Sometimes, it's the little things

A U.S. Marine carries a wounded colleague to a medevac helicopter with the U.S. Army Task Force Shadow "Dust Off", Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment after their convoy, including the destroyed truck at background left, hit an improvised explosive device near Marjah in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

You may have noticed in the photo above that the Marine being carried has one bare foot and that the removed boot has been tied to his pant leg.


The combat boot of a wounded U.S. Marine sits next to him on a medevac helicopter from the United States Army's Task Force Shadow 'Dust Off', Charlie Company 1-214 Aviation Regiment after he was injured by an improvised explosive device near Marjah, in southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011.(AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

Well, looks like that boot made it with him on the MEDEVAC bird. I'm sure he was pleased with that. The guys hate losing pieces of gear, and often complain about how all of their clothing (including boots) may be cut off during examinations after MEDEVAC. It's a safety precaution, of course. Additional wounds, such as those from shrapnel, can be unnoticed by a patient who is focused on the pain of a larger, more obvious one.