How to Dispose of White Phoshorus Projectiles
Came across your site and thought I would share. I attached some pics of us disposing of some white phosphorous projectiles at Ali Base, Iraq. To dispose of the white phosphorous (WP) completely, you must break open the projectile and try to launch all of the WP into the air so it will burn. To do so, you place 6 sticks of C-4 underneath it. The adhesive backing doesnt stick too well to dirt, so you must adapt and overcome. Here is where wonderful duct tape comes in handy! Dig a small trench, lay the WP projectile with the C-4 underneath it. Insert your blasting caps, run your det cord, and there you have a successful disposal. - SSgt Eric H., USAF
My brother is serving in Iraq. I was scrolling through photos on a military www site hoping to see him the background of a photo when I stumbled on this one. Our new trained Soldiers from Second Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army from Samarra, Iraq and the weapon of choice. Can you spot what I see? - Scott L. Phoenix, AZ
Several years ago, I attended the Army's Rappel Master Course at Fort Richardson, Alaska in the middle of January. We were scheduled to rappel out of hovering aircraft for a whole afternoon; although it is totally fun, the seat, which you construct yourself and that is made of 7/16" rope, really puts a hurttin on your crotch area. I didn't want the pain to keep me from rappelling as many times as possible so I duct taped the heck out of my long johns (in the crotch area) and was able to rappel over twenty times that afternoon (approximately 14 times more than any other student was able to muster). - Dave H., Fort Huachuca, AZ
On September 11th, I was stationed on the USS Neversail, a newer fast attack submarine undergoing hull valve maintenance. We were in a dry-dock (a floating/sinking pier used to repair the underwater side of all ships) when CNN started showing the pictures of the Worked Trade Centers and the Pentagon. Within an hour we had received official word that we were hurry up and get underway. In the ensuing rush to get the ship sea worthy it appears that one or two hull and backup valves (those valves that let sea water in or keep it out) somehow got overlooked. After the tugs were done pulling us out of the dry-dock and we were on our way to sea, one of our saltier senior personnel saw holes going straight into the boat. The senior command did a quick headshead and decided that since they had all heard of other "pigboats" going to sea with duct tape holding them together, that we could do the same. So we did. 20 minutes later we were all taped up and ready to submerge. The tape not only held out the water, but it continued to do so for 3 months, when we were able to pull in and have proper valves re-installed. - RM2/ss, Submarine Comms
When I was in fort bragg, we had an aircraft go down due to a stray bullet from a hunter. When we arrived to the sight we noticed there was about a 1 1/2 hole in 2 of the main rotor blades. Our tech inspector looked at it and then handed us a roll of 100mph tape (mil ducktape) and we proceded to tape the holes up. It flew 35 mins at 120 knots back to post. A rotor blade turns at 2500-3500 rpms at 20-40 positive g's. And it held. --- Jason
Finished reading your Jumbo Duct Tape Book. Was given to me as a retirement gift...who would a thought I'd get something so useful!. Hmm... Reminded me of the time when I was flying a Navy C-12 (Beechcraft Super King Air B200) on one of my passenger missions. Suddenly an awful noise started coming from outside the cockpit. We landed and noticed the rear portion of the heavy rubber deicing boot had unglued along the leading edge of the wing. With the 265 MPH plus airflow, it was madly flapping against the underside of the wing while we were airborne, thus the "lovely" sound of something beating the airframe to death . Called our Maintenance guys up and they said...what else...just duct tape it up until you reach home. We did, took off and landed a couple hours later. The weather was clear all the way home thus we didn't have to use the deice boot and stress our duct tape repair. So goes another saga... - Rusty
