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Chapter 11

FEEDING THE ARMY

It is an old saying that "an army travels on its stomach." Few things are more important in creating a first-class Army, and in waging a successful campaign, than an ample supply of good food, selected on the basis of modern dietetic science and with consideration of the needs and tastes of the soldiers, and properly and tastefully prepared and served.

In this field our Army leads the world. President Eisenhower, when he was Chief of Staff, once said, "Food is part of a soldier's pay; none of it

should be counterfeit." The saying might be considered as the motto of those agencies which have the task of feeding our Army.

The average recruit gains about five pounds in weight within a few months after induction, thanks to the healthy regimen of Army life and the high quality of Army food. On the other hand, the overweight recruit loses weight in the same period. His gain is of muscle and sinew in exchange for fat.

FOOD RESPONSIBILITIES

The Army Medical Service is concerned with the health of the Army. For this reason it sets the basic standard of diet, determines its adequacy, and advises the Quartermaster Corps on how to maintain the nutritive value of rations under varying service conditions.

The Quartermaster Corps, through the Military Subsistence Supply Agency, procures the Army's food. In collaboration with the Air Force it prepares a monthly Master Menu which is a guide for each meal served at Army and Air Force installations in the continental United States. It carries on a broad program of research to improve the quality of foods; the means of packing, transporting, storing, and serving them; and all machines and apparatus used in these processes. It trains food service personnel at the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee (Va.), and operates the Quartermaster Subsistence School at Chicago to train officers in subsistence technology. Food service courses are also given at Army

Area food service schools, which are operated by the respective Army Area commanders. The Quartermaster General exercises staff supervision over these schools.

Within the continental United States the six Army Area commanders, the commanding general of the Military District of Washington, and the chiefs of the several technical services are responsible for the food programs at installations under their control. Each commanding officer is similarly responsible within his own command, and is assisted by mess officers, mess stewards, cooks, bakers, etc. The standard of an Army mess depends on the interest, ability, training, and initiative of its personnel. In order to maintain high standards in this field, the Quartermaster Corps supervises the program through its regional offices.

Under the "single manager concept" of the Department of Defense, the Secretary of the Army is responsible for the supply of food items, down to

the "retail level," of all the Armed Forces. This task also is carried out by the Military Subsistence Supply Agency under the Quartermaster Corps. After the food is turned over to the other Armed Forces, menu planning and the

preparation of meals are in their hands. However, there is constant exchange of information and correlation of ideas among the Services; for example, as stated above, the use of the same Master Menu by the Army and the Air Force.

HISTORY OF THE RATION

A "ration" is the amount and kind of food authorized by the Army for one person for one day. It has been progressively improved throughout our history, to benefit the health and wellbeing of the American soldier-the bestfed fighting man in the world.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR. The first ration was established by resolution of Congress on 4 November 1775. The soldier was issued his ration, uncooked, each day, and it was up to him to prepare a meal. The ration consisted of 1 pound of beef, or 34 pound of pork, or 1 pound of salt fish per day; 1 pound of bread or flour per day; 3 pints of peas or beans per week; 1 pint of milk per day; 1⁄2 pint of rice or 1 pint of Indian meal per week; 1 quart of spruce beer or cider per day, or 9 gallons of molasses per 100 men per week; 3 pounds of candles per 100 men per week, issued to guards; 6 pounds of hard soap per 100 men per week.

It is interesting to note, in regard to the provision for milk in the ration, that it was not available during the winter of 1775. From then on, milk was not mentioned in the ration for over a hundred years.

Liquor was discontinued as a part of the ration in 1799. However, the Commander in Chief of the Army or the commanding officer of any detachment was authorized to issue to the troops "from time to time, rum, whiskey, or other ardent spirits, not to exceed 1⁄2 gill per man per day, except on extraordinary occasions."

WAR OF 1812. Congress, on 16 March 1802, established the ration which was in use in the War of 1812. Per man per day, this ration provided for 14 pounds of beef or 34 pounds of pork; 18 ounces of bread or flour; 1 gill of rum, whiskey, or brandy. Per 100 men the ration also included 2 quarts of salt, 4 quarts of vinegar, 4 pounds of soap, and 11⁄2

pounds of candles.

By 1818 this ration was still in effect, except that a modification was made that year for men stationed in southern climates. This change stated: "In lieu of whiskey and beer, add to the ration 1⁄2 pint of peas, beans, or rice per day." CIVIL WAR. Three rations were in effect during the Civil War. The first was established in 1860, the second a year later, and the third in 1864. There was no material difference in them.

