They aren't rare but they're field rations. Navy ships are supposed to be supplying their own food to their crews from their mess halls. They don't deploy with field rations. MRE's are surprisingly carefully counted and stocked for designated field units.

Like, yeah I'm sure they could send them to the ship in question and maybe they will who knows. But ships (other than the obvious ones like troop ships) don't go out to sea with MRE's. Until now, maybe they'll start keeping some for scenarios like this.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 1 points 3 weeks ago

You'd think with the War Department/Pentagon budgets, they could afford to send them some Jim "Pass the Loot" Baaker prepper crap.