I was in the Navy I worked on F-14 Fighters. We were in the Mediterranean ocean when Lebanon and Libya started acting up. We flew sorties pretty much around the clock. The Commander of the Fleet wanted as many birds in the air as possible at all times. In order to keep the birds flying, sometimes we would have to be a little creative. I worked night check and one of our birds came back with a wiring problem. The maintenance Chief said he wanted the plane removed from the down status to an up status ASAP! I located the problem pretty quick. It was located somewhere between the forward relay rack and just in front of the vertical stabilizers where the rudders mount to. I didn't have time to locate it any better and fix it right so I ran a wire out of one panel where I spliced it, down the outside of the plane and back into another panel and spliced it there. Ran the high speed wire protector (Duct Tape) over the wire down the plane. The pilots who took it on its next sortie were in a big hurry to get the plane launched and didn't check the top of the jet on there preflight inspection so they never saw the tape. I told the chief I put a temp splice in the wire. When the plane landed, I ripped the wire out as soon as the aircrew got out and started troubleshooting again. The Chief said he couldn't believe how quick I got that bird up and nobody was ever the wiser. - Dave S. AE-2, New Jersey
While serving in Iraq, I was a humvee sergeant commander for 5 guys, i had a .50cal m2 on top, during a firefight, a ak47 rnd hit the pin that holds the .50 cal on the pindle and destroyed it, in the mist of the firefight, i took a roll of Duct and wrapped it around the pintle and shoved a spent casing inside the hole and tapped that down , my gunner rocked 200 rnds of hard recoil and it held up during the entire excursion, but on the way home we where struck by a IED and it flipped the truck over, Unfortunatly the gunner.......................... but apon further inspection the pintle snapped of the top, but the gun was still attached to the pintle from the tape! - SSG Mike M. (RET)
During my twelve years in the Canadian Army, we would never consider ourselves properly equipped until we had at least one roll of duct tape (Known to us as "Gun Tape" - simply an olive drab duct tape) in our packs. The tape was used for everything imaginable. I personally used it for canvas repairs on tents and tarps, for repairs to vehicles such as keeping doors closed, clothing repair and to hold other equipment/weapons together. The training center I was sent to on Canada's east coast is infamous for it's very wet weather. At the time I was a smoker and after losing several packages of cigarettes to the wet, I built a cigarette case out of Gun Tape by covering an existing package with the stuff. In order to ensure my lighter was always handy, I made a lighter case and attached it to my case with a piece of para-cord. I continued to use that package right up to the time I quit smoking over ten years later! - Ian White, New Market Ontario Canada
After serving me well through my premobilization and then my time in Kuwait, my chair decided to rip halfway through my tour in Iraq! One particularly busy day after my shift was done, I went back to my room to sit in my trusty chair and have a cold drink of water to relax. Everything changed when the seam on the chair burst and I couldn't get comfortable. I got quite upset until I saw a roll of duct tape that I always try to keep handy. A couple of times around the top and side of the chair was all I needed to keep the old chair going and keep me relaxing! Thank you duct tape! - SPC Matthew Austin, Binghamton, NY writing from Iraq
While stationed on the island of Okinawa, Japan in the early sixties, I acquired an old 1951 Chevrolet coupe. The salt water environment had really taken it's toll on the chassis. The doors were almost rusted to the point of being useless, but aircraft safety wire and duct tape (we called it ordinance tape in the Navy at that time), were used to repair it to the state of repair, it passed the required vehicle safety inspection. The right windshield was cracked and a piece of plexiglass saved the day for the inspection also.
I drove it two years, sold it when I transferred stateside and later met the guy I sold it too, and we laughted about the repair lasting the 18 months he owned it..Probably still running over there by another young "North American Bluejacket". - B J Clark, USN ret., Pembroke Ga.
