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Silly String Saves Marines in Iraq

time.com — Makers of improvised explosive devices -- the dreaded IEDs that kill and maim in Iraq -- aren't the only ones getting inventive during the war. U.S. troops in the country turn to Silly String to help detect booby traps' trip wires. But the Pentagon doesn't issue Silly String to troops, a grass-roots effort is emerging...

Who dugg this? Made popular Dec 2, 2006

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  • Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+104The military is holding out on buying this for the troops until Raytheon comes out with a $600/can version.
  • Andronicus1717, on 10/12/2007, -1/+67I can't get over how creatively ingenious that is.
  • hipstershaun, on 10/12/2007, -2/+44I feel awful after reading this. The silly string we unloaded on my friend at his wedding could have saved so many lives.

    Seriously. This is pretty cool.
  • marshman222, on 10/12/2007, -2/+36Silly string, spraying your friends in the face and protecting our military since 1987!
  • tomalakborg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+27With all the R&D going into the military, you'd think they would have come up with a specially designed piece of equipment just for this. Knowing how much money they spend, it should probably have lasers.

    But seriously - they should make something to reveal trip wires. Maybe like a biodegradable string spray that dissolves a minute after hitting the ground and doesn't leave slippery ***** in the doorway. I can just see some GIs slipping in the stuff as they bum-rush a door.
  • carpespasm, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28is it freedom-string now?
  • mousy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22parties, pfft... ...I always knew it had greater purpose!
  • noahhoward, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20What crawled up your ass? I'd rather have soldiers who think on their feet discover how to protect themselves using someting that didn't cost Millions to develop than have the government sink money into somethign that a researcher or scientist says will work but needs to be field tested for four years.

    They need a solution not more red tape.
  • bigteebo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Silly String: not such a silly concept now, is it?
  • Cowboy5995, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14My cousin said that one of his buddies used some silly string to find a trip wire but I really didn't believe him.
  • mikeyj10, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Yeah because a trip wire was such an inspired idea to begin with. I just want to know who I can give money to, so that some more string can get sent out to these guys. I'm pretty sure Pres. Bush isn't quite the right guy in this case....
  • noahhoward, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9@sniper:
    I don't think it is sad. I think in situations like these people should not rely solely on what they are given. The best engineers in the world have never been up against an IED. Would you be willing to use something they tell you works or would you rather use what you have seen work? Obviously there's a fine line in there and I can see what you mean but I think even if I had the top armor on the market I'd still look for ways to improve it.
  • culbeda, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Macgyver-ism at it's best.
  • coldfusion055, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10@jrocknyc

    I believe the politically correct term is "Afro-engineered"
  • unknownsoldierX, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Yeah. A $600/can version simply because it has a Raytheon or Haliburton logo on it, maybe? Oh, and instead of pink string, it will be camo.
  • Borramakot, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Its not so much that we disagree with you, its that we prefer dupe stories to people commenting about whether or not a story is old or now. Its the lesser of 2 evils, you see.
  • binarymayhem, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@shadowsword232. its both. and it doesn't have racist roots.

    wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry-rig

    "Jury rigging (or jerry rigging) refers to makeshift repairs or substitutes, made with only the tools and materials that happen to be on hand."

    "On sailing ships, the jury rig is a replacement mast and yards improvised in case of loss of the original mast."

    "The term "jerry-rigged" derives from confusion with "jerry-built", implying shoddy workmanship. [1] "Jimmy-rig" has also been used to denote an improvised repair. "***** rig," viewed as offensive, has had usage in the United States as has also an update, "afro engineer", which is equally offensive."

    orgin: http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifjrrybltjryrggd.shtml


  • JimMessenger, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7"Shriver is raising money to mail string to Iraq (aerosol cans are haz-mat and costly to ship). So the next time you waste string at a party, remember it could save a life."

    How can we (digg users) start a fund to send silly string to Iraq? Kevin, Jay any ideas?

  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7This harkens back to the creativity exhibited by GIs during WW II. Whatever it takes.

    And the world wonders how the U.S. became a superpower? "Good 'ole American enginuity." isn't a term that just popped out of thin air. :-p While the rest of the world spends it's creativity killing each other over gods, ideology, and *****, we've been plugging away on our "fat lazy asses" trying to make a better country for ourselves.
  • cary, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Hey isn't the unsolidified form of silly string flammable? Seeing flaming silly string flying through the air would certainly send me in the other direction.
  • shadowsword232, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6It is "Jerry" but that term has racist roots so they avoided it.
  • everfalling, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4solidified silly string is flammable as well. i saw a video of a party where everyone unloaded their cans of silly string over the table to the guest of honor, and the web of string floated down onto the candles of the cake and it just went up in flames.

    still, i think when dealing with IED's, flaming string is the least of your problems.
  • BrokedownPalace, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Daedalous1982,

    I think TheOther1 may be right. It was mentioned in May 2004 on strategypage.com, 2 1/2 yrs ago.
    http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20040517.aspx
  • rberger909, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@noahhoward

    I *think* he was trying to say why do we have the money wasted also. Not that the troops shouldn't think for themselves.
  • daedalus1982, on 10/12/2007, -8/+11From the Nov. 27, 2006 issue of TIME magazine

    Idiot dugg down for trying to act superior by claiming prior knowledge.

