Feeding the US Military: The Development of Military Rations

Abstract

For millennia, societies have organized and maintained armies to defend their sovereignty, extend their power, or obtain additional resources. Often the greatness of a nation was measured by the size of its army. With the establishment of a large military force comes the burden of equipping and sustaining them in a way that will maximize their effectiveness. This gets even more challenging when an army is expeditionary, that is, when they are asked to move over long distances far from their home. One of the most difficult of these logistical burdens is providing the quantity and quality of food required to sustain an army. Feeding an army is a daunting task. So much so, that for centuries the emphasis was on simply providing enough food to keep soldiers alive. Eventually, nutrition science provided information on how food could be used to prevent disease, improve performance, and promote well-being. The most modern military forces are no longer satisfied with providing enough food to feed an army, but are endeavoring to provide the right food to optimize their physical, cognitive, and emotional condition. For the US Armed Forces, military feeding has evolved greatly in the last century. Changes have been driven by new discoveries in nutritional biochemistry and behavioral science, innovative food processing technologies, diverse operating environments, and revised military strategies. Each of those factors has played a significant role in how the US military sustains its forces both at home and abroad.