One of my sons joined the Army in 2000 for a three-year enlistment. He was a Combat Engineer, so did a lot of field training, including road marches. We were recently discussing marching, boots, and blisters. He told me there were several ways people tried to prevent blisters - wear sheer nylon stockings, turn socks inside out, etc. He said the most effective method he found was to use duct tape. He said that one had to wrap a complete loop duct tape around your foot, attaching it end to end. If you just put on a short strip, it would slip off when feet got sweaty, bunch up and create a new blister area. - Fred Vocasek, Dodge City, Kansas
Back in the 60's, I worked on the construction of submarines for the US Navy. Shortly (weeks later) after the launch of a sub, we found that the vessel had been launched with a hole in the outer hull. This was unplanned and undiscovered before launch. The tape covered the hole on the inside and the tape had been painted over. In addition the outer hull had been pressure tested before launch, so the sub was certified ready for launch. The tape was discovered after the space between the inner and outer hulls had been repeatedly filled and emptied of water several times. At that point the paint failed and the tape came loose. The tape was still in good shape. Duct tape kept a US Navy submarine afloat!
During the same time frame, piping systems on submarines were tested to several times their working pressure. One test was being conducted when as a part of the system test proved there was no fluid in part of the piping. Although this pipe was supposed to be under test, it was not under pressure. Subsequent checks found that a mechanical joint had been assembled with duct tape across the end of the pipe. This system had been under pressure in the 4 figure range, but the tape didn't fail until the joint was disassembled. - Herb Vaughn
Being a mechanic in the Army I have found several uses for duct tape (100 MPH tape). From fixing split radiator hoses to fixing tears in seats and cargo canvases. So far the best use of duct tape I have witnessed has got to be a tow rope. Coming back from the field we had two vehicles break down our wrecker towed one but we did not have anything to use to tow the other so quickly one of the other Soldiers grabbed his roll of tape. after folding back across itself a few times and twisting it up we tied it to the broke vehicle and towed it seven miles back to base.-- Joe, Colorado.
As a member of the Armed Forces, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, we find many uses for duct tape. Working on airplanes, I get many small (and sometimes large) cuts on my hands and arms. Not feeling motivated enough to go to the base exchange for a box of bandages, I decided to just use a folded up piece of toilet paper, and a strip of duct tape. this works very well until it's time to remove my make shift band aid and all the hair on my arm comes with it. - Josh M., "The Middle East"
When I was in the "Airforce Band of the Midwest" our hems had to be perfectly pleated on our trousers, so we would use duct tape on the inside of the pants leg, in lieu of ironing, if we didn'g have time to press them while we were on the road. We also couldn't have any extraneous loose hairs, etc on our uniforms, so the duct tape came in handy as a makeshift "lint brush" (works better, too!). --- Laura C.
From Volume 19, October 2002 of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
"I was the Troop maintenance officer and test pilot in late 1969 and early 1970 for the slicks of C/2/17th Cavalry of the 101st Airborne Division operating out of Camp Sally and later out of Phu Bai. Based out of Phu Bai, C Troop, 2/17th Cavalry was on a mission operating out of Quang Tri, North of Hue and South of the DMZ. On one particular mission our Slick Platoon Leader, CPT Mac Jones (CONDOR 03) and CW@ Glenn Dooley (CONDOR 44) his IP on that flight, took a round in the rotor blade. Our unit CO called me to bring up a replacement aircraft and to take the damaged one back to Phu Bai.