The basic ration, that in use in 1864, provided for the following in ounces: beef, 20; flour, 18; yeast powder, 0.045; dry beans, 2.56; green coffee, 1.6; sugar, 2.4; salt, 0.64; black pepper, 0.04; soap, 0.64; candles 0.24. The ration also included vinegar.

It should be remembered that during the Civil War rations were not always available. In some instances, the soldier was compelled to live by foraging upon the surrounding countryside.

SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. There had been certain minor changes in the ration by the time American troops entered the Spanish-American War, but basically it differed little from that of the Civil War.

BORDER WARFARE. In the early 1900's an emergency ration was devised for troops engaged in border warfare. It was composed largely of evaporated powdered beef and parched cooked wheat, to which was added a little sweet chocolate.

SUBSEQUENT PERIOD. The evolution of a scientifically-based ration began early in the twentieth century. In 1913 a garrison ration was established. Following our entrance into World War I, this was supplemented by the travel ration (for troops in transit other than by marching and who had no cooking facilities); the reserve ration; the field ration, consisting of all or part of the reserve ration plus any

food that could be procured locally; and the emergency ration. In World War II the Army improved some of the old rations and developed some new ones. These included field rations A and B;

the C ration; the ten-in-one, D-bar, life-boat, and parachute emergency rations; and the air crew lunch. Since the close of that war, further improvements and refinements have been developed.

THE ARMY RATION TODAY

The A ration is served to troops at posts, camps, stations, or wherever perishable items can be obtained and properly stored. It includes fresh or frozen meats, fish and other water foods, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. It is the only current Army ration having fresh or perishable components. The other types of ration, which do not have such components, are known collectively as operational type rations.

The B ration includes nonperishable, canned, dehydrated, and otherwise processed foods which do not require refrigeration. It is suitable for organized kitchens not equiped to handle perishable foods. As refrigeration becomes available, fresh products may replace the processed items.

Packaged rations and food packets are supplied to troops engaged on missions which separate them from their unit kitchens. They are of two kinds for small group feeding and for individual feeding. The ration for small group feeding is the 5-in-1 ration, which provides food for five men for one day. Designed to be palatable when heated, it contains components which can be prepared by inexperienced men using rudimentary equipment such as the one-burner type stove. The ration used for individual feeding is the individual combat ration, commonly called the C ration. It may be eaten cold, but is better when heated, for example on one-burner stoves or by heat tablets. Each of these packaged rations contain at least 3,600 calories per man. They are made up in several menus to avoid monotony. Also in this category is the individual trail frigid ration, designed for use in extremely cold climates by small patrols or trail teams when resupply is impossible for periods up to seven days. It may be eaten hot or cold; it has a minimum of 4,400 calories.

In addition to the above rations, each of which provides for three meals, there are several types of so-called food packets, designed to serve as single light meals or "snacks." They are prepared food items of small bulk and weight, which can be eaten either hot or cold. They include

The individual assault food packet, for use in the early stages of an attack or on patrol or outpost duty, when each soldier must depend on food carried on his person. It is a palatable, light-weight food unit which will keep a man going for up to 30 hours.

The individual survival packet, prepared by the Quartermaster Corps for the Air Force, and carried in military aircraft for use in an extreme emergency. There are two types, intended respectively for Arctic and tropical climates.

The individual combat in-flight food packet, also prepared for the Air Force, for bomber or transport plane flights extending over one or more meal periods.

The food packet carton, abandon ship. Cartons are packed in waterproof bags, and are intended for survivors of a wreck who are on a raft or lifeboat. The components are selected to eliminate any items that would provoke thirst.

Since troops relying upon packaged rations such as the 5-in-1, the C ration, the trail frigid ration and the assault food packet are beyond the range of Post Exchange facilities, these packages also include cigarettes, matches, toilet paper, chewing gum, soap, etc.

Special ration supplements, containing varying assortments of accessory items, are also provided for issue to units beyond the reach of Post Exchanges. One is the sundries pack, designed as a bulk supplement to the B ration. It contains a 1-day allowance for 100 men of cigarettes. shaving cream, razor

blades, tooth powder, soap, and various confection items. Other special ration supplements are the aid station pack and the kitchen spice pack. Many new types of experimental field rations, intended to meet the conditions of the atomic age, are under development.

NUTRIENT CONTENT OF RATIONS. The Army has set a minimum intake of 3,600 calories per day for men performing normal physical activities in a temperate climate. Since 5% wastage must be allowed for, ration menus are based on a minimum of 3,800 calories issued for preparation. Troops whose

duties call for more or less energy over a period of more than a week are authorized an increased or reduced intake. Teen-age troops are given an additional intake to provide for physical growth and development. For Arctic subzero conditions a minimum of 4,400 calories is provided. The minimum daily intake of certain nutrients is as follows: 100 grams of protein, 700 milligrams of calcium, 5,000 international units of vitamin A, 2.2 milligrams of riboflavin, 1.6 milligrams of thiamine, 16 milligrams of niacin, and 50 milligrams of vitamin C.

