via tankers to canteens. In the first Gulf War the soldiers complained about their water tasting like oil, so several years later the military developed the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU)filter.
According to globalsecurity.org:
"The Army’s workhorse, the ROWPU produces potable water from a variety of raw water sources such as wells, lakes, seas, lagoons, rivers, oceans and ice holes. Today's modern Army relies on the ROWPU to purify brackish water and salt water. The ROWPU, resembling a large trailer, comes in a variety of sizes and uses a variety of chemicals and membranes to filter and purify water for consumption. The proper use of the ROWPU can provide purified drinking water for thousands of soldiers in a military theater."
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/rowpu.htmIn fact it was proven to be very effective in a 2001 training exercise in Egypt.
"The 559th Quartermaster Battalion, which has the only active water purification unit in the Army, provided about 100,000 gallons of water per day for U.S. armed forces taking part in Exercise Bright Star in Egypt last October. The year 2001 marked the first time that U.S. soldiers provided purified drinking water during Bright Star.
Deployment by about 250 soldiers from the 420-soldier unit at Hunter Army Air Field in Georgia
not only saved money by eliminating much of the cost of bottled water for the desert exercise, but also provided a test for the Quartermasters. 'It lets us see how we would do in a real-world situation,' said the battalion commander."
http://www.quartermaster.army.mil/qm-update/QM3_Thirsty_US_Soldiers_at_Bright_Star_Welcomed_559th_Quartermasters.htmlYeah but, you know, it's way better to pay zillions to Coke or Pepsi or whoever to provide tens of millions of plastic bottles that sit on pallets because KBR and Halliburton can't provide enough convoy space for ammo
and water. Our guys can survive on 1.5 liters a day, right? Sure! War on the cheap, it's the Army you go to war with, not the one you'd prefer.