United States military ration The United States military ration refers to various preparations and packages of food provided to feed members of the armed forces . U . S . military rations are often made for quick distribution , preparation and eating in the field and tend to have long storage times in adverse conditions due to being thickly packaged and / or shelf stable . The current ration is the Meal , Ready - to - Eat ( MRE ) . History . 18th and 19th centuries . From the Revolutionary War to the Spanish - American War , the " United States army ration " , as decreed by the Continental Congress , was the " garrison ration " which consisted of meat or salt fish , bread or hardtack , and vegetables . There was also a spirit ration . In 1785 , it was set at 4 oz . of rum , reduced to 2 oz . of whiskey , brandy , or rum in 1790 . In 1794 , troops about to enter combat or who were engaged in frontier service could receive a double ration of 4 oz . of rum or whiskey ; this was extended in 1799 to include troops engaged in fatigue duties . It was discontinued in 1832 and replaced with a ration of coffee and sugar , which was increased in 1836 . In 1846 , a spirit ration was reinstated for issue to troops engaged in construction or surveying duties ; this was discontinued in 1865 . During the American Civil War , both armies struggled to keep their soldiers adequetely fed . Difficulties with food logistics led to a multitude of rations . World War I . In World War I three types of rations came into usage by the American forces : " the Reserve ration " , " the Trench ration " , and " the Emergency ration " ( also known as the " Iron ration " ) . " Iron Ration " ( 1907 – 1922 ) . The first attempt to make an individual ration for issue to soldiers in the field was the " iron ration " , first introduced in 1907 . It consisted of three 3 - ounce cakes ( made from a concoction of beef bouillon powder and parched and cooked wheat ) , three 1 - ounce bars of sweetened chocolate , and packets of salt and pepper that was issued in a sealed tin packet that weighed one pound . It was designed for emergency use when the troops were unable to be supplied with food . It was later discontinued by the adoption of the " Reserve Ration " but its findings went into the development of the emergency D - ration . " Trench Ration " ( 1917 – 1918 ) . This ration was issued in the early part of the war to address a problem . Soldiers fighting in the front lines needed to be supplied with their daily rations , but cooked food prepared at field kitchens was sometimes spoiled by gas attacks . The trench ration was the answer . It was a variety of canned meats ( salmon , corned beef , sardines , etc . ) that were commercially procured and sealed in a large tin box covered in canvas . It was bulky and heavy and the soldiers began to get weary of the limited menu and it was soon replaced by the Reserve Ration . " Reserve Ration " ( 1917 – 1937 ) . The reserve ration was first issued during the latter part of World War I to feed troops who were away from a garrison or field kitchen . It originally consisted of 12 ounces of fresh bacon or one pound of canned meat known as the " Meat Ration " - usually , corned beef . Additionally , two 8 - ounce cans of hard bread or hardtack biscuits , a packet of 1 . 16 ounces of pre - ground coffee , a packet of 2 . 4 ounces of granulated sugar , and a packet of 0 . 16 ounces of salt were issued . There was also a separate " tobacco ration " of 0 . 4 ounces of tobacco and 10 cigarette rolling paper s , later replaced by brand - name machine - rolled cigarettes . After the war , there were attempts to improve the ration based on input from the field . In 1922 , the " Meat Ration " was revised , consisting of one pound of meat ( usually a combination of dried beef and canned corned beef ) . This was supplemented by hard chocolate , 14 ounces of hard bread or hardtack biscuits , coffee , and sugar . In 1925 , the " Meat Ration " was changed , deleting the dried beef in favor of canned pork and beans , and reducing the bread component . The corned beef allowance was also reduced in size ( older rations continued to be issued , however ) . In 1936 , menu planners attempted to introduce more variety by developing an alternate " Meat Ration " consisting of an " A " - menu ( canned , corned beef ) and a " B " - menu ( canned pork & beans ) . The A & B Reserve or combat ration was canceled after being superseded in 1938 by the Field Ration , Type C . Field Rations during World War II . After 1918 , the army ration system went through several revisions , eventually leading to the : A - rations were generally whatever meat and produce could be obtained locally , so there could be great variety from one theatre of operations to the next . B - rations were generally used when there was inadequate refrigeration for perishable A - rations . The composition of the D - ration did not change much throughout the war but the C - ration developed many variations . A - and B - rations were only served at bases or established camps in rear areas as they require cooking . C - rations could be eaten hot or cold and required no special preparation or storage , so these could be served almost anywhere . During the war a new ration for assault troops , the " K - ration " , was developed . K - rations were originally intended to be used as short duration rations for only 2 – 3 days , but cost concerns and later standardization led to its overuse , contributing in some cases to vitamin deficiencies and malnourishment . There were various other special rations developed for specific circumstances , including : Post WWII rations . Some of these specialized rations were discontinued during the war due to cost concerns , forcing commanders to adopt standardized rations in their place . The K - and D - rations were declared obsolete after World War II but canned wet rations in the form of the C - ration ( later the MCI ) continued until 1983 , when they were replaced by the Meal , Ready - to - Eat ( MRE ) . A - and B - rations are still used today . Current . Currently , the following food is available to troops :