New Tool In War on Terror [Edit]

Practical creativity is what keeps our troops on the move, and the reason the latest tool for the war on terror could be 80,000 cans of silly string.

Did you know a condom rolled over a rifle muzzle is the best way to keep sand out? Ever seen a nurse use a tampon to plug a bleeding bullet wound? It’s this kind of creativity that keeps troops safe.

Soldiers have always been trained to get resourceful in times of need. Silly String is that neon colored foam in the aerosol can. Long the goody bag staple at birthday parties, the fun foam is now saving lives in Iraq. Since it weighs virtually nothing and sprays up to 12 feet, it’s perfect for detecting trip wires on bombs. If the string seemingly hangs in thin air when sprayed across an empty room, there is a trip wire to be avoided.

In a grass roots effort, a church group in New Jersey along with a hazmat shipper are collecting cans of silly string to fly to the middle east. The maker of Silly String is even in on the enterprise. Today, a shipment of 80,000 cans made its way to the soldiers.