I do not understand the need for sterile blades unless one is Force Recon/SF/Seal. The SF troops are typically supplied their sterile MilSpec GSA ordered blade.
Not necessarily. A lot of Special Operations forces will buy a sizeable portion of their equipment outside of standard procurement chains. And they have more latitude when it comes to selecting their own personal equipment. Yes, there's still some standardization, but not like the average soldier, or marine.
The average joe blow military guy like myself had plenty of markings all over us to tell the enemy where we were from. US MARINES name tapes. All the new USMC digi-camies say in small camo pattern USMC all over. 'Camelback' labels show, 'Wiley Romer' sunglasses, 'Colt' on the M16-A2. The dead give away is.......the American flag on our shoulders and flying over our base camps. If you are unmarked an caught in Afghan or Iraq, God help you unless your "Handler" is near by.
So put a damned Scrap Yard stamp on our blades :-) (Repelling off my soap box!)
As part of the 'regular forces' you're required under the Geneva Convention to wear some type of uniform. Special Operations forces are also required to wear some type of unifrom when conduction sanctioned operations. However, Special Operations forces sometimes conduct operations 'off the books' so to speak. And it's during those 'off the book' operations that sterility comes into play.
Jerry
