I was watching the History channel and they mentioned that the army was the major consumer of ice cream in the 40’s. Which led me to think how it must have been the major consumer of everything in the 40’s…ice cream, cigerettes, condoms (Yes this is how my mind works).
So I was wondering, do they pass out condoms to male soilders nowadays? Female soilders? Did they in WWII? Veitnam? Would seem practical to me.
My best friend was just discharged from the Army (his MOS was 19D, Cavalry Scout) and he says that condoms were only issued to them when they were at the National Training Center at Ft. Irwin. They were not for sexual use, but rather to protect the end of their M16/M4 barrels. It is, apparently, quite dusty out there.
IANAS, YMMV
I was given a condom on my first day of basic training. We used it as a coin, you had to have it with you always, if someone showed you theirs, you had to have yours or you bought the first round.
I am female BTW
Can’t speak to the indended use, but rubbers have long been a good method of keeping crap out of the muzzle of your gun. At least since WWII. I would like to know if it was one per customer, or one on the gun 9 for fun.
Oh grow up! When I said keeping crap out of the muzzle of your gun I meant sand, water, debries, ect., and when I said ‘gun’ I meant the metal thing your uncle gave you, not the thing your dad gave you.
On the submarines I served on during the ‘80’s, there were little rooms off the forward end of the mess decks, used as an office/workspace for the boats’ corpsman. Hanging on the inside of the door was a bulk dispenser of condoms, free for the taking.
'Course, they always said that we bubbleheads always got the best of everything. I don’t know how free they were with them on the skimmers. And I didn’t see them when I was on shore duty, even on those rare occasions when I reported to sick call.
The Navy definitely passed out condoms at overseas liberty ports in the Eighties. They were issued at sickbay by the Corpsman. It was far cheaper than curing hundreds of Sailors of various VDs. {They were still VDs back then not STDs}
We still had dozens of cases of the clap anyway. Dumb squids.
Jim
In WWII condoms were a part of a kit of anti-venereal prophylactic materials (pro kit for short) readily available to anyone. There were any number of different training films on venereal diseases and all of them that I saw included specific instructions on how to use the materials in the pro kit. Millions of them were bought and millions used and not necessarily to keep dirt and moisture out of the barrel of a rifle.
In the army at least, their anti venereal campaign was highly successful. I’m told and have read that WWII was the first major US war in which venereal disease was just a minor annoyance and not a major problem
I know that they did make them a part of the Air Force survival kits during the Cold War Era.
According to Major TJ Kong the kit includes: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; and three pair of nylon stockings.
According to Major Kong, a fella’ could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.
Dr. Strangelove
This barely counts, but as a military cadet when I was wee, condoms were found in sickbay at camp.
At the military clinic at CFB Longue-Pointe, a basket of condoms was resting in the corner of the pharmacy desk, free to all. I was never issued one, though.
They were free to anyone that wanted them when leaving the ship in an overseas port. No free ones in the home port though, I guess there was no chance of catching anything from a freindly!
I can also report that they are currently being used in Afghanistan by many Canadian troops for keeping dust and moisture out of rifles.
Hey, they are cheap, disposable, stretchy and you can shoot through them.
Hopefully, only with the rifle.
This is my rifle, this is my gun!
Women were not issued condoms or contraception during WWII. Eleanor Roosevelt tried to have WACS and nursed issued with birth control and failed. I’ve seen old military hygiene films and they’re graphic even by modern standards (well at least American standards).
So I guess there are a lot of Air force Pilots shot down while jetting over Vegas, eh? Or maybe they just get shot down while on leave in Vegas! 
I don’t think anyone gets shot down in Vegas .
Would a burning sensation count as friendly fire?
I would say that would depend on equipment and possiblity of operator error