These items are being used to save lives by our soldiers in Iraq. In this high-tech world, it’s sometimes the simplest things that help get the job done. It’s sad that our troops have to bolt armor to the outside of humvees to up-armor their vehicles, and that families have to spend hundreds of dollars to send their kids flak jackets that actually stop bullets. The guys & gals over there have come up with something simple when it comes to finding bombs & booby traps.
Jump with me...
IEDs are a huge problem for our troops in Iraq right now and they’ve come up with an inventive new way to use things like silly string. A can is able to shoot the string about 10 to 12 feet at a go – if the sting lands flat on the ground or floor, then they know there aren’t any trip wires (which are nearly impossible to spot with your eyes). If it’s suspended in the air they know to watch for explosives.
There’s a mom in New Jersey who’s organizing a collection of this stuff, and sending it to her son serving in Iraq. Here’s what was reported on Yahoo’s news page this morning http://news.yahoo.com/... ...
American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.
Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.
Now, 1,000 cans of the neon-colored plastic goop are packed into Shriver's one-car garage in this town outside Philadelphia, ready to be shipped to the Middle East thanks to two churches and a pilot who heard about the drive.
"If I turn on the TV and see a soldier with a can of this on his vest, that would make this all worth it," said Shriver, 57, an office manager.
Manufacturers of this stuff are also kicking in a supply to add to the shipment.
Parents and communities are supporting our troops. But the top brass won't comment on any of this because they're worried they'll divulge secrets to the enemy. Valid concern I'm sure but on the face of it this refusal to comments seems kind of silly.
We all know about how our troops up-armor their humvees with scrap metal. Here are some of the other battlefield innovations they’ve come up with...
Medics use tampons to plug bullet holes in the wounded until they can be patched up.
Also, soldiers put condoms and rubber bands around their rifle muzzles to keep out sand. And troops have welded old bulletproof windshields to the tops of Humvees to give gunners extra protection. They have dubbed it "Pope's glass" — a reference to the barriers that protect the pontiff.
Back to that mom in New Jeresy...
In an October call to his mother, Army Spc. Todd Shriver explained how his unit in the insurgent hotbed of Ramadi learned from Marines to use Silly String on patrol to detect boobytraps.
After sending some cans to her 28-year-old son, Shriver enlisted the help of two priests and posted notices in her church and its newsletter. From there, the effort took off, with money and Silly String flowing in. Parishioners have been dropping cans into donation baskets.
"There's so much that they can't do, and they're frustrated, but this is something they can do," said the Rev. Joseph Capella of St. Luke's Church in Stratford.
The Shrivers said they would not mind seeing the string as standard-issue equipment, but they don't blame the military for not supplying it.
"I don't think that they can think of everything," said Ronald Shriver, 59, a retired salesman. "They're taught to improvise, and this is something that they've thought of."
Marcelle Shriver said that since the string comes in an aerosol can, it is considered a hazardous material, meaning the Postal Service will not ship it by air. But a private pilot who heard about her campaign has agreed to fly the cans to Kuwait — most likely in January — where they will then be taken to Iraq.
Shriver said she will continue her campaign as long as her son is overseas and she has Silly String to send.
"I know that he's going come through this. I hope they all do," she said.
This is a worthy effort. I’m not sure how to plug into this and help Mrs. Shriver with her silly string drive, but I googled the above referenced church (St. Lukes in Stratford NJ) and found the following web-site and contact information...
St. Luke Church
55 Warwick Road, Stratford,
NJ 08084-1732
Web-site - http://www.ccts-ettc.org/...
Phone Number - Rectory Phone: (856) 783-5555
Email - STLUKESTRATFORD@yahoo.com
This stuff can't be sent through the mail, but if you live in the area you might consider dropping by with a few cans of silly string. Or touch base with them and find out how they're doing it - and maybe try to organize something at your place of worship (or local pub for that matter).
At any rate, I sent the church an email to double-check things. The name of the pastor is the same so I'm pretty sure it's on track. If I get a reply or additional information I'll add it here by way of an update.
Either way - I thought folks would be interested in this news out of Iraq. Think of our troops the next time your kids blast each other with silly string, and thank your lucky stars they're not using it to find bombs in Iraq.
UPDATE
I just got the following reply from the above church, with information on how we as a community can help with this effort. Doh! It never occurred to me that we could send them a few bucks so Mrs. Shriver can buy the silly string locally for this collection drive.
Please send silly string or monetary donations to
Marcelle Shriver, 39 Buttonwood Dr., Stratford, NJ
08084
She has set up a separate account to use the funds to
purchase silly string or use to ship it. She also
needs names of any serviceman/women in Iraq that we
can personally ship it to. If you know of the address
please e-mail us back at billiekmstluke@yahoo.com
Thank you so much for your caring and generousity.
This is ongoing until all our people are home!
SO there you have it. If you know of a service member who could benefit from this effort (ie use some silly string to find booby traps or whatever) then by all means, send his or her contact information to Mrs. Shriver and she'll make sure they get some.
This community's huge folks - if we help with this effort then we really CAN "support our troops". Ya know?
So let's try to keep this on the front burner around here - hit the Rec. button on the diary if you're so moved. And thanks.