The military shrank the MRE for a future fight. Now it's deploying the new food rations with troops on the ground.
The U.S. Marine Corps is deploying a new, lightweight combat ration called the Close Combat Assault Ration (C-CAR) designed for the first 72 hours of conflict. These rations replace three traditional MREs with a single, compact package to reduce weight and eliminate the need for heating or water.
Why it matters
Optimizing logistics and reducing the physical burden on soldiers is critical for modern, mobile warfare, directly impacting mission success and resupply requirements.
A Marine eats a field ration during a training event in Japan last year. LCpl Weston Brown/US Marine Corps Marines are deploying a new combat ration built for the first days of war. C-CARs replace three MREs with one lighter daily ration for mobile operations. Less food weight means more room for gear and fewer early resupply missions. Marines are deploying with a new combat ration — that is, stuff to eat — built for the first days of war After entering service last year, the Close Combat Assault Ration, or C-CAR, is now deploying with frontline Marine units. The new ration condenses what would normally be three Meal, Ready-to-Eat packets into a single daily package, reducing the weight troops carry to free space for ammunition, batteries, and other mission-essential gear.
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