The bullet hole on the underside of the blade was the size of a .51 Cal, but the exit on the top of the blade was the size of my fist and surrounded by jagged metal. Maintenance Rule #1: For a helicopter to remain out of premature and sudden ground contact rotor blades need to remain intact. After trimming off the excess jagged metal and inspecting the paint surrounding the jagged hole for hairline cracks I covered the hole, and possibly any hairline cracks I did not see, with duct tape. (We just happened to have a roll of that stuff in the helicopter.) Started the helicopter up and brought it to a hover. No noticeable vibration. Sat it down and motioned for the crew to climb on board. They looked at me as if thinking, "Say what??" After a second invitation they climbed on board, figuring they would miss out on a hot meal if they didn't, and we flew it back to Phu Bai. --- Personal recollections of Lee Brooks (CONDOR 7)
This is a true story. All names have been changed to protect the duct taping fools (really I'm not one of 'em). Years ago my submarine the USS DOGFACE (see I told ya I was gonna change some names) was undergoing an upkeep in our home port of Sioux City. It was a usual inport period where we knocked all the old paint off the boat, fixed the rust, and repainted. Well, the was going to be a change of command ( I forget who was changing command) and they decided to do it on our boat. So we had very little notice on this and wouldn't you know it....a smooth military operation occurred where we hurredly fixed everything (we thought) primered and painted the submarine so it was all spic and span for the change of command. Boy, you gotta believe me when I tell you that the sub looked pretty topside. Well, the change of command hits and it goes off without a hitch. So with topside done so quickly we turn our attention to getting the parts and pieces on the inside ready for next deployment. due to some of the work that we had done to the boat we had to take her out on a trial run to ensure that she was watertight at all the worked on pieces. The initial dive takes place everyone on the crew is looking for waterleaks as instructed under our diving bill (water in the people tank is not very conducive to longetivity at sea). Hoorah, No leaks noted so we have to take her a lot deeper over a period of time and all the same checks are taking place. Quite luckily MM1/ss Crotchety ole Man decides to take a smoke break when he notices the side of our hull bowing inward. Being the inquisitive guy that he is he looks closer at the bulge and much to his suprise = DUCT TAPE (The green variety called E.B. Green.) holding strong at a rather deep depth. Well this facilitated a rather quick return to port for us and a repainting and weld over the little hole. I've never doubted a ducttape story after that. --- ex-subguy
I used to be in the USAF and worked on jet engines. Whenever a guy left the shop for another shop or squdran we'd duct tape them to a chair or cart and soak 'em with cold water and two trash cans full of ice. --- John F.
My friend worked as First Mechanic on a Marine Corps KC-130 from El Toro, CA. On one trip to England, while the rest of the aircrews of the three-plane deployment were at a pub, he went out to the flightline with duct tape in hand, and wrote in tape on the bottom of the other two planes: "We're Gay." Apparently, it was quite a popular trick, as these duct tape antics are actually popular with the aircrews, from what I've been told. --- E.J. Hunyadi
Ordinance Tape (Military duct tape) comes in really handy when you're running low on rope. If for some reason you lack the rope you need to get something accomplished such as a repel or a climb some of that heavy duty duct tape works really well as rope when it is folded in half. --- PFC. Josh P., U.S.A.F.
I work at a US military explosive facility. In the explosive industry, duct tape is commonly referred to as "ordnance tape." Below is a memo about ordinance tape that was just circulated. --- Frank
FYI, Ordnance tape is not really anything special. It is a cloth backed waterproof duct tape, also used as packaging tape. It was previously purchased under a spec PPP-T-60E, Type IV, Class I. This spec was cancelled in 1995 and superceded by an ASTM spec, ASTM D5486, Type
IV, Class I. It is available from GSA in different widths and colors as shown in the 2000 GSA catalog, page 113. Our most popular sizes and stock numbers are shown below. 7510-00-266-5016 Olive Drab, 2" wide, available from window 1 in supply at about $8/roll. Also available from McMaster at about $10.64/roll for a case of 24 under stock number 7612A95. Order with a 2 part stub through supply. 7510-00-890-9872 Olive Drab, 1" wide, not available on station. GSA item only, have not found it in any industrial supply or shipping company catalogs. About $4/roll. Need it? Do a bankcard form for it with the source as "GSA Direct". I spoke to the Safety Department some time ago about the "ordnance tape" spec and they could not give any definitive specification for it. Feel free to update me with any new information if you have it. (Signature removed)
I was on several drill teams in my JROTC unit, and we used to compete alot. Before we could go perform our routine, an official judge from the Army or Marine Corps would inspect the awaiting drill team. This meant we had to rush around to make sure everything was perfect, including the little rubber caps that cover the muzzle on our rifles. And these things ALWAYS fall off. Keeping my favorite motto in mind,(If its not stuck and its supposed to be, duct tape it!) I used a small piece of duct tape on the inside of the cap to keep it on. Also, the rubber butts would get broken during practice before the competition, so for last minute repairs we used thin strips of brown duct tape to keep them on. And yes, both fooled the judge. --- C/MSgt Kyle Arsenault ME-891 AFJROTC
When I was in the Navy (air wing) we used the green tape to secure fuze wiring and other bits to bombs and missiles after they were mounted on the wing pylons. Naturally, we call the stuff "ordnance tape", another name for your list. --- John Kornegay, CAPT, USNR (ret)
Here in Canada we called the military version of Duct Tape "Gun Tape" which is olive green. It is standard military issue for use in the field, and at base. --- Alex Cupples
I am in the U. S. NAVY and a few weeks ago we had an annual blues uniform inspection. Well, we are stationed here on a tropical island.. anyway, not many personnel have there blues ready for inspection because normally, all we wear is our whites or tropicals which is shorts in whites.
