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August 7, 2005

Would you consider disposable underwear a weapon of war? One of the secret weapons of the Iraq war has been high tech underwear that wicks away sweat. Those wearing this stuff are thus cooled off, and less likely to get rashes and other skin disorders. One less irritant for the American troops using this stuff, which was first developed for athletes and hikers. But this high tech (and highly expensive, over $30 each for briefs or t-shirts) gets too grungy to be useful after a while. This often happens when troops are operating at forward operating bases where laundry service is unavailable, and water use is restricted. Enter MIL-TREKS, disposable underwear that is light, cheap, and better than nothing. Briefs cost 40 cents a pair. They are comfortable, but dont handle the sweat as well as the high-end briefs, or even standard ones made of Polyester, Spandex or nylon. Still, in a pinch, a five pack of these can make those last few days of a long mission in western Iraq a bit more palatable. That sort of thing helps you maintain your attention to the dangerous job at hand, and that can be a lifesaver.