You heard that right – the guys on my team carry machine guns, polearms, knives, and other combat tools, and they also carry tampons.
Although we all wear quite a lot of body armor, and we take many precautions to make sure nobody gets hurt, there’s always a possibility a bullet ricochets or some other random accident happens, and somebody on my team gets shot. When that happens, the tampon is perhaps the greatest invention ever for first aid.
A bullet doesn’t blow arms and legs apart like you see in the movies. All bullets do is punch little holes into a person, and yes, often break or slice through anything inside that it hits. When you’re in the field trying to treat a GSW (GunShot Wound), you need to stop that bleeding as fast as possible so the blood stays inside your buddy, oxygenating his brain and heart, and keeping him alive. Traditionally you slap a bunch of gauze pads over the tiny wound, but that simply encourages more blood to seep out and clot outside.
Some teams carry QuikClot, which is a powder you sprinkle on the wound, and it works great. The problem is you still have to apply pressure to the wound, and it still takes a little while to work.
If you shove a tampon into a GSW, though, it will swell up and plug up the bullet hole nicely. It basically creates its own pressure as it soaks up the blood, quickly and cleanly stopping the blood flow, and helping your body clot naturally. They’re also tiny, so you can carry a bunch in your first aid kit, and you can open and insert them in seconds.
If your police department, combat team, or first responder team isn’t using tampons yet to treat gunshot wounds in the field, definitely give them a try. You’ll never look back!