Field / Combat Army Rations

The Field Rations section covers some of the most famous of the U.S. military rations including the K Ration, C Ration, D Ration, and small detatchment rations, the ones used most extensively in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

Loading cases of rations onto a 2nd Infantry Division truck, Korea, 1953
Loading cases of rations onto a 2nd Infantry Division truck, Korea, 1953.

Today in WW II: 15 Aug 1940 Peak day for Luftwaffe sorties against England, including bombing in the North of Britain. More ↓
15 Aug 1942 Operation Pedestal, a last ditch attempt to re-supply Malta and avoid surrender to a German blockade, succeeds as tanker SS Ohio and other convoy ships reach Grand Harbour port.
15 Aug 1943 In the Aleutians, US troops land on Kiska Island to retake it from the Japanese ([5-24 Aug].
15 Aug 1944 Operation Dragoon [aka Anvil] invasion of Southern France.
15 Aug 1945 Japanese surrender, remembered as VJ Day (Victory over Japan) in the U.K. [14 August east of the date line, 15 August in Japan].
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Field or Combat Army Rations: C-Rations, K-Rations, D-Rations and More

Rations are fundamental to military operations. The US Army Quartermaster Corps, and equivalent units in all military services around the world, have to provide for the daily food needs of combat and support troops under all conditions. While cooked food served from field kitchens, or mess hall food at permanent bases, covers much of the need, many front line troops require special rations prepared and packaged for field use.

Three WW II paratrooper buddies enjoy a quick lunch consisting of the Field Ration K developed by the Quartermaster Corps
Three WW II paratrooper buddies enjoy a quick lunch consisting of the Field Ration K developed by the Quartermaster Corps.

The field rations developed from World War II through Vietnam were all replaced by the Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE) in the early 1980s or by more recent innovations such as the First Strike Ration.

Each of the U.S. military field rations is covered in these individual sections:

See also: Heating Individual Field Rations.

Modern rations, including the MRE, First Strike Ration, and more, are linked from the main Olive-Drab.com Rations page.

A Republic of Korea ROK) soldier eating lunch in a war-destroyed house in Munsan-ni, Korea. The unpacked field ration was made in Japan for the ROK Army. Photo dated 17 July 1951
A Republic of Korea ROK) soldier eating lunch in a war-destroyed house in Munsan-ni, Korea. The unpacked field ration was made in Japan for the ROK Army. Photo dated 17 July 1951.

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