    We're not impressed. They say there's always one in every crowd...ladies and gentlemen i give you TheOther1
  • TheOther1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5@ daedalus1982

    Hey ***** face, here are some links from a year ago. Time is not the news leader, in case you had not noticed.

    http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/11/military_uses_f.html
    http://techbreakfast.org/p/silly_string_in_iraq
    http://www.tradetricks.org/archives/001495.html
    http://www.blackfive.net/main/2005/11/should_we_issue.html

    So, daedalus1982, instead of assuming YOU know everything and others know nothing, perhaps you should actually take something at face value. Even better, do some basic research before making judgements. Asswipe.

    So Ladies and Gentlemen, without further adue, I present to you the self-centric, self-aggrandized ***** known to the world as daedalus1982.
  • noahhoward, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Since several people have said tyhis already I was wondering if you actually had something to point out where and when it was first used?
  • daedalus1982, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2then i stand corrected. thanks for the info
  • Sfmobius, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I hate to interrupt all the name calling here but does anyone have info on anyone collecting donations to send? The article called it a grass roots effort.

    I have about 4 cans of this stuff crammed in my closet that I'll probably never use. It would be nice if it could be put to good use. I'd gladly send more if I knew they'd actually get it.
  • jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3the funny thing is, he didnt
  • AstroZombie138, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4The way we were trained to do it when I was in the USMC was to fold your E-Tool (Folding Shovel) in half so it was like a rake. You would have a rope tied to the end of the tool and would throw it ahead of you and rake it back to trip the wires.

    The problem with that version is that the bomb goes off. It was more for tripwires, etc. in an open field than in urban combat.
  • projecteden, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I think we should put some money together to help them. We need to get a hold of some of these Marines' families to donate! Such a brilliant use for it!
  • videoCT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd like to hear about other improvised solutions our troops have come up with in the field.
  • mapkinase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1No. It was not called French String.
  • alexthemonster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3True story: Silly String once got me fired from a job. But now it's saving lives. Its practical applications are like Yin and Yang here.
  • noahhoward, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2That's got to be slow going? Why didn't they just have those mine-sweeping trucks with the revolving flail go through ahead? Or was this training for if you were in a small-force situation?
  • jellygraph, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1thats ***** up
  • ggko, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3It stops tanks according to Cockeyed...
    http://www.cockeyed.com/citizen/silly/silly.html

    Previously reported here...
    http://digg.com/tech_news/Military_use_for_Silly_String_
    (532 diggs but what happened to the comments?)

    Actually the Cockeyed page reported the same application given here, but vanished for some reason.
  • daedalus1982, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4heh and what a brilliant idea. the scientist aren't out there and don't know what to create. This is why so much is put into R&D. paint doesn't work and nothing else is light enough or would be trusted not to set off the trap. As the troops speak up for what they want and need they will be better capable of providing it. But right now i'd buy stock in any company that sells silly string. can you say subsidize
  • noahhoward, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4By the time they got it to the troops the only threat in Iraq would be the bitchy dog of the old lady down the street.
  • DanThePainter, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This article gives a snail mail address:
    http://cbs13.com/seenon/local_story_335122518.html
    Marcelle Shriver
    c/o St. Luke Church
    55 N. Warwick Rd.
    Stratford, NJ 08084

  • daedalus1982, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2interesting but most of the docs posted above mention letters to home. perhaps they just don't want to much press concerning the matter. we're posting all over the net how these guys are staying alive. Expect to see a news story soon about how traps having been either undetected or even set off by the silly string as a response to this hype. loose lips...
  • mapkinase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Once it is matter of survival, everyone is getting pretty inventive. Well, everyone, except those who did not survive.
  • robusteza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wow. That was the official statement from the Marines? "Force" them to improvise (by not giving them essential survival tools)...way to encourage those new recruits.
  • radio1mike, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Yeh. Ain't that the truth. Maybe my esteemed junior-senator can windsurf over the tripwires? Or perhaps, squeezable Heinz ketchup could work too...
  • sapo916, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Not everything is on the internet. I find the Internet to be really lacking in "real world" and cultural type information especially if it isnt very popular. So no, I cant get you any info but how about some testimonies from Veterans?
  • shadowsword232, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ Binary

    I apologize for any undue confusion, and thank you for correcting me :-D
  • edk4971, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2you sir are a moron... do you really believe every military member likes/voted for the president? There are people who have been in the military for more than 20 years, through several presidents. Most military people are in the military because they like their job, and enjoy the pride that comes with standing up for one's country.
  • Manguskahn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Now that is using your head to save lives. I bet if it catches on, the military will probably develop a different kind of silly string (Dispensing device, color, thickness, etc.).
  • coldfusion055, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Actually, when I said "Afro-rigged", I never questioned that people knew the more discriminatory meaning. I mentioned "Afro-rigged" because it's the more humourus term. You obviously didn't take it whith any humor.
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