Why US troops have new shoulder pads

[PfcHammer]

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0428/p06s01-woiq.html

Why US troops have new shoulder pads

A new combat trauma registry that tracks casualty patterns in Iraq may spur development of new gear.

By Scott Peterson | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

FALLUJAH, IRAQ – For military medics, the lesson that matters most from Lt. Jeff Copeland's US Marine convoy is not that it was ambushed three times by Iraqi insurgents on a single run.
The key point for them: How and where were the two US casualties wounded?

As US troops struggle with ongoing violence, a newly established US Navy Combat Trauma Registry is charting casualty patterns in hopes of improving troop protection. The number of US dead in April has reached 122, with nearly 900 troops wounded.

Already, specific dangers for US forces - roadside bombs and urban warfare - are prompting swift innovations.

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[Mistress Quickly]

1. Good. Protect our troops as well

as possible so they can come home.

[bedtimeforbonzo]

2. good idea, if they'd actually use them

they hinder movement, so most troops take them off fairly quickly.

[wtmusic]

3. just in time for summer

and 115 degrees

[Sabriel]

4. I thought it was a fashion statement...

You know, shoulder pads broaden the shoulders, creating a V effect that in turn slims the hips.... Makes the troops look fitter, more "manly."