To make a long story short; in our office, one of the girls was getting dressed and her hem fell out. Well, of course we were all in a panic because everyone had to stand the inspection. Immediately I grabbed the duct tape, ran a seam along her hem line, and it looked perfect.She stood the inspection and know no one ever new there was a problem. It was great that we could rely on duct tape to hold out through the humidity and the prolonged standing of the inspection. --- Karen
I spent 7 years in the navy on submarines. One of the major forms of entertainment was using duct tape to tape up our shipmates. One of the most memorable occations was the time we got a midshipman on board. (A midshipman is someone who is in college and going to be an officer). He had an incredibly annoying attitude which was basically "I'm going to be an officer, so you better listen to me!" Do you have any idea how mad that can make people? After two days of putting up with this, we finally wrapped him up in about 3 rolls of duct tape, took him back to the engine room, and taped him to the air compressors. Then we started them up. The air compressors are large industrial types, and they shake arround quite a bit. He was there for three hours, and he wet himself, but he had a MUCH nicer attitude when we finally let him loose. --- Cainam
While serving as a Calvary Scout in the Army we were required to walk for miles and miles with our gear. This practice always caused blisters. Using duct tape or (100 MPH tape) on the soles of our bare feet would reduce the friction that caused those most annoying blisters. We also found the duct tape also protected our shoulders from our rucksacks. --- Darin McDoniel
At the Coast Guard Academy in New London Ct, we have to keep our racks made perfectly all the time. So instead of fixing it every morning when we wake up, we use duck tape to hold the sheets and blankets in place so they don't get messed up while we're sleeping. Then we sleep in sleeping bags on top of our racks. --- Kyle D. 2/c Cadet USCG
"When I was an Army paratrooper we used duct tape to secure equipment we didn't want flying off while exiting the aircraft at 125 mph." --- Christopher J. Wilder of Charlotte
We used to run signals exercises based in the back of landrovers all of which were equipped with a large roll of black duct tape. Main use was on tactical exercises when we had to be able to decode signals- a light is required to see the code book. There is a light in the back of the landrover but there is also a window and light streaming out is hardly tactical, simple solution... duct tape over the window. On the occasions when we got lumbered with a soft-top landrover we had no problem repairing the tears in the canvas cover. Also excellent for splicing co-axial cables, fixing snapped antennae and holding the lead-acid battery onto a radio set when the flimsy metal clips become too worn to do the job. --- S. H., British Territorial Army (signals troop)
I'm a Marine Corps helicopter mechanic. When we go out and "play" in the desert for extended periods of time, the leading edges of the rotor blades get eaten up by all the sand that gets blown into the air when we land. We then have to replace these rotor blades, involving lots of time and effort, and costing the squadron a lot of money. So we came up with a simple and low-cost (but unauthorized) solution: a long strip of 3" wide duct tape carefully applied to the leading edge of the blades. The tape is pretty durable, but if the blade isn't clean before the tape is applied, you've got the world's most expensive confetti maker. --- Ken M.
