Why Do Troops Love the Woobie?

Today, deployed service members and veterans alike hold the woobie in high regard. Troops deployed in the field can use them as blankets, tent dividers, and field expedient shelters or sleeping bags.

Woobies can also trap a person’s body heat, even when soaking wet. Their light weight and small size make them highly appreciated by troops who must carry 100-pound rucksacks and Modular Sleep Systems. Veterans have reported using their service-issued woobies in a variety of ways: as baby blankets, hammock blankets, smoking jackets, dog beds, hoodies, coats, and robes.

Even civilians have access to woobies. Because they are sold online, they now come in a variety of fabrics, prints, and colors, as well as prices and quality. Woobies are also advertised to civilians: To hunters and campers for use during cold and wet weather, as picnic and stadium blankets for outdoor events, and for use as comforters and couch blankets at home.

From their humble beginnings in the jungles of Vietnam, to their status as “the greatest military invention ever fielded,” it’s probably safe to say that these “simple poncho liners” will continue to be enjoyed by troops, veterans, and civilians for the foreseeable future.

Borrowed from The Veteran.com Team