MASTER MENUS

The Master Menu is the basis for the preparation of the A ration. It is compiled monthly in the Office of The Quartermaster General and is distributed, four months in advance of date of use, to all Army and Air Force installations in the United States. Great care is taken to keep costs within the prescribed allowance, to see that the menu contains all required nutrient elements, and to provide enough variety to appeal to the appetites of the men. Long-range surveys are made to determine what foods are most and least popular; based on these, the menus are adapted as closely as possible to the preferences of the troops.

If any items on a master menu cannot be obtained due to local conditions, substitutions may be made. They are studied in advance by a local "menu board," consisting of the post commissary officer, post surgeon, food advisor, and representatives of the troop units.

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PURCHASE, STORAGE, AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD

The Military

Subsistence Supply

Agency, with headquarters in Chicago, buys the Army's food. Purchases are made through ten market centers, located at Chicago, Columbia (S. C.), Kansas City (Mo.), Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Oakland, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Richmond. Supplementing the market centers are field buying offices in Boston, Alexandria (Va.), Orlando (Fla.), Denver, Salt

Lake City, San Antonio, El Paso, Mobile, San Diego, Tacoma, and Nashville.

In the purchase of perishable food items, the Agency is in constant touch by telephone and teletype with its market centers and field offices. Field buyers, experts in their particular lines, visit every important food-producing region when crops are at their peak, and report on the availability, condition, prices, and future prospects of each

commodity. In this way the Agency headquarters is kept advised of the market conditions on which it must base its orders. Although there is no formal bidding, each vendor is brought into competition with other vendors offering the same or substitute items.

The Army buys only Federally inspected meats. Beef for use in the United States is procured both as carcass and boned. That for oversea shipment is usually boned, which saves shipping weight and space, and simplifies meat cutting for the Army cooks. All meat is inspected at the time of purchase, and continuous inspection is maintained over boning, processing, and packaging.

The above program has produced enormous economies. By bulk purchasing, large discounts are obtained. Shipment in carload lots reduces transportation costs. Inspection at point of origin eliminates rejection at posts, camps, and stations.

In the feeding of the Army, the role of the Quartermaster Corps is like that of a wholesale dealer in civilian life. It buys, ships, and stores the food. Food supply at Army posts corresponds to a retail store which dispenses food locally. Finally, the food service units which prepare and serve meals are to the Army what restaurants or housewives are to civilian consumers.

In the fiscal year ending 30 June 1957, centrally procured foods for all three of the Armed Services totaled in cost $723,596,000, or about $2,000,000 a day. The aggregate bulk of central purchases was 3,340,000,000 lbs. About 65% of this total was fresh or perishable foods (some 124 different kinds); about 35% was canned, dehydrated, or otherwise processed nonperishables (over 100 different kinds). In the Army alone, an average of about 2,000,000 men and women ate in military messes during the year.

THE ARMY'S FOOD RESEARCH PROGRAM

In World War II our troops operated under all possible conditions of climate and terrain. Experience with the operational rations then in use, notably the K, C, and ten-in-one rations, showed up their strong and weak points and the merits and defects of the food program as a whole. Since the War, the Quartermaster Corps has been conducting research projects on different phases of the subject, in cooperation with various universities, foundations, food laboratories, and with other Government agencies. Lines of research include the following

QUALITY. Among the achievements of the program are increasingly nutritious canned meats, precooked foods which permit of preparing a complete meal in less than half an hour, and better methods of dehydration. Not only do these improvements benefit the Armed Services but many of them, commercialized, will greatly aid the American housewife's task of preparing meals in the home.

STABILITY. The elapsed time be

tween production and consumption of military foods raises problems in procurement and supply. Foodstuffs processed for commercial use are normally consumed within a maximum time of one year, whereas in the Army the interval may be two years or even more. In that interval they may be shipped all over the world, handled repeatedly, and stored under all conceivable conditions. Therefore military rations need special attention in preparation, processing, packaging, and packing. Many improvements have been made along this line.

WEIGHT AND BULK. These are much more important in the Army than in civilian food supply. Shipping space, whether in land, water, or air transportation, is always at a premium in military operations. Every needless cubic foot of food that must be transported reduces the space available for munitions, clothing, fuel, and other military necessities; and every needless pound that a soldier must carry lessens

1 The figure includes some items bought for resale in commissary stores, but does not include a small total of items bought locally, some of the latter being "brandname" items for resale.

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