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OK, I need help with this. I'm looking for any information, especially pictures or personal anecdotes, about the "Food Packet, Indigenous Ration."

Basically, the PIR was developed in 1964 by a civilian supply officer, Conrad Baker, who worked for the 5th SF Group in Vietnam. A new ration was needed for the native Montagnards, who were having trouble with their US-suppled C-rations. The C-rations were expensive, heavy, and gave the indigenous troops diarrhea, since they were not use to and could not digest the high-fat, high-protein foods in the ration. NATICK labs determined that it would take up to five years and at least five million dollars to develop a suitable ration.
Mr. Baker then spent $200 of his own money and developed the PIR in his own kitchen in less than eight weeks.
The PIR weighed 22 oz and provided 2600 calories when issued at the rate of 2 packages/day. Packed in a plastic-foil laminate bag, each PIR contained: a heavy-duty plastic bag with about 18 oz of pre-cooked, dehydrated rice; a cellophane envelope of dried fish or meat; a cellophane envelope of dehydrated Asian vegetables; a couple of small plastic packets of sauces or spices; and a vitamin pill. There were 5 menus: beef, fish-squid, shrimp-mushroom, mutton, and sausage.
To use, you opened the bag of rice, added the packets of fish or meat and vegetables, poured in hot water, and let set for 20-30 minutes.
Although designed for Asians, the ration was also used by Western troops who had access to it, often supplemented with small cans of Vietnamese sardines or tuna. US Special Forces & Australian SAS often carried the PIR, preferring its light weight, durability, ease of use, and mission suitability over their own rations.
Interestingly, the PIR - even though given a Federal Stock Number (8970-J55-0020) - was produced in Japan from commercially-available items and paid for with CIA funds. It was both lighter and less expensive than C-rations and was fielded over the objections of NATICK labs, Walter Reed Army Hospital, and the US Army Quartermaster Corps.
More than 40 million were issued between 1965 and 1971, saving the US an estimated $20 million when compared to C-rations - and no one, "Indig" or "GI," ever got sick.
In his book, "Through The Wire," Australian SAS operator David Savage commented that he considered the PIR the best lightweight field ration he encountered in his career. He stated that he would pour cold water over the rice in the morning, tie it to the outside of his pack, and let it sit all day. By supper time it would be soft and ready to eat, albeit cold.
For a better history of the PIR, see "War Stories of the Green Berets" by Hans Halberstadt.

thanks for this very interresting report.
Were the dry meat and fish used in those rations: traditionnal local products (such as thi bo kho vietnamese cousin of the jerky beef) or freeze-dried meat and fish?

Is freeze-dried rice really lighter than plain raw rice?
At least it saves 6-7mn of cooking, you just have to warm up the water.

I'm not very surprized a guy from the Special Forces could achieve himself for 200 bucks what would have been a five million dollar project for a big research centre !

Stef wrote:thanks for this very interresting report.
Were the dry meat and fish used in those rations: traditionnal local products (such as thi bo kho vietnamese cousin of the jerky beef) or freeze-dried meat and fish?

Is freeze-dried rice really lighter than plain raw rice?
At least it saves 6-7mn of cooking, you just have to warm up the water.

I'm not very surprized a guy from the Special Forces could achieve himself for 200 bucks what would have been a five million dollar project for a big research centre !

All the dehydrated items, which could be added to the rice or eaten "as is", were locally procured. Dried cuttlefish & squid from Japan & Okinawa (still under US administration at that time), "thi bo kho" dried beef from Vietnam, dehydrated mutton from Singapore & Malaysia, etc. Remember, even though this was an American-designed ration, it was intended for indigenous use and catered to their tastes.

Stef

Did a little research, and here is what I found out.

When the PIR was developed in 1964-65, freeze drying technology was still new. The rice in the PIR was parboiled rice, i.e. steamed under pressure and then dehydrated. It seems similar to the so-called "instant" or quick-cooking rice available today, and was available during the early '60s. Freeze dried rice was not.

Freeze dried rice weighs between 60% - 70% less than raw rice, and dehydrated rice between 40% - 50% less, so there was a considerable savings in weight.

However, the real advantage was in preparation. Asians eat rice (in fact, in most Asian languages, "rice" is also the general word for "food"), and cooking raw rice takes about 30 - 35 minutes. Also, many indigenous units carried around a huge pot and stopped at noon for a community rice boil. The whole company stood around for 2 hours while the rice was cooked and served, and nothing else got done. (For a good description, read about Mike Calvert & Orde Wingate, and how they converted the Gurkhas to individual rice cooking).

With the PIR, you added simply added cold water and waited for 20-30 minutes (more for cold water), but didn't have to build a huge fire and give away your position. You could also cook "on the run," and most importantly, every man could cook for himself as desired or as the tactical situation allowed.

Hope this helps

You're right, when I compare the weight of a pack of raw rice and one of Mountain House rice, I can easily feel the difference.
Freeze dried food was invented for the astronauts in the late 60's ou the 70's, wrong?

Anyway this ration was a very clever solution to the local troops food problem.

I believe that that freeze drying or lyophilization was first developed during WWII for Bio-tech purposes and applied to the foods following the war. I think it is the retort process that you're thinking of that has some of it's original food applications with NASA.

Stef wrote:Freeze dried food was invented for the astronauts in the late 60's ou the 70's, wrong?

Here is some new info for this rather old thread. I hope it's not too late for Donald's purposes....

5th SF group veteran Gordon L. Rottman describes the PIR in his compact but detailed book 'Green Beret in Vietnam 1957-73', published by Osprey:
...Menu #5, shrimp-mushrooms. Other meals were a 'sawdust-filled' sausage, beef (which left an oil slick after prolonged boiling), 'boot heel' mutton, and dried fish-squid; it was like chewing a mouthful of rubber bands all day long. PIRs included a bag of instant rice and small packets of dried vegetables, candied fruit pieces, dried hot peppers, tea, salt, and a vitamin pill. Canned mackerel was a common supplement mixed with the PIR rice.

MACV-SOG veteran John L. Plaster also refers to the PIR in his fascinating book 'SOG: A Pictorial History of the Secret Wars', published by Paladin Press:


Everything issued to a SOG operative - from weapons and uniforms to rucksacks and rations - had to be untraceable. In the latter case, [Conrad 'Ben'] Baker personally developed SOG's foil-wrapped rations, called 'Project Indigenous Rations' (PIRs), a variety of rice-based meals. Contents were described symbolically; for example, a teacup represented powdered tea, and a pepper showed that a packet contained ground red peppers. Not one word of English or any language was used.

Thanks, Baldy, for the new info

Interesting anecdote about the vitamin pill included with each PIR.

The Montagnards were unfamiliar with and didn't want to take the multivitamin tablet, so the Green Berets told them it was a fertility pill that would insure healthy conception. The "indigs" would save the pills from the PIR and take them, ALL of them, in one gulp once they got back to their wives & girlfriends.

Finally found a picture of the PIR.