A-ration

United States Marine Corps-issued A-ration, colloquially known as a "bag nasty" or "box nasty". In this case the box held two sandwiches, cereal, fresh fruit, crackers, peanut butter, jam, a muffin, salt, pepper, and a drink.

The A-ration (officially Field Ration, Type A) is a United States military ration consisting of fresh, refrigerated, or frozen foods. A-rations may be served in dining facilities, prepared in the field using field kitchens, or prepared at a fixed facility and transported to field locations in containers.[1] Its modern successor is the Unitized Group Ration – A (UGR-A), which combines multiple types of rations, including the A-ration, under one unified system.[2]

The A-ration differs from other U.S. alphabetized rations such as the B-ration, consisting of canned or preserved food; C-ration, consisting of prepared wet food when A- and B-rations are not available; D-ration, consisting of military chocolate; K-ration, consisting of three balanced meals; and emergency rations, intended for emergencies when other food or rations are unavailable.[3]

  1. ^ "The Alphabet Soup of Army Rations". Fold3 HQ. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  2. ^ Institute of Medicine, Committee on Military Nutrition Research (1999). Not Eating Enough: Overcoming Underconsumption of Military Operational Rations. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-55656-9. OCLC 923266927.
  3. ^ U.S. Department of the Army (1967). Ration Breakdown Point Operations. United States: U.S. Government Publication Office. OCLC 1102669230.