Posted on 08/24/2007 12:01:23 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
80,000 cans of Silly String, and no way to get them to Iraq
By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press Writer (Published: August 24, 2007)
DEPTFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) - Marcelle Shriver has about 80,000 cans of Silly String and all she needs is a way to get them to Iraq.
For almost a year, the New Jersey woman has been collecting Silly String to send to troops, who use it to detect trip wires connected to bombs. She's already shipped about 40,000 cans to Iraq through the military but is struggling to find someone to send another shipment.
"They're sending these cargo planes over there every day, and I know that my shipment would be a speck on one of those planes," said Shriver, standing near boxes of string stacked outside at a friend's business.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman in Iraq, said Shriver's efforts are appreciated, but that commanders decide which items troops need. He said the spray was used heavily in 2004 but is not as widely needed today.
"If commanders on the ground are screaming that we need this stuff, we'll get it to them," Garver said.
Shriver's Silly String campaign began last fall with a collection box at her church. Word quickly spread, and people across the country began sending her Silly String or products made by other manufacturers that go by names such as "party string" or "crazy string."
Shriver got the idea from her son, a soldier in Ramadi. Before entering a building, troops squirt the gooey substance, which can travel about 10 to 12 feet, across an area. If it falls to the ground - that's an indication there are no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, troops know they may have a problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at pressofatlanticcity.com ...
I actually talked to the airline I work for and asked them if it would be possible to ship this stuff. Since it’s considered hazmat and we’re carrying passengers they said we couldn’t do it.
I believe DHL is shipping there.
Silly string is the best idea for locating trip wires I’ve ever heard of. I wish we’d had it in Viet Nam.
Can’t you deliver by B-52 on a return trip from an Iranian petro refinery?
Surge grinds to a halt. Troops run out of silly string!
Seems that the military could ship the silly string if it’s useful to their forces over there. They ship all sorts of stuff all the time. I would think a single C5A could carry enough cans of the stuff to last them for several years.
Harry Reid today gave a press statement saying that since we cannot ship silly string to our troops we must change course in Iraq and that’s it’s Bush’s fault....
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