The U.S. Army Soldier Systems

Infantry Magazine, Spring, 2002

THE U.S. ARMY SOLDIER SYSTEMS Center (Natick) has merged two special-purpose combat rations into a single product, called the Meal, Cold Weather/Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (MCW/LRP).

The new item streamlines production and offers greater operational flexibility than the Ration, Cold Weather, used by soldiers in frigid climates and the Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (LRP), consumed by Special Operations Forces, which shared the same primary components.

The meal/packet expanded the variety to 12 menus from the Ration, Cold Weather's six menus and the LRP's eight menus. Aside from all-white packaging for cold weather locations and tan wrapping for special operators, the products are nearly identical. Still, the features of the products serve different needs.

Freeze-dried food can be eaten as it is, or rehydrated with hot or cold water. It is resistant to storage damage, and with vacuum packing the entrees have a shelf life as long as 20 years. The new MCW/LRP meets or exceeds the military's shelf life standards of three years at 80 degrees F. or six months at 100 degrees F. The process also makes the food lighter and easier to carry.

The new MCW/LRP weighs one pound, compared to the Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MRE's) one and one-half pounds, and it is compatible with MRE production.

It is designed so a soldier can have a good meal without carrying extra weight and bulk. He gets eight ounces of entree with the MRE, but a rehydrated LRP provides 16 ounces of food. Special Forces like that, because they feel full at least once a day.

This is important because one packet of the new LRP contains 1,540 calories and is intended to give the special operator his food each day for up to 10 days. A study in 1992 concluded that the extra calories provided by an LRP ration over a 1,200-calorie MRE can make a critical difference in physical performance and immune function.

Future changes to the MCW/LRP may include switching to a single palegreen color for easier procurement, standard use of a peel-open seal for the entree, and replacement of the peanut brittle bar and granola bar with products that have a longer shelf life.