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The B ration (or Type B Ration) was a type of field ration used in the 
By 1995, the B ration had remained largely unchanged since the 1970s and so a modernization program was underway to increase quality and decrease cost. However, in an effort to simplify logistics and ensure all necessary ingredients were provided, a new concept known as the Unitized Group Ration (UGR) was created. Developed by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in conjunction with the U.S. Quartermaster Center and School, the UGR combines the A ration (minus the perishable items), B ration, T ration and additional brand-name items into a unified system.
The UGR-B 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, or the express form, with a self-heating module and disposable accessories.UGR-E factsheet
The B ration (or Type B Ration) was a type of field ration used in the United States military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is th ...
. Field rations such as the A ration, B ration, and emergency rations consisted of food items issued to troops operating in the field.Ration Breakdown Point Operations. (1967). United States: Department of the Army. pp. 3–4 Like the A ration, the B ration required the use of trained cooks and a field kitchen
A field kitchen is a mobile kitchen, mobile canteens or food truck used primarily by militaries to provide warm food to the troops near the frontline or in temporary encampments.
Description
The first field kitchens were carried in four-wh ...
for preparation. However it consisted entirely of semi-perishable foods (i.e. canned and dehydrated food) and so did not require refrigeration equipment.Combat Field Feeding System (CFFS). (1986). United States: U.S. Army Quartermaster School. pp. 23–25Not Eating Enough: Overcoming Underconsumption of Military Operational Rations. (1995). United States: National Academies Press. pp. 7–8
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
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity.
Some standard textbooks define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weight as a scalar qua ...
of 3.639 pounds, measured .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.
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.
By 1995, the B ration had remained largely unchanged since the 1970s and so a modernization program was underway to increase quality and decrease cost. However, in an effort to simplify logistics and ensure all necessary ingredients were provided, a new concept known as the Unitized Group Ration (UGR) was created. Developed by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in conjunction with the U.S. Quartermaster Center and School, the UGR combines the A ration (minus the perishable items), B ration, T ration and additional brand-name items into a unified system.
The UGR-B 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, or the express form, with a self-heating module and disposable accessories.References
{{USmilitaryrations Military food of the United States