I am a medical professional. The National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) has everyone from Basic EMTs on up using tourniquets for severe extremity hemmorhage if direct pressure doesn't work first (see the skills check sheet here). The prehospital trauma life support (PHTLS) class has been teaching the same thing for a couple of years now. The military teaches every soldier to apply a tourniquet, even with their evac times being more extended than in civilian EMS.

Don't rely on what the Boy Scouts said 20 years ago when it comes to your medical knowledge.