UNCLASSIFIED

Assault/Special Purpose Ration Improvement Project

Vicki A. LoveridgeIndividual Combat Ration Team

Combat Feeding Directorate

R&DA Fall 2008

UNCLASSIFIED

Special Purpose Rations:• Meal, Cold Weather (MCW)• Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (LRP)• First Strike Ration™ (FSR)• Food Packet, General Purpose Survival (GPS)• Food Packet, Carbohydrate• Food Packet, Abandon Ship• Food Packet, Aircraft, Life Raft

FY08 New Starts:• MORE – Modular Operational Ration Enhancements

Assault/Special Purpose Ration Improvement ProjectAssault/Special Purpose Ration Improvement Project

UNCLASSIFIED

MCW/LRP UpdateMCW/LRP Update

MCW/LRP:

• Planned buy minimums 228,000 MCWs and 68,000 LRPs• Obtained Surgeon General approval of new MCW/LRP menus• Completed documentation for MCW/LRP delivery to DSCP June 08• Provide technical and engineering support to procurement of new menus of MCW/LRP • Initiate product development for new items for a MCW test winter 2010

UNCLASSIFIED

Survival Products UpdateSurvival Products Update

Survival Rations:• Support procurement of 36K GPS

– Award 9 April 08

– Wintergreen tablet production support

• Support procurement of Food Packet, Aircraft, Life Raft-40K units

– Award May 08

– Packaging size and type change

• Support procurement for emergency drinking water

– Sensory and rough handling evaluation of two prototypes

Evaluation of GPS bars

UNCLASSIFIED

Survival Products updateSurvival Products update

• Survival, Abandon Ship–award May 08, 45K units– Navy requirement for 7 year shelf life

– Commercial product deficiencies

– 1st Prototype developed and delivered

– Request for Quality Assurance and Packaging document updates – May 08

– Evaluations of product and package Product Demonstration Models

– Procurement of shortbread bars from Survival, General Purpose

– Evaluations with Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory testing escape immersion equipment in Doriot Chambers

JSN 03-11Date: : 01102008

Doriot Chambers test Sept 08

UNCLASSIFIED

First Strike Ration™ UpdateFirst Strike Ration™ Update

• Support to procurement of First Strike Ration™– Award to SOPAKCO 18 March 08 Base year-96K cases– Ongoing support to procurement

• On site visits

• Engineering support cases

• Coordination with AMS USDA

• Nutritional database updates coordination with USARIEM

• Potential component producibility tests – Choice soup/spreads (oxygen scavenger package)– Bagels, Blueberry and Cherry turnovers, Cinnamon rolls

• In house producibility– Two Zapplesauce flavors, caffeinated pudding

JSN 03-11Date: : 01102008

UNCLASSIFIED

First Strike Ration™ UpdateFirst Strike Ration™ Update

JSN 03-11Date: : 01102008

First Strike Ration™

1st

Procurement in Iraq- 2008

UNCLASSIFIED

First Strike Ration™ UpdateFirst Strike Ration™ Update

• Storage studies– Completion of two year FSR™ studies from FY06

– Initiation of FY07 Component Storage: Energy Gels, Protein shakes, Tortilla Wraps, Soup/spreads, caffeinated pudding

• Development of test menus for First Strike Ration™ menu expansion field studies

• Small contracts for component procurement and test meal assembly

• Coordination of field study, questionnaire development and test protocol

JSN 03-11Date: : 01102008

UNCLASSIFIED

First Strike Ration™ UpdateFirst Strike Ration™ Update

• Field evaluations for First Strike Ration™– Sept & Oct 2008, 75th Ranger Regiment Pre-Ranger

Course• 4 day tests, 50 soldiers

• Control ration - 2008 FSR™ procurement

• 50 new components incorporated into 4 test menus

– Army Technology Objective program with US Army Institute of Environmental Medicine & Performance Enhancement/Food Safety Team• Field testing for nutritional profile optimization

• Two tests at Quantico, VA

– International Mountain Guide informal evaluations

JSN 03-11Date: : 01102008

UNCLASSIFIED

First Strike™ Ration UpdateFirst Strike™ Ration Update

• FSR test components– Tortilla wraps (Beef Taco and Pork BBQ)– BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Beef Stick Sandwich– NDI Chicken breast, Flavored Tuna, Spam, Salmon– Energy Gels (mixed berry and lemon lime)– Meat snacks (smoked turkey and cranberry beef)– Soup/spreads (Spicy cheese vegetable and Potato cheddar bacon)– Cinnamon Rolls and Bagels– Turnovers (cherry and blueberry)– Wheat snack bread (two piece)– Chunky Zapplesauce and Cinnamon Zapplesauce– Caffeinated pudding– Caffeinated mints and mint caffeinated gum

UNCLASSIFIED

Modular Operational Ration Enhancement (MORE)Modular Operational Ration Enhancement (MORE)

• Augmentation of Operational Rations with scenario specific products

• Extreme exertion, altitude, cold weather, sleep deprivation• Target approved Nutraceuticals, functional foods, phytonutrients

• FY08 focus on high altitude enhancement pack

• Focus groups -10th Mountain Division (Nov 07, Feb & June 08)

• July 08 Ethan Allen Mountain Warfare School • Questionnaire to down select components• 67 Soldiers• 20 products identified

• Prototypes Assembled• October 2008 - 14 day test

• Mountaineering group Nepal, India