organized for the preparation and service of daily allowance of food authorized by the Navy Ration Law, Act of March 2, 1933 (47 Stat. 1423) as amended (34 U. S. C. 902a), for Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Its purpose is to provide Navy and Marine Corps personnel with a well balanced diet.

51005

OFFICERS' MESS

1. Procurement of food and serving thereof for officers' messes does not affect the general mess or the supply establishment, except that individual articles of provisions may be purchased for such messes from the local supply facilities.

2. The rations of enlisted personnel regularly assigned to duty in a closed mess may be commuted to the mess in which they are subsisted.

51006 GARRISON (NAVY) RATIONS

1. General messes of posts and organizations of the Marine Corps will be subsisted on the Navy ration, computed in accordance with paragraph 51062, except that when for small posts and organizations whose daily average strength is 150 or less, the Commandant of the Marine Corps may authorize as additional allowance when deemed necessary as outlined in the following tables: TABLE I When approved by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the unit value computed in accordance with paragraph 51062 for Marine Corps messes operating under disadvantageous conditions, and where the return of subsistence stores is rendered by an officer assigned permanent or temporary supply duty may be increased as set forth in the following table in accordance with Section 3 of the Act of March 2, 1933, (47 Stat. 1423).

rations claimed for the previous month will be divided by the actual number of days in that month.

2. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, with the approval of the Secretary of the Navy, may authorize an additional ration monetary allowance for special organizations on temporary duty. The value of the ration, whether computed or otherwise established, is a credit allowance only, there being no actual cash involved. The commanding officer may authorize the issue of provisions to the mess; against, but not exceeding, that credit. Provisions are obtained and issued in the same manner, whether on a computed or an established allowance, and a Return of Subsistence stores, Form NAVMC-581, will be rendered to the Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps at the end of each accounting period.

3. The ration as authorized in paragraph 51000, being considered ample to cover general conditions, will not be augmented by cash contributions from individuals or other sources, ex

(2) Ration, small detachment. The ration, small detachment (5-in-1) is designed specifically for small group feeding and contains sufficient food to sustain five men for one day. It contains varied menus and is so packaged that it can be easily distributed and carried when transportation facilities are limited. Field cooking equipment is desirable but not required for the preparation of this ration. The small detachment ration is intended for situations where organized messing cannot be accomplished but where feeding in small groups is possible.

(3) Food packet, individual assault. The food packet, individual, assault, is designed for use only when an individual cannot be supplied with a complete combat or other type ration. It may be provided troops for use in the initial assault phase of combat when food is required that is light in weight, highly palatable, and can be conveniently carried by an individual. This food packet is available in various menus. It is not intended for use as a single meal nor will any combination of packets provide a balanced ration. The food packet, individual assault is for use only when the individual cannot receive and carry a complete ration through planned supply.

2. ACCOUNTING. Field rations shall be accounted for as follows:

a. Operational rations. Operational rations shall be accounted for in the same manner as is the garrison ration except that the ration value is not to be computed in the field. The ration value for the operational ration will be established by the Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps and duly promulgated to the field. Fresh provisions when available may be substituted for non-perishable components of the operational "B" ration. The substitution of fresh provisions for non-perishable provisions will not alter either the accounting process or the ration value.

b. Packaged operational rations. Authority to approve issues of packaged operational rations within the allowances established by the Commandant of the Marine

Corps is restricted to the Commanding General, FMF, Pacific and the Commanding General, FMF, Atlantic. Issues in excess of allowances or issues for activities other than Fleet Marine Force must have prior approval of the Commandant of the Marine Corps except when required for emergency operational purposes.