During ROTC drill team practice we sometimes would break a rifle we were spinning. Well, duct tape to the rescue. At the end of the drill season we had the same amount of rifles that we started with, but only two of them didn't have duct tape on them. The good part is that duct tape provides extra grip! — Bill A.
I was in the USAF from '78 to '82. Sorry, we didn't have duct tape and I had never heard of it back then (being quite naive at the time). Instead we had "F4 Tape", officially called silicon tape. It was a very rubbery kind of tape that would not stick to anything except itself. F4 Tape also had a cult following. Every F4 aircraft must have had at least a mile of F4 tape to protect wires, hydraulic lines, make crude gaskets, fill in for missing brackets, etc. I haven't seen it outside of the military. --- Mark
I've been a U.S. Marine on active duty since 1984. I've participated in many field exercises and operations around the world. Prior to deployment, each Marine is given a minimum equipment list and is responsible to ensure all items are in his pack. The list contains the bare essentials, such as helmet, canteens, extra socks and skivvies, etc. Most Marines take extra "comfort" items, such as beef jerky, rope, and, of course, duct tape. Of all the items I've forgotten, I have never left the duct tape behind.
My experience with duct tape goes far beyond basic adhesive needs. When used properly, duct tape waterproofs everything, keeps all equipment silent during a patrol, patches snags in the uniform, and is used in nearly all field construction projects.
Training with our British counterparts during Exercise Purple Star aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, we were dug in for a two-week bivouac. No port-a-johns meant leaning against a tree or a bent e-tool to do number two. Marines are known to overcome and adapt, and that's just what we did. We used shelter halves (heavy canvas tent), three trees, and duct tape to construct a private head (Naval term for bathroom; the Army says latrine; the Air Force says bathroom). The scheme worked great for the four of us until others found it. We had to relocate several times during the two weeks for odorous reasons. Thanks to the duct tape, the relocation was quite effortless. --- Master Sergeant Rob S., U.S. Marine Corps, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington D.C.
I use it to repair your parachute lines. After all when you are in the plane ready to jump at 5,000 feet, your gear on and one of your lines looks a little worn just throw some duct tape on it since you don't want the line to break on the way down. --- SPC Luke E., Parachute Rigger, 82nd Airborne Fort Bragg, NC
In 1962 we were practicing attaching heavy loads to large cargo helicoptors for short distance transportation. We would pack large trays with gear or rations or even a jeep. The chopper would hover above and we would attach the load to a sling and the chopper would lift off with it.
After the exercise was completed, the chopper was preparing to depart. As it powered up, a long nylon tie-down strap with a steel "D" ring on one end that had been left on the ground was sucked up and hit one roator blade punching a hole through it. They shut down, examined it, duct taped over the hole with several layers of duct tape and powered up and left. --- PFC Dennis K. N., U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division, Forg Bragg, N. Carolina (1960-63)
When I was in the military me and my roomate duct taped around 25 pictures to the wall, since no nail holes were allowed we thought what the heck. Well it looked great until around 2 years later when we started taking them down. Apparently duct tape is also a paint and drywall remover Who would of thought? --- Adam S.
A few years back, while participating in the "Persian Excursion" (aka Desert Storm), I was stationed on an aircraft carrier. During the transit between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, we developed a fuel oil leak in one of our fuel transfer lines for the boilers. Being in the middle of nowhere and in a dire need for fuel, we had to be quite creative in a last minute repair. Welding was totally out of the question because we would have had to secure two propulsion boilers (and one catapult) and move over 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Bearing in mind that we were on a strict deadline to meet our next scheduled launch of the air wing myself and a fellow lunatic devised a plan to fix the leak without stopping the flow of fuel. We took a few rolls of the red duct tape (used by the fly boys) and a few feet of emergency pipe patching liquid fiberglass (for sea water only) and effectively sealed the leak. By the way, that 'temporary' repair lasted for 4 YEARS!!!!! It wasn't until the ship was decommissioned that our little repair was discovered. --- Clint D., US Navy
This is probably not one of your more interesting military duct tape stories, but it’s all true. This happened about 18 years ago. I would prefer to leave out the names of the ship and squadrons involved...
