I spoke with the man behind the RAT. The gist of the conversation was that Afghan National Army Soldiers would not apply the appropriate amount of pressure with CAT or SOF-T when training. Seeing that the ANA guys were adverse to the pain of TQ application, they needed something else and the RAT was born. The RAT is misleading because it has TC3 approved stamped or engraved into the metal, but The Comitee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care (CoTCCC) in Ft Sam Houston, TX has not recommended it.
When training with your TQ you have to remember that it is painful! Have a TQ specifically for training and a few for actual life threatening bleeding. If you wear them mounted on your kit, change them out every six months or so and use the old TQ for training. And never ever use your FAK to store your iPhone, cigarettes, Copenhagen, skittles, or anything but your 1st Aid gear.
Tourniquet, nose hose, chest seal, dart!
In chaos, there is hope!
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