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thedrifter
08-26-04, 06:40 AM
Issue Date: August 30, 2004

When women just ‘gotta go’

By Gina Cavallaro
Times staff writer


BAQUBAH, Iraq — Women tend to be more reluctant to drink mass quantities of water in hot environments because of the inconvenience of having to urinate frequently.
“Convoys are a big thing,” said Army 1st Lt. Kimberly Fung, a physician’s assistant. “I’ve seen males and females who don’t want to drink because they don’t want to pee.”

But staying hydrated is a key element in preventing heat injuries in Iraq, where temperatures typically climb well over 100 degrees during summer.

Now, the Army is providing women with an alternative, something Capt. Francisco Dominicci, a brigade nurse at Camp Warhorse in Iraq, said he hadn’t seen before he arrived in Kuwait in February.

It’s called the female urinary director, or FUD, a device shaped much like a cupped hand with a spout and extended tube. The cup is placed against the body and, with the tube extended through the front opening in the pants, the urine is directed out and away.

Often, women will slice the top off an empty 1.5-liter water bottle and do their best to relieve themselves while on the road. But it’s awkward and requires removing clothing, as does squatting next to a vehicle. So far, the FUD appears to be a big hit with female troops.

“I’ve experimented with sitting in a vehicle with a bottle,” said Army 1st Lt. Laurie Godin, a medical services corps officer who works at the civil military operations center in Baqubah. “It was difficult, but it worked with some maneuvering.”

The FUD, Godin said, is an excellent alternative, and one she has used on long convoys.

“You could get out, go behind a vehicle like the guys and not have to drop your drawers and be hanging out in the wind,” Godin said.

Col. Joan Sullivan, division surgeon for the National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., said she ordered two FUDs for each of the 128 women who work on the division headquarters staff and recommended all division units acquire them for female soldiers. She heard about the device from someone in theater.

“Our intention is to get them early enough so [female soldiers] can try them here before we go over to Iraq,” said Sullivan, whose obstetrics and gynecology practice will be put on hold during her deployment to Iraq with the 42nd ID late this year.

Not all female soldiers have been issued the device, but many said they wouldn’t mind trying it.

“It’s been brought to my attention, but I haven’t seen one,” said Army Sgt. Lisa Cole, 26, a platoon team leader with 1st Military Police Company, 1st Infantry Division.

“It’s a lot easier for the guys to go when we’re on the road,” she said. “But working with the guys, they treat us like sisters and they’re not going to spy on their sisters.” h

Gina Cavallaro covers the Army.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-MARINEPAPER-312781.php


Ellie

stemperfi
08-26-04, 09:18 AM
Necessity is the mother of invention. Lets just hope that whoever manufactures them, don't charge DOD $600.00 per unit like they did for the toilet seats...

enviro
08-26-04, 09:35 AM
http://www.useakayak.org/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/freshette_fs.jpg

http://www.useakayak.org/images/fud_cockpit.jpg

http://www.useakayak.org/images/fud_use.jpg

radio relay
08-26-04, 09:52 AM
So, all the gals in combat are wearing shorts over there?

Why not just pull a porta-potty behind that jeep...er humvee?

Women in a war zone. Ahhh , the political correctness of it all. You gotta love 'em. Putting up with so much. Just to show us mean old men that they can...

Sparrowhawk
08-26-04, 10:19 AM
can they write their names in the snow with that thing?

LOL

I hear they call them "Lady Janes"

Heck think I'll cut out a bunch of Turkey Basters and sell them to the mIlitary for twice what I pay for them.... LOL

USMC-FO
08-26-04, 01:15 PM
Well this is a nice break from the seriousness of most other posts here.....

Enviro....Jeez thanks for the pics ... borders on TMI but gee such an involved science to it all....

Cook...turkey basters ?? and these would be for ?????

FUD's .... yup DOD ancronymners at their best...

Sparrowhawk
08-26-04, 01:23 PM
Don't those FUd's look like Turkey basters?

HardJedi
08-26-04, 01:40 PM
yeah, I REALLY coulda done without the demonstration pics LOL

thedrifter
08-26-04, 01:41 PM
:eek:


I just Love you Marines..



Ellie

USMC-FO
08-26-04, 01:49 PM
Cook:

Stretch for a turkey baster to a FUD on the "looks like" scale.

Basters clearly need some sort of anatomical adjustment or ask yourself if you'd use it--high dribble factor and odd wet spot locations....anyway though they were used for artificial insemination purposes.....

On the size and thickiness issue you cite...well I think you're confused since well... we've heard size does not matter .....

Right ??

thedrifter
08-26-04, 01:53 PM
LMAO@USMC-FO...

Also it is a certain few the size doesn't matter....;) :D


Ellie

Sparrowhawk
08-26-04, 02:04 PM
Originally posted by USMC-FO
Cook:

Stretch for a turkey baster to a FUD on the "looks like" scale.

Basters clearly need some sort of anatomical adjustment or ask yourself if you'd use it--high dribble factor and odd wet spot locations....anyway though they were used for artificial insemination purposes.....

On the size and thickiness issue you cite...well I think you're confused since well... we've heard size does not matter .....

Right ??


working on a new improved version...


We'll call it the Clinton version...LMAo




http://vvakerry.bizland.com/turkey1.jpg

could make the tip smaller so the range would improve.. LMAO

Well market it under a new gimmic..

"Now, you too can stand up and pee...."

thedrifter
08-26-04, 02:09 PM
LMAO@Cook


http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=cigar/v=2/SID=e/l=IVS/*-http://www.rejeanstudio.com/ts/havana_cigar_lg.jpg

USMC-FO
08-26-04, 02:17 PM
Great dynamic engeering improvements !!

Think the ladies will appreciate the 90 degree turn for high arch mortar use ??

Think too about how this will look wrapped up, as it were, in the ladies camies....like a .. er..a... well... a "woodie".... will cause great confusion among the males !!

Might be a touch uncomfortable for "walk around" use.

Missing an attachement strap of some sort but clearly your design and engineering skill are running at 110 percent ! I'm impressed !!

Jeez we could cross market this to other industries ... like the film industry ....

Ed Palmer
08-26-04, 03:14 PM
Hey where can I get one for my wife when we travel. she never has to go when I stop for gas but let me get a 1oo miles from nowhere I hear (honey I have to pee) let me know

CAR
08-26-04, 05:02 PM
What do you do when your done ****ing in it? Do you stick in you back pack, put it with your canteen? (I hope they rinse it out) ...Guess I never thought of what to do when women have to go.

Osotogary
08-26-04, 08:05 PM
Ya seen one storm drain...ya seen 'em all. I could have used one of them when last I added oil to my car. They are called funnels. LMAO

Arlene Horton
08-26-04, 08:10 PM
Too bad these people never seem to get catalogs for campers, hunters, etc. They have urinals for males & females use. As a former Woman Marine I must agree that the idea in the "old days" that women were not sent into combat areas unless they were nurses or doctors. Semper Fi...

snipowsky
08-27-04, 03:14 AM
With the explanation and my superior thinking mind I had a good idea of what they are talking about Sgt. Enviro! lol Like HardJedi said, "TMI"!

Thanks I just lost my appetite for awhile guys!