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Navy SEALs to use Blackhawk uniforms
A good story about it here. We saw the uniforms at their HQ. Each arm and leg has two built-in tourniquets, with handles concealed in velcro-sealed pouches. In the event of a severe extremity wound (say a limb shredded by an IED) blood flow can completely occluded in ten seconds. With body armor and Kevlar helmets, about 60% of preventable combat deaths are due to bleeding out from extremity wounds.
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The way I had heard it (and this is hearsay, so have your salt ready), it was the result of a generic 'care package' meant for a *ahem* lady soldier that got misrouted to a guy. Lots of jokes as a result.
Then they got into a firefight, and they needed dressings to stem someone's bleeding. Out came the tampons.
I suspect this is going to be one of those stories that gets attributed to SEALs, Marines, Army Rangers, regular Army... it may be true, but everyone will insist it was /their/ branch that did it first. :)
The funny thing is that as a nerdy Boy Scout I reasoned a little and consequently packed tampons for situations like severed arteries in my personal field first aid kit back in the 1970s. Great minds, etc. Yes, I got kidded by folks.
The SEALs are known for their willingness to try out unconventional combat medicine techniques: rumour has it that they occasionally use feminine-hygiene tampons for staunching bullet wounds.
I learned this "rumor" in 19D AIT in 2004, though I'm sure it's been around a lot longer. All the combat medics swear by it; it comes up in every CLS refresher I've done as well.