Garrison ration


A garrison ration is the quantity and type of food served to a soldier when they are stationed somewhere. It is generally not the same as the rations fed to troops in combat or transit, which are usually termed combat rations, field rations, marching rations or some other task-specific term. This term is mostly used with respect to historic militaries. Modern thinking about nutrition and military logistical support is generally very different today, although people may still speak of "garrison rations" in relatively underdeveloped countries.
Traditionally, the garrison ration of an army was quite simple and often inadequate for basic nutrition. The British army in the 18th century encouraged troops to grow vegetables at their bases, and sometimes raise livestock, in order to supplement their nutrition. British garrison rations at the time generally consisted of one pound of bread and three-quarters of a pound of beef daily.

German Army in the Second World War

German rations were issued on a scale according to the duties and locations of the troops, there were 4 scales of ration;
Ration I is for troops committed to combat, for those that are recuperating from combat, and for troops stationed in Norway north of 66° N. Latitude.
Ration II is for occupation and line-of-communication troops.
Ration III is for garrison troops within Germany.
Ration IV goes to office workers and nurses within Germany.
Food ItemRation IRation IIRation IIIRation IV
Rye bread700g 700g 700g 600g
Fresh meat with bones136g 107g 90g 56g
Soy bean flour7g 7g 7g 7g
Headless fish30g 30g 30g 30g
Fresh vegetables and fruits250g 250g 250g 250g
Potatoes320g 320g 320g 320g
Legumes80g 80g 80g 80g
Pudding powder20g 20g 20g 20g
Sweetened condensed skim milk25g 25g 25g 25g
Salt15g 15g 15g 15g
Other seasonings3g 3g 3g 3g
Spices1g 1g 1g 1g
Fats and bread spreads60g 50g 40g 35g
Coffee9g 9g 9g 9g
Sugar40g 35g 30g 30g
Supplementary allowances2g 2g 2g 2g
Total Maximum Ration in grams1698165416221483
Total Maximum Ration in Pounds3.743.643.573.26

In the United Kingdom

In 1689 the first Royal warrant was published concerning the messing provisions for troops. The Commissary General was authorised to issue rations on a repayment basis. The ration was two-thirds of a pound of bread and two-thirds of a pound of meat. fourpence was deducted daily from the soldiers' pay.
As there were no barracks at the time, soldiers were billeted on inn-keepers. The inn-keepers would receive fourpence to provide meals to the billeted soldiers.
In 1792 barracks for soldiers were introduced and soldiers were given 1½d a day for bread.
In 1795 allowances for bread and necessities were consolidated to 2¼d per day and was later increased in the year by 1½d per day to reflect increased prices of bread and meat.
From 1815 to 1854 the daily ration for a British soldier in the United Kingdom was 1 pound of bread and ¾ of a pound of meat. Two meals were provided, breakfast at 7.30 a.m. and dinner at 12.30 p.m.
In the West Indies troops were issued with salt beef on five days with fresh meat being issued for two days a week.

Crimean War

Following initial disasters in the supply system, reforms were made and British troops were issued the following; 24 oz of bread, 16 oz meat, 2 oz Rice, 2 oz Sugar, 3 oz Coffee, 1 Gill spirits and ½ oz salt.

First World War

During the First World War British troops were issued the following daily ration; 1¼ pound of meat, 1 pound preserved meat, 1¼ pound of bread, of biscuit and 4 oz, 4 oz Jam, 3 oz sugar, ⅝ oz tea, 8 oz vegetables and 2 oz of butter

Inter-war years

In 1921 the Treasury accepted that the public should be responsible for rations and the first ration scale was approved. The daily ration scale was;
12 oz Meat, 16 oz bread and 2 oz of bacon.