3. PACKAGED OPERATIONAL RATIONS ACCOUNT. Accountable Officers receiving, transferring, or issuing packaged operational rations will maintain an account entitled

"Packaged Operational Rations Account". The unit value of packaged operational rations will be periodically established by the Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps by appropriate memoranda and this value will be used by organizations of the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve for accounting purposes.

a. All packaged operational rations transferred between organizations of the Marine Corps; between the Marine Corps and the Marine Corps Reserve; from the Marine Corps to the Army, Navy, or other Government activities shall be recorded and accounted for by the use of the Shipping Order-Invoice and Receipt, Form NAVMC 33-SD. In preparing Form NAVMC 33-SD, the quantity, stock number, complete nomenclature (including menu number where appropriate), date of pack, unit price, and total value of the rations transferred, shall be shown (see Figure 51-2).

The

b. Packaged operational rations issued for consumption shall be dropped from the Packaged Operational Ration Account by an approved certificate of expenditure. certificate of expenditure will reference the authority for effecting such issues. The certificate will also indicate the number of rations consumed by permanently attached personnel that are being subsisted in kind, and the amount of funds received from the sale of rations or food packets to paid supernumeraries (See Figure 51-3). Reimbursement for rations furnished personnel temporarily attached from other Government departments will be accomplished as prescribed in paragraph 54302. When packaged operational rations are transferred to other Government departments on a reimbursable basis, the original contract price will be used.

c. All funds received from paid supernumeraries shall be accounted for on Form NAVMC 563-SD. The type of ration sold (individual combat, small detachment, etc.), and unit value thereof will not be shown nor will the three per cent overhead be added (See Figure 51-4). Form NAVMC 563-SD will be used in support of the Certificate of Expenditure. Under no circumstances will funds received from the sale of packaged operational rations be accounted for on the mess officer's Report of Paid Supernumerary Rations, Form NAVMC 828a-SD.

d. Credit for packaged operational rations consumed during training exercises or maneuvers shall not be taken on the Financial Status of the Mess, Form NAVMC 580SD, nor shall ration credit be claimed for meals or rations furnished personnel who are subsisted on this type ration.

e. Form NAVMC 582-SD will be used to inventory packaged operational rations on hand at the close of each accounting period

and the rations shall be listed thereon by quantity, stock number, full nomenclature, date of pack, unit price, and extended value of each type ration (See Figure 51-4a).

4. PACKAGED OPERATIONAL RATION ACCOUNT RETURN. Accountable officers maintaining a Packaged Operational Rations Account will submit monthly to the Commandant of the Marine Corps (Code CSI), a "Packaged Operational Rations Account Return". This return shall be prepared on Form NAVMC 581-SD, and shall be submitted within twenty (20) days after the close of the accounting period (See Figure 51-4b). The Packaged Operational Rations Account Return shall list in chronological order, a description of each credit and debit voucher accomplished during the month and the total value of each voucher will be entered in the debit or credit column as appropriate. The first entry on each return (debit) submitted after the initial return shall be the total money value of the inventory taken at the close of the preceding accounting period. The last entry on each return shall be the inventory of packaged operational rations on hand at the close of each accounting period. (See subparagraph 3e above). The total money value of this inventory shall be entered on the Packaged Operational Ration Account Return as a credit entry.

a. Packaged operational ration account returns will not be submitted by Marine Corps Reserve Units nor by units maintaining packaged operational ration accounts when no transactions take place during the accounting period.

5. PACKAGED OPERATIONAL RATIONS TO PAID SUPERNUMERARIES. When furnished meals from messes using packaged operational rations, paid supernumeraries shall be charged as follows:

a. Officers and civilians of the United States and all personnel of other nations authorized to eat in the mess--the total value of the daily subsistence allowance established by law for an officer for each full ration of three meals, or one third thereof for each meal when the full ration is not furnished.

b. Enlisted personnel of the United States in a commuted ration status--the total

money value of the currently authorized

commuted ration for each full ration of three meals, or one third thereof for each meal when the full ration is not furnished.

C. When one third of the allowance set forth in subparagraphs a and b above results in a fraction of five mills or more, the cost of the individual meal will be increased to the next full cent. Fractional amounts of less than five mills will be disregarded.

d. The charges established in subparagraphs a and b above for nationals of other