24-10-2012, 11:56 AM
Army Field Kitchen Workloads and Fuel Consumption
ABSTRACT
To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of overall field feeding operations, the U.S. Army in recent years fielded a
new Container Kitchen, new Modem Burner Unit, and two new group rations to include Unitized Group Ration -A and
Unitized Group Ration - Heat/Serve. In addition, these new fieldings were designed to improve the Army’s capability to
deliver frequent high quality hot meals to deployed Army units. This report details the results and findings of data collection
during unit field training focused on collecting baseline data to quantify the kitchen workloads and fuel consumption levels
associated with current field feeding operations, field kitchens, and group rations. This baseline data provides: a basis to
identify the potential benefits or impacts of future research and development programs, quantify any workload reduction
benefits associated with the recently fielded Container Kitchen, Modern Burner Unit, and Unitized Group Rations; and the
quantitative data to support future development of a field kitchen workload and staffing model as a function of key workload
drivers such as type ration and number meals prepared, mix of on-site and remote Site meals, etc. For a 900-soldier kitchen,
results/findings indicate the new Unitized Group Rations and Modern Burner Unit have reduced kitchen daily workloads by
about 61 work hours or almost 7 cook positions.