On a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, in the weeks prior to going home, there is a mad scramble among the squadrons to get every aircraft up and flyable so that they could be flown from the ship to their respective home ports. Otherwise, any down aircraft have to sail into port to be craned off the ship, disassembled, and transported by truck to the squadron. This is not only hugely inconvenient, but it is expensive and an embarrassment to the squadron commanding officer.
We were on our way home after making a six-month cruise. Our ship had two A7-E Corsair II squadrons. I was in one of them. Both our squadron and our sister squadron had done a terrific job getting all two-dozen or so aircraft ready to make the short hop home. Then, a day or so out of port, a mishap occurred to one of the birds in our sister squadron. One of the major access panels on the side of one plane (a piece about two feet tall by five feet wide) was damaged such that it would not close properly. The aircraft would not be allowed to fly in such a condition, and there was no time to get a new part. The squadron’s C.O. was desperate, then the crew came up with a rather ingenious, though somewhat dangerous, plan.
The broken access panel was completely removed from the aircraft and a piece of cardboard was cut to fit the hole. It was then secured to the aircraft with duct tape and painted to perfectly match the the plane's color scheme. One of the more artistic airmen even used a fine-point brush and black paint to add faux "details" to the panel. They did such a good job that, from a distance, everything looked completely normal.
The next morning, the plane taxied to the catapult as normal. The only hint that anything was unusual was the fact that most of squadron seemed to show up to watch the launch. The signal was given and the A7 whooshed down the bow. As it left the ship our sister squadron gave a cheer. Just then, their cardboard-and-duct-tape panel flew off and floated down to the sea. That was fine. The faux panel had done its job – it had fooled the launch officer. Fifty cents worth of duct tape saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars in transportation costs as well as saving the squadron from embarrassment. Who could ask for more?
Sorry that I can't supply any pictures, but considering that the entire operation was illegal you can understand why nobody recorded it for posterity. --- Will C., Oklahoma City, OK
When I was in the gulf war, I remebered this little trick when it came time to escort Iraqi POW's and we were out of restraints. Duct tape around the elbows, secured behind the back is an amazing immobilizer. Not only was it effective, but a large number of Iraqi's are now major believers in duct tape. Seriously, they managed to ask us, in broken English, what this special material was. --- "Creature"
A few years back, while participating in the "Persian Excursion" (aka Desert Storm), I was stationed on an aircraft carrier. During the transit between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, we developed a fuel oil leak in one of our fuel transfer lines for the boilers. Being in the middle of nowhere and in a dire need for fuel, we had to be quite creative in a last minute repair. Welding was totally out of the question because we would have had to secure two propulsion boilers (and one catapult) and move over 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel. Bearing in mind that we were on a strict deadline to meet our next scheduled launch of the air wing myself and a fellow lunatic devised a plan to fix the leak without stopping the flow of fuel. We took a few rolls of the red duct tape (used by the fly boys) and a few feet of emergency pipe patching liquid fiberglass (for sea water only) and effectively sealed the leak. By the way, that 'temporary' repair lasted for 4 YEARS!!!!! It wasn't until the ship was decommissioned that our little repair was discovered. --- Clint D., US Navy
During ROTC drill team practice we sometimes would break a rifle we were spining. well, duct tape to the rescue. At the end of the drill season we had the same amount a rifles as we started with, but only two of them didn't have duct tape on them. But the good part is duct tape provides extra grip! --- Bill A.
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