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A-ration is a term used in the United States armed forces for a meal provided to troops which is prepared using fresh, refrigerated, or frozen foods. By far the most popular of U.S. ration classifications, 'A' ration meals may be served in dining facilities ("DFAC"), prepared in the field by the use of field kitchens, or prepared at a fixed facility and transported to field locations in containers. Since the early years of the Continental Army, 'A' rations have been asserted as important for U.S. troop morale.
'A' rations today may include the Unitized Group Ration A (UGR-A), a hybrid meal kit designed to feed a group of 50 persons for one meal. The UGR-A has several different varieties, including a tray-based heat and serve (T-rat) form, heated by hot water immersion when a field kitchen is not available,[1] or the express form, with a self-heating module and disposable accessories.[2] The UGR-A used to sustain military personnel during worldwide operations that allow organized food service facilities. The UGR-A includes perishable/frozen type entrees (A-Rations) along with commercial-type components and perishable/frozen type entrees to provide the luxury of an A-Ration meal in the field, configured into individual meal modules for ease of ordering, distribution, and preparation. The UGR-A has at least 9 months shelf life (at 80 degrees F for semi-perishable modules and at 0 degrees F for perishable modules).[3]
A-rations are claimed to be important for morale and have provided a rationale for the Army's contracting with civilian contractors such as Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to provide them, despite the fact that the military used to take care of its own food service needs with field kitchens. There have been accusations that the entire subcontracted ration system that was enacted within the past few years is just cronyism, an attempt to get the military to purchase from subcontractors (often in no-bid situations) what they used to handle themselves[1].
Notes
- ^ UGR-H&S factsheet
- ^ UGR-E factsheet
- ^ Defense Logistics Agency, Operational Rations: UGR-A, http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/programs/ugr/uaabt.asp
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External links
- Website on Military Nutrition Research - This website documents more than a century of scientific inquiry conducted by, for, and about the U.S. military to promote and sustain the nutritional health of military personnel and citizens alike.
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