted to do this for a PERSCO troop that had been helpful throughout my last deployment, although I accidentally had them shipped to my house back in the states (oops). The case of snickers bars for the Loggie did make it though.

You don't see any problem? Nothing at all? Makes perfect sense to you? That's cool...at least we're only talking about an energy drink. I wonder how much of your lack of concern is tied to the fact that you don't drink them. "Take away their Rip-Its, Bob. Once that distracts them, we'll try and cut their pensions again, after they fight that one off, we'll hit them all with that stop loss we've been planning. They'll be happy again when we re-order the Rip-Its!"

Bendy

* Buying them yourself still preserves that choice, but this move is change intended to alter your choices...forcing you (at least as you're standing in front of that cooler) to make a choice "they" want you to make.

I cynically maintain that it is another attempt to cut costs without being viewed as cutting our pay and benefits. I wonder how much Rip-Its cost in relation to the locally-sourced camel milk and fruit juice?

[Vertigo]

I cynically maintain that it is another attempt to cut costs without being viewed as cutting our pay and benefits. I wonder how much Rip-Its cost in relation to the locally-sourced camel milk and fruit juice?

Probably less than you would imagine. The advertising and captive consumer this company is garnering is worth selling at a ridiculously low price. Get someone hooked on your product, they get home and start asking their local retailer to sell it... smart idea for a company trying to get in with the Monster/Red Bull big boys.

[zach braff]

I have rarely (on only two occasions) seen Rip Its for sale in the USA. Are they a regional product in a region I've never lived?

If not then my guess is that the war/defense dollars are the prime source of their business. Will the publicity from this attract enough business to cover the loss they'll take due to this?

zb

[SurelySerious]

I have rarely (on only two occasions) seen Rip Its for sale in the USA. Are they a regional product in a region I've never lived?

Their site claims it is available at military commissaries world wide and Sam's Club, Family Dollar, Fred's, Piggly Wiggly, etc. It's owned by National Beverage out of Florida (Shasta, Faygo), so some of the southeast based smaller stores makes a little sense. I'm not sure how regional, but our LPA finds it fairly regularly at Sam's Club or Dollar Tree.

Edited March 20, 2014 by SurelySerious

[HU&W]

You can (could?) buy them on Maxwell. Fun way to get through SOS.

[pawnman]

I have rarely (on only two occasions) seen Rip Its for sale in the USA. Are they a regional product in a region I've never lived?

If not then my guess is that the war/defense dollars are the prime source of their business. Will the publicity from this attract enough business to cover the loss they'll take due to this?

zb

They were available in a couple stores in Rapid City, but not widely available...you had to go looking for them.

[Tnkr]

You can (could?) buy them on Maxwell. Fun Only way to get through SOS.

FIFY

[ARAMP1]

I used to always drink anything energy, Redbull and Monster were my mains along with 5 Hour Energy. I even had the occasional Rockstar or even (cringe to admit it on a public forum) NOS. I was the chief of squadron safety a few years back when the report came out AF wide that energy drinks are bad. My squadron commander came to me and told me that he didn't want his chief of safety to always be seen with an energy drink in hand and asked if I'd consider drinking coffee. That very day, I went out and bought a coffee maker for my office and my home. Since then, I drink several cups of coffee throughout the day, and usually limit myself to one sugar/caffeine free Monster. Don't know what's worse, but coffee is definitely cheaper.