NUTRITION SURVEY: RANGER DEPARTMENT FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

AR 40-5 prescribes the minimal nutrient intake of a physically active individual living in a temperate environment and subsisting on a garrison or field type ration to be 3600 calories/man/day. The daily food consumption of the Ranger Department trainees, Fort Benning, Georgia, over the entire training period, using the chemical analyses of the food composites averaged 4404 calories or an increase of 22.2% over the daily prescribed intakes. When one utilizes the caloric equivalent of the body weight change (-70 gm/man/day or 442 calories) the energy requirements averaged 4846 calories/man/day. This was equivalent to an increase of 34.5% over the prescribed daily minimal intakes. This fairly high requirement was not unexpected since the men worked long hours, especially during the field training phase, and were under stress imposed by continuous physical and mental harassment.