Army rations or navy rations.

[major bill]

While looking at United States Revenue Cutter Servive orders I see Cutter Service officers received four army rations per diem while enlisted personnel get one navy ration per diem. Why do officers get army rations instead of navy rations? Did Cutter Service officers eat all the four army rations every day?

 

[Dan Kohli]

My guess is that the army ration has more variety per day. Where the naval ration is more appropriate for rations on a ship. As for the amount of food, were the officers aloud to have servants?

 

[Old Soldier]

Cutters were basically inshore craft. Given this, I presume they spent a lot of time 'on call' in harbor. The men would stay with the ship/boat and the officers would go ashore, leaving supervision to the petty officers. Army rations may well have had more fresh food than ships rations. It would also suggest that during any time afloat, the officers would either go without or be fed from 'ships rations'.

 

[Borderruffian]

The Revenue Cutter Service was fore runner of the Coast Guard . You just can't figure coasties then or now guess