Why are people saying to include silly string in care packages for the detection of trip wires?
Is this true or a bunch of crap?
US Post Office says no aerosal products period.
I think I will stick to either sending snacks & junk food or magazines/books/newspapers or personal care packages.
2007-11-10 09:03:37 · 13 answers · asked by Kiss My Turkey 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Contact your local USO. I guarantee that the silly string has saved COUNTLESS lives. They can use it to help locate trip wires on landmines where conventional probing may get someone killed. I had to do it the old school way. I wish someone would have sent me a can of silly string. BTW, they can use things like ziploc bags, and baby wipes too.
2007-11-10 09:13:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
the story is that the soldiers are using the silly string to detect trip wires for bobby traps in buildings they have to secure.
supposedly they spray the silly string thru a door way or into a hallway and the sting gets caught on the trip wire. since the sting is too light to break the wire and just hangs there, they can avoid the trap and diffuse the bomb.
i work near a busy base and have talked to a lot of soldiers, they really appreciate just about anything that gets sent. the one thing they did say the dont care to see is packages of hot choclate, it's like 115 degrees over there, the last thing they want is hot choclate.
2007-11-10 09:13:38 · answer #2 · answered by loanman 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yeah... The AAFES Army Air Force Exchange Service tends to over charge on many of the cool stuff people send in care packages. Much of the stuff can not be found in the AAFES. AAFES also tends to sell 'past due' items that are not to be consumed unless a troop wants to risk food poisoning or a rash. (I'M NOT Kidding.) In many of the packages, there's a personal note or letter from a school child... it really makes a soldier think about what home is all about. It develops and nurtures the will to do their best.
2016-05-29 02:56:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They blow it into an area where they thiink there may be a trip wire. It will show where the trip wire is without causing a detonation..
It's not just a kids' toy.They need all they can get.
A can of silly string may just do its part in helping a soldier avoid injury or worse.
Good old American ingenuity. it proves it's not all high tech. just a little imagination.
2007-11-10 11:42:08 · answer #4 · answered by Barry auh2o 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its true, it will detect a trip wire, although I've never even heard of anyone actually doing that from a first hand account. I've seen the article, and received several cans of the stuff. And to be honest, Its not uncommon to test anything wearing ACU's for the presence of trip wires. Haven't found any yet... but sooner or later.......
2007-11-11 00:36:25 · answer #5 · answered by Justin J 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has something to do with safety...like they spray the silly string to look for trip wires or something. And don't worry...there's some lady that has gotten like a thousand cans shipped over there already, had to have some kind of special permit I think.
2007-11-10 09:17:39 · answer #6 · answered by Jo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, it's true...there have been several articles in newspapers/magazines and I've seen it on the nightly news. What sucks is that it turns out there's not so great a demand for it except for in very few operations apparently, so now she looks kind of silly gathering up millions of these little cans only to have the Army tell her it's not really...needed.
2007-11-10 09:11:51 · answer #7 · answered by Lauren 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well, there was just an artilce recently where a military mom was having trouble sending silly string to Iraq. She finally found someone to do so because as you mentioned, there was the aerosal thing. She was trying to send cases of it though.
2007-11-10 09:08:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have a guy over there in iraq now i know when u do send something dont write everything on the box that u have in it because the mail people go through them if they think it is something they can use and take it. IT HAS HAPPEN BEFORE TRUST ME. Just write the towels and paper thjings u have. They be trucking things from other peoples boxes that is sad!!!
2007-11-10 09:38:04 · answer #9 · answered by ~*G*~ 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The truth of this myth is as such. Our military uses sill string to sweep for trip wires and such. The Mom you were talking about actually found a contractor willing to ship these for free. Just another one of our "Moms" trying to look out for her "Boys"! Contrary to what you may think, it's not used to have fun...... well, at least that's not the reason behind the need!!
2007-11-10 09:11:11 · answer #10 · answered by Mac 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