Second World War

British troops in the United Kingdom had a ration scale set with different scales of rations for male and female soldiers. The daily ration scale in September 1941 was as follows;

Food

!Meat
!Bacon and Ham
!Butter and margarine
!Cheese
!Cooking fats
!Sugar
!Tea
!Preserves
!Army rations Home Service Scale
!Army rations Home Service Scale

Modern

UK MOD Nutrition Policy Statement

Joint Service Publication 456 Part 2 Volume 1 of December 2014, the Ministry of Defence policy on nutrition is as follows;
The UK Ministry of Defence undertakes to provide military personnel with a basic knowledge of nutrition, with the aim of optimising physical and mental function, long-term health, and morale. Educators will use effective education techniques, and programmes developed by, or in consultation with, registered dieticians and other qualified personnel. Programmes will reflect current nutrition knowledge and scientific research findings, and may contain other appropriate information, such as that provided by the UK Department of Health. Advice on the nutritional needs of pregnant or lactating female military personnel, or individuals requiring nutrition therapy for conditions such as illness, injury, infection, chronic disease, or trauma, will be available from qualified personnel on request. The UK MOD undertakes to provide a variety of healthy and palatable food and beverage choices to military personnel to enable them to adopt healthy eating habits, a balanced diet, and to ensure optimal fitness and performance. Contract caterers will be required to provide food at the point of service that meets these requirements. UK Operational Ration Pack will continue to be provided to sustain troops on operations and during field exercises, with the aim of preserving life, preserving both physical and cognitive function, maintaining mood and motivation, preventing fatigue, and speeding up recovery. ORP will be designed to meet the energy and nutrient requirements of military personnel operating for long periods in both temperate and extreme environments. The exception to this will be any form of nutritionally-incomplete survival ration, or restricted ration. The UK MOD has developed UK Military Dietary Reference Values for a range of macro and micro-nutrients. The guidelines are appropriate for the healthy end-user, and are divided into training and operational MDRVs as well as non-operational MDRVs for Adults and Adolescents.

United Kingdom Armed Forces Food Based Standards

Mandatory food
Restricted food
Prohibited food

Daily Messing Rate

The Daily Messing Rate is used to provide the following daily calorific intake;
Daily Messing Rate TypeCalorific Intake
Basic DMR3000 Kcal
Exercise DMR.4000 Kcal
Overseas Exercise DMR.4000 Kcal
Operational DMR.4000 Kcal
Nijmegen Marches.4000 Kcal
Norway DMR.5000 Kcal

The current Daily Messing Rate is;
In the United Kingdom £2.73
Outside the United Kingdom £3.60

Catering for diversity

In accordance with current UK legislation and Government guidelines it is incumbent on the Armed Forces to cater for all personnel irrespective of gender, race, religious belief, medical requirements and committed lifestyle choices.
Race
Menus can be enriched by the inclusion of dishes that are traditional in non-British cultures.
Religious belief
Several religions place dietary restrictions on their adherents. It is imperative that these strictures are respected and are considered in menu planning if the unit consists of a significant number of personnel of a particular religious persuasion. This includes Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.
Lifestyle choices
Vegetarianism is the most common lifestyle choice adopted by members of the Armed Forces and can be taken up in varying degrees.

In the United States

During the American revolution, the Continental Congress regulated garrison rations, stipulating in the Militia Law of 1775 that they should consist of:
These proportions changed fairly little until the American Civil War, although the exact contents varied somewhat. In 1863, potatoes were added to the ration at a rate of thirty pounds per hundred rations. The development of early nutrition science in the late 19th century led to changes to rations in 1892 that emphasized a more diverse selection of vegetables in addition to meat and potatoes. The principles behind the garrison ration came under fire after the Spanish–American War, as the long distance between American supply chains and troops fighting in Cuba, Puerto Rico and especially the Philippines left soldiers eating rotten foods and subsisting on canned goods that were made to very poor standards. The American death toll from bad food in that war exceeded combat fatalities.
By World War I, the American garrison ration had improved dramatically, including 137 grams of protein, 129 grams of fat, and 539 grams of carbohydrate every day, with a total of roughly 4,000 calories. However, fresh vegetables were largely absent, and the ration was inadequate in terms of vitamins. Further advances in nutrition led to the replacement of the garrison ration in 1933 with the New Army ration, which ultimately developed into the rations system described at United States military ration.
Since the WWII-era, A-rations and B-rations have been provided as part of garrison rations.
Currently garrison rations that are prepared in dining facilities and mess halls use a standard pounds per hundred sheet for all meats. They also have standard recipe cards are follow guidenlines under TB MED530 for compliance standards.