If you bothered to read the letter in the linked article, he bought them in the UK before deploying because he, "just knew what the army was like". They subsequently withdrew his medical pouch, so he would seem to have been correct in his assessment.
You might make the assumption that he in a slightly less hostile environment but, if his aunt is to be believed, he has had two people die on him in two days. So, as a medic, medical supplies might be useful.