Army slang for what civilians commonly call duct tape. The actual
army name for it is olive drab
green reinforcement tape which is what you would need to call it if you were to order it from the
army supply store (GSA).
The story goes that during WWII the
army asked
Johnson &
Johnson to develop a seal that would keep moisture out of their ammo cans. J&J answered with OD
green reinforcement tape. It is said that the tape was so effective at keeping moisture out that
water would bead off it like "
water off a duck's back" earning it the name "duck tape". Duck tape would end up having multiple uses in the military, though; with supply
short during WWII, duck tape became the military's answer to fixing equipment in the field. Seeing how effective, efficient, and versatile a roll the tape played in the military, J&J marketed the tape to civilians as a
fix all. The tape became known as "duct tape", but I'm not sure if this is because the most common usage was to hold ducts together or because civilians misheard the name.
Throughout the
history of the military, supply was always an issue, and in the event that GI's didn't have the proper tools to fix something they would use duck tape. As a fix all, duck tape was so effective that it was said it could hold a jeep together travelling at 100 mph, hence the common army name "100 mile an hour tape." Ask anyone from the army what it is and they'll tell you.
100 mile an hour tape is a part of army (military) lifestyle so much that it is actually documented for usage in SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). From personal experience, I can tell you that it is used per procedure for preparing slingload operations (operations where a helicopter carries something beneath it) and to cover shiny objects and reduce noise (rattling) when on patrols.
Soldier 1: Tie down that flap on the trailer before we lose another gas can.
Soldier
2: Can't, the tie down
strap is
broke. We still haven't gotten a replacement.
Soldier 1: Figures. Just get some 100 mile an hour tape and do the best you can.
