Watch as US Marine gunner cooks crispy bacon... on a rifle

They say an army marches on its stomach but what happens if your operational ration cooker isn't working while on exercise and you're desperate for a bit of hot scoff? 

Well, retired US Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade has what might be the perfect solution – cooking bacon on your gun. 

However, he doesn't recommend using your military-issued weapon, saying: "Don't do this with your US Marine Corps-issue rifle. 

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"I don't recommend it; you might get in some trouble." 

Warm food can help to raise a soldier's morale, energy and concentration levels so looking for an effective way to cook food is essential for a strong fighting force. 

But have Britain's Armed Forces personnel ever considered cooking bacon using the heat of their gun's suppressor? 

In a light-hearted video, Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret'd) Wade, demonstrates how hot a gun suppressor can get while attached to a small arms weapon in his 2017 video series The Gunner Fact or Fiction. 

The video series attempts to dispel common myths and misconceptions regarding the true physical aspects of Marine Corps weapon systems. 

The video shows CWO5 (Ret'd) Wade, who retired in February 2018 after 30 years of service in the United States Marine Corps, wrapping some streaky bacon around the gun's suppressor and wrapping it in cooking foil, saying: "This is about as America as you can get right here." 

The aim of the video is to show how hot a gun suppressor, often referred to as a silencer in films, can get while firing so that US Marines are careful not to touch it to avoid burns. 

But the question remains: did CWO5 (Ret'd) Wade manage to cook the bacon successfully? 

After shooting dozens of bullets the bacon starts to sizzle and steam escapes out of the foil. 

Unhappy with the lack of crispiness, CWO5 (Retired) Wade tries again but goes too far and it burns, saying: "Oh, vapourised it. 

"Guess we're not eating today." 

Have you ever tried cooking food in an unusual way while on exercise or on operation?

Cover image: Retired US Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christian Wade attempts to cook bacon using the heat of his gun's suppressor (Picture: US Department of Defense).