New first aid kit includes eye protection, strap cutter
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Dec. 6, 2013) — The Army is now issuing to Soldiers the more robust,
more streamlined “Individual First Aid Kit II” as replacement for the older kit which was built inside an
ammunition pouch for a Squad Automatic Weapon.
The IFAK II contains all the supplies of the old kit, with the addition of a second tourniquet, a tactical combat
casualty card to annotate what kind of first aid was applied to a wounded Soldier, a marker, an eye shield, a
rubber seal with a valve for sucking chest wounds, and a strap cutter.
The kit fits inside a custom pouch that can be mounted out-of-the-way on the back of a Soldier’s Improved
Outer Tactical Vest.
“That’s typically low-rent real estate there,” said Maj. Peter Stambersky, assistant product manager of Soldier
clothing and individual equipment at Program Executive Office Soldier, Fort Belvoir, Va. “Guys don’t use it too
much.”
The pouch has “US IFAK” printed on its rear, so Soldiers may easily identify its contents, Stambersky said.
The individual tourniquet pouches also contain customizable, removable tabs that allow Soldiers to hand write
their blood type or unit on the kit.
While the new first aid kit can be mounted on a Soldier’s back, it is designed to be easily accessible when
needed for both right-handed and left-handed Soldiers.
The IFAK II can be removed from its container pouch from either side by pulling on one of two tabs and
slipping it out of its case. The tabs also have small “flaps” on them, so that when a Soldier is reaching for the
kit, he can get some tactile feedback that lets him know he is pulling on the right tab, Stambersky said. When
removed, the foldable kit remains attached to the pouch by an elastic tether.
The kit also comes with two removable tourniquet pouches that can be mounted to the kit, or to other parts of
a Soldier’s gear. Stambersky said Soldiers might even remove one of the tourniquets from its separate pouch
and store it in a cargo pocket on their uniform pants, or in a sleeve pocket.
“You can take this out and walk around with them in your pocket, which a lot of guys are doing in-country
now,” he said, while waving the un-pouched tourniquet in the air.
The kit is already in Afghanistan in small numbers, as part of a previously initiated limited user evaluation
involving 4th Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Polk, La. In September, units at Fort Bragg, N.C.,
received the kits through the Rapid Fielding Initiative in advance of their own deployment.
See Also EFMB Testing – EFMB Standards – EFMB Requirements – EFMB Soldiers