Meal, Combat, Individual ration
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[edit] Meal, Combat, Individual (1958-1983)
The Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) was the name of combat rations issued by the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1983, when they were phased out in favor of the Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE). They were still referred to as "C-Rations" (or "Charlie rats") despite the new designation.
It consisted of a cardboard carton containing three cans: a large "M"-unit can (meat-based entree item), a small "B"-unit can (bread item), and a medium-sized "D"-unit can (dessert item). Each carton contained a complete meal provided approximately 1,200 calories (1200 kcal or 5,000 kJ).
The "M" unit came in 12 basic varieties grouped in 3 menus of 4 different entrees (later supplemented by variant menus):
- Menu 1: Chopped Ham & Eggs, Cooked Pork Slices in Juices, Beef in Spiced Sauce, or Tuna Fish.
- Menu 2: Meat Chunks w/. Beans in Tomato Sauce, Ham & Lima Beans, Beef slices w/. Potatoes in Gravy, or Beans w/. Frankfurter Chunks in Tomato Sauce.
- Menu 3: Beefsteak, Cooked Ham Slices in Juice, Boned Chicken or Turkey, or Turkey Loaf.
The "B" unit came in three different varieties:
- B-1: 7 Crackers & Peanut Butter and a Chocolate disk (Solid Chocolate, Chocolate Cream, or Chocolate Coconut).
- B-2: 4 Cookies & Jam and a packet of Cocoa powder.
- B-3: 4 Hardtack Biscuits & Cheese Spread (Plain Cheddar, Processed Cheese w/. Pimentos, or Processed Cheese w/. Caraway Seeds) and a cookie sandwich.
The "D" unit came in three different groups
- D-1 (Fruit): Halved Apricots, Sliced Peaches, Quartered Pears, Fruit Cocktail.
- D-2 (Cake): Pound Cake, Fruitcake, Orange-Nut Roll, Cinnamon-Pecan Roll.
- D-3 (Bread): White Bread.
Each cardboard packing case contained 12 ration cartons (containing one of each menu item), 4 paper-wrapped P-38 can openers to open the cans, 12 clear-plastic-wrapped white plastic spoons, and 12 brown-foil-wrapped Accessory Packs.
The Accessory Pack came with salt, pepper, sugar, instant coffee, non-dairy creamer, 2 pieces of candy-coated chewing gum, toilet paper, a 4-pack of commerical-grade cigarettes, and a book of cardboard moisture-proof matches. Due to health concerns, cigarettes were eliminated from the packages in 1975.
[edit] Responses
The new ration had some curious superstitions attached to it during the Vietnam War. The "Ham & Lima Beans" entree was considered unlucky by US Army soldiers, who called it "Ham and Motherfuckers" because they believed that even saying the full name of it brought bad luck. It was so unpopular that it was replaced with "Spaghetti & Meatballs in Tomato Sauce". Marines and armored vehicle crewmen had a similar superstition about the "Sliced Peaches" dessert.
The Peanut Butter issued in the B-1 unit was unappetizing, tasting like greasy clay, and was often discarded. Soldiers in Special Operations units used to hoard it in empty ration cans to make improvised smoke bombs while on long patrols.
[edit] The "C-Rat" Boonie Stove
The small "B"-unit can was often made into an improvised field stove that could be carried in the cargo pockets of a set of combat fatigues. This was done by making a series of diagonal cuts around the top and bottom edges of the can with a P-38 can opener or a Church key to allow the trioxin fuel tablet to burn evenly and warm the entree. Small chunks of C-4 plastic explosive was often substituted for the fuel tablet, as it produced a hotter flame.
