Meal, Combat, Individual ration facts for kids
The Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) was a type of canned food given to soldiers in the United States Armed Forces. These rations were used from 1958 until 1980. After that, they were replaced by the Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE), which you might have heard of. MCIs were designed to be eaten when soldiers were out in the field and couldn't get fresh food.
Contents
What Was Inside an MCI?
Each MCI meal came with different parts, usually grouped into three main types of cans: a "Meat unit," a "Bread unit," and a "Dessert unit." There was also an "Accessory Pack" with extra items.
Meat Units
The "M" unit was the main course. There were 12 basic kinds of meals, but over time, they added more options, making about 18 different main dishes. Some examples included:
- M-1: Beefsteak, Chicken Loaf, or Ham Slices. Sometimes, you might get Tuna fish.
- M-2: Meat Chunks with Beans, Ham & Lima Beans, or Beans with Frankfurter Chunks. Spaghetti with Meatballs was also an option.
- M-3: Beef in Spiced Sauce, Boned Chicken, or Pork Steak. Meat Loaf was another choice.
Bread Units
The "B" unit usually had something starchy to go with the main meal. There were three main types:
- B-1: Seven crackers and two chocolate discs. These could be solid chocolate, chocolate creme, or chocolate coconut. This unit also came with peanut butter spread.
- B-2: Four hardtack biscuits (soldiers sometimes called these "John Wayne cookies") and a cookie sandwich or fudge disc. This unit came with cheese spread, often with pimentos or caraway seeds.
- B-3: Four cookies and a packet of cocoa powder. This unit included jam spread, like apple, grape, or strawberry.
Dessert Units
The "D" unit was for something sweet or extra bread. There were three main types:
- D-1 (Fruit): Canned fruits like apricots, peaches, pears, or fruit cocktail. Sometimes, it was applesauce.
- D-2 (Cake): Sweet cakes like pound cake, fruitcake, or a cinnamon nut roll. Later, date pudding or orange nut rolls were added.
- D-3 (Bread): This unit simply had a solid piece of white bread, wrapped in wax paper.
To make meals more interesting, they sometimes switched around the M-1 and M-3 units because they both came in small cans.
Accessory Pack
Every MCI meal came with an "Accessory Pack." This small bag had useful items like:
- Salt and sugar
- Instant coffee and non-dairy creamer
- Two pieces of chewing gum
- A small packet of toilet paper
- A pack of 20 matches
- Until 1972, it also included a four-pack of cigarettes. These were removed because of health concerns.
Soldiers' Experiences with MCIs
Even though MCIs were supposed to be better than older military rations, soldiers often had to eat them for a long time without fresh food. This led to some interesting stories and nicknames for the meals.
Nicknames and Superstitions
- The "Ham & Lima Beans" meal was very unpopular. Soldiers disliked it so much that they thought even saying its name would bring bad luck!
- Some soldiers believed that eating halved apricots during a fight was bad luck.
- The peanut butter from the B-1 unit was sometimes thrown away because soldiers didn't like it. However, it was also known to help stop diarrhea.
- Special Operations soldiers sometimes used the oily peanut butter to make improvised smoke candles. It burned easily and could even boil water, though it left a greasy stain.
- "Beef Slices with Potatoes" was often called "Beef and Rocks" by Marines because the potato slices stayed very firm. In the Army, it was called "Beef and Shrapnel."
- "Beans with Frankfurter Chunks" was sometimes jokingly called "Beans and Baby Dicks."
Popular and Unpopular Items
Some MCI items were more popular than others. Soldiers often liked the pound cake, canned pears, and spaghetti & meatballs. However, fruitcake was generally disliked and often traded away.
One famous story is about Colonel Henry Moak. In 1973, he received an MCI ration in Vietnam that included a can of pound cake made in 1969. He kept the unopened can for 40 years! In 2009, after he retired, he opened the can in front of news reporters. He said the pound cake still looked and smelled fresh.
Making a "C-Rat" Stove
Soldiers often got creative with their MCI cans. The small "B"-unit can could be turned into a simple field stove.
- They would make cuts around the top and bottom of the can with a P-38 can opener.
- Then, they would put a fuel tablet (called trioxane) inside to heat their food.
- Sometimes, soldiers would even use small pieces of C-4 plastic explosive instead of fuel tablets because it burned hotter.
- Another way to heat food was to stick the can into the exhaust pipe of a running truck!
Some soldiers also made stoves using diesel fuel. They would punch holes in the can, roll up cardboard from the ration box to act as a wick, dip it in diesel fuel, and then light it. This kind of stove could heat meals and make coffee for several soldiers.
Why MCIs Were Replaced
Even though MCIs were an improvement, they were still heavy canned foods. They were meant for occasional use, not for soldiers to eat every day for weeks.
- Soldiers often complained about eating the same heavy, wet meals all the time.
- During the Vietnam War, American soldiers had to carry many heavy MCI cans through the jungle. A day's worth of MCI rations weighed about five and a half pounds! This made soldiers tired and affected their ability to fight.
- Enemy forces often carried much lighter dry rice rations, which gave them an advantage in mobility.
Because of these problems, the military realized they needed lighter, more varied food for soldiers in the field. This led to the development of new rations, like the LRP ration in 1966, and eventually the MREs that soldiers use today.
