War in Iraq/Afghanistan - silly string

Not sure if this really suites to be on ats war on terror section but this somthing I never knew and has or will help saves lives in Iraq/Afgahnistan Silly string ?

Silly string

I sent my local paper a letter asking why do we never hear about this on our news or papers (UK) this silly string has helped our troops and will cut down the death rate I find it amazeing what can be of use to our troops. Anyone else on here heard such stories?

Silly string 2

Silly-String is collected here in the mid-Hudson Valley, NY and shipped out to our troops by the container full, There was a problem shipping because it's a "Hazardouis Material", but a local company stood up and is handling the shipments for free...There is also a product called " Java Juice" which is VERY popular, it's a coffee extract, and not only is it daym good stuff, it's quick and easy to use...popular just squeezed on a bagel too....

Great thread, SE7EN!!!

I'm going to make sure the word gets out for our troops in Afghanistan.

Sometimes it's the craziest ideas that are the life-savers.

edit to add that I've sent a link for the vid to the editorial crew of The Toronto Star. Maybe they'll run a story and educate the Canadian population on this lifesaving tool.

Getting the word out can make a difference.

[edit on 10/12/07 by masqua]

I saw it on the links provided and became upset about our goverment I don't think any of our british troops have this I know for certain iv'e not seen it in any local or national papers. So I decided to mail my local and am going to see what happens from their maybe get a collection started aswell. Wonder if Advisor knows if our Uk troops have the silly string yet.

I heard about this before, only they were using it in Iraq. I remember hearing about the huge problems they had shipping it, partly because they had something like 50,000 cans they were trying to ship, or some insane number like that.

reply to post by masqua


Flagged and starred!

What an incredibly simple idea that can save lives. Who knew?

Who knew?

That's the point!....Great idea to get this concept to the media. Perhaps this simple idea will "funnel" through and get to the guys who can use it.....Canadian troopers in Afghanistan!

Seeing as many people have heard about the silly string it should become part of the standard issuse troops get it's light weightand compact so not really a burden to movement or anything.

Well, not sure if the Ukers have silly string, but we have been getting it in care packages. Especially the glow in the dark variety, because it can be seen, obviously in the dark.

Mostly the string is used to detect trip wires and such, allowing for enhanced detection, but more often than not, it gets used for pranks and friendly silly string ambushed to releive stress on down time.

Nothing in more funny than seeing a buddy covered in a can of the stuff, or in my case, while sitting in the drivers hole of a brad, covered in it. No thanks to my gunner who offed a whole can on me...

Yea we have the stuff over here mainly what we call chavs run around town spraying the stuff! Iv'e seen some of the videos that your talking about Advisor it has been loaded up on liveleak pretty funny when you see it, guess it does the job to take some of the stress off your shoulders.

Good post man. Im glad to see your trying to help our troops and our allies. And that soldier's mother is to.

Like most people have said it's mainly americans that have got this being sent to them. All the goverments really should send this to all the troops no matter who they are reguardless of what war they are in.

The silly string thing is great- for now. Unfortunately, the insurgents are connected to the Internet and they watch CNN. Eventually, they will start to use other methods to detonate their IEDs once they figure out how soldiers are getting around the tripwires. The enemy evolves.

At worse, they will find a way of acting on the sense of safety the silly-string gives. They will set up false trip wires, leading to a false sense of security when the fake wire is discovered. Once the soldier believes he has identified the mechanism of detonation, he/she may drop their guard and trigger the device by an entirely different, unseen, and new means.

Before someone says something, I'm a former soldier and I'm not saying anything that isn't already in the public domain or in the heads of the insurgents.

Yet still people come up with new ways to combat various ideas so it's ever changeing! my main point was why aren't more troops getting this stuff things like this should be done more often.

I wasn't knocking you SE7EN, I was just stating that eventually we will have to find something else to help our soldiers out.

War sucks, and the insurgents are clever and adept at doing a lot with nothing. You must always respect the enemy, even if they are terrorists.

Oh I agree whole heartedly with you I've seen what they can do with scrap meatal old bombs of a like it's crude but it works and with our technology these days it's suppriseing how they can do it and inflict such damage to troops with gurrilla tatcics.