C-rations, or “Meal, Combat, Individual” used to come with a pack of 5 cigarettes. When the Army transitioned over to MREs in 1981, the cigarettes went out of fashion. read more
Non-smoking soldiers would quickly "bum" a cigarette from a friend & they too would soon be smokers. Despite mounting evidence in the 1950s of the adverse health effects of smoking and tobacco use, the military continued to include cigarettes in rations until 1975. read more