B-ration
{{Short description|U.S. military ration of packaged and preserved unprepared food}}
File:StateLibQld 1 100692.jpg field cooks preparing B-rations at a field kitchen in Australia, 1942]]
The B-ration (officially Field Ration, Type B) was a United States military ration consisting of packaged and preserved food intended to be prepared in field kitchens by cooks.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=The Alphabet Soup of Army Rations |url=https://blog.fold3.com/the-alphabet-soup-of-army-rations/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=Fold3 HQ |language=en-US}} Its modern successor is the Unitized Group Ration – M (UGR-M), which combines multiple types of rations, including the B-ration, under one unified system.{{Cite book |last=Institute of Medicine |first=Committee on Military Nutrition Research |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/923266927 |title=Not Eating Enough: Overcoming Underconsumption of Military Operational Rations |date=1999 |publisher=National Academies Press |isbn=978-0-309-55656-9 |oclc=923266927}}
The B-ration differs from other American alphabetized rations such as the A-ration, consisting of fresh food; C-ration, consisting of prepared wet food when A- and B-rations were not available; D-ration, consisting of military chocolate; K-ration, consisting of three balanced meals; and emergency rations, intended for emergencies when other food or rations are unavailable.{{Cite book |last=U.S. Department of the Army |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1102669230 |title=Ration Breakdown Point Operations |date=1967 |publisher=U.S. Government Publication Office |location=United States |oclc=1102669230}}
Overview
Field rations such as the A-ration, B-ration, and emergency rations consisted of food items issued to troops operating in the field. Like the A-ration, the B-ration required the use of trained cooks and a field kitchen for preparation; however, it consisted entirely of semi-perishable foods and so did not require refrigeration equipment.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/15355572 |title=Combat Field Feeding System (CFFS). |date=1986 |publisher=U.S. Army Quartermaster School |oclc=15355572}}
As of 1982, the B-ration consisted of approximately 100 items which were issued in bulk and packaged in cans, cartons, pouches, and other packing material. An individual ration had a gross weight of 3.639 pounds, measured 0.1173 cubic feet, and could supply approximately 4,000 calories. B-rations were organized into a ten-day menu cycle which ensured a variety of different meals each day and could be altered as the service needed.Combat Field Feeding System (CFFS). (1986). United States: U.S. Army Quartermaster School. pp. 23–25
The advantage of the B-ration was that it provided balanced nutrition in all climates and individual components could be easily substituted with fresh foods when they became available, a practice highly encouraged to avoid food monotony. However the meals could not be made without trained cooks and required significant investment. Preparing a meal for 100 personnel using B-rations required two to three hours for two cooks to prepare (plus additional personnel to help with serving and clean-up) and on average 75 gallons of potable water.
Unitized Group Ration M
The modern equivalent to the B-ration is the Unitized Ground Ration – M, formerly called the Unitized Ground Ration – B. It is distinct from other forms of UGR, such as the UGR-H&S, in that it consists of dehydrated ingredients with an intended recipe in mind, as opposed to precooked or preassembled meals. Unlike the B-ration, the UGR-M is only issued to the United States Marine Corps.{{Cite web |title=Unitized Group Ration, M Option (UGR - M) |url=https://www.dla.mil/Troop-Support/Subsistence/Operational-rations/UGR-M/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=www.dla.mil}}