Unitized Group Ration

A Marine holding two UGR-H&S rations

The Unitized Group Ration (UGR) is a United States military ration used by the United States Armed Forces and Department of Defense (DoD). It is intended to sustain groups of American service members with access to a field kitchen,[a] serving as a field ration and a garrison ration.[1] It is the modern successor to several older alphabetized rations—namely the A-ration, B-ration, and T-ration—combining them under a single unified system.[2] UGRs are designed to meet the Military Daily Recommended Allowance when averaged over a 5 to 10 day period, with each meal providing between 1,300 and 1,450 kcal.[3]

The UGR was introduced in 1999, and is currently known to be used by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and National Guard.[4] The U.S. Navy also reportedly uses the UGR for disembarked operations, using the Navy Standard Core Menu (NSCM) aboard naval vessels.[5][6]

The UGR's primary field and combat equivalent is the better-known Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE), with the First Strike Ration (FSR), Long Range Patrol (LRP), and Meal, Cold Weather (MCW) serving as specialized field equivalents.[7][8]


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  1. ^ "Operational rations". Defense Logistics Agency. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  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. ^ Reynolds, Jonathan (March 16, 2003). "FOOD; Ration-al Thinking". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  4. ^ Suro, Roberto (November 30, 1999). "Up in Arms: Department of Defense". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Sailor, Supplier, Service, and the Navy Standard Core Menu". Free Online Library. Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  7. ^ Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, Army Field Feeding Specialist (September 1, 2015). "Operational Rations" (PDF). U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  8. ^ "Thanks for the MREs: Soldiers digesting improved food rations - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper". Las Vegas Sun. April 9, 2003. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.