The water there is bad to drink so treating it with iodine keeps you from getting sick. If you're toting around 60-70 pounds of gear while walking up and down hills for 15 or 20 miles in 110+ degree weather you're going to drink a lot of water. Like gallons a day. You can't really carry like...
Was actually saline or lactated ringers and it was to avoid drinking that shit. It wasn't particularly hardcore or special lots of guys did that shit, iodine water was nasty as fuck. Just was a comment about the people being bitches about 16-19 gauge needles.
Back in my military days I used to use 12 gauge needles to give myself IVs instead of drinking shitass iodine treated water. Iodine flavored water is horrid.
While I didn't think it was as good as some of the people in this thread are making it out to be comparing it to Transformers is pretty stupid even for you.