NCOs amongst themselves prepare chow. The kitchen does not provide everything.
I heard stories about German soldiers (particularly those stationed in Eastern Europe) sometimes going to hunt game for extra food.
Clearly, anything you can get your hands on will add just that little bit more, and make you feel like you can keep going another day. Soldiers are some of the most innovative cooks in the world!
Soldiers throughout the ages have scrounged, foraged, begged, borrowed, stolen (and on occasion traded for) fodder to supplement their diet.