Comments on: An Army Surgeon Says New Helmet Doesn’t Fit Iraq

By: John Tighe

John Tighe — Fri, 27 Aug 2004 05:23:25 +0000

Boy, this and how the marines combat training has been cut in half, we should pray for them because they'll need all of the help they can get.

By: Teri

Teri — Thu, 26 Aug 2004 04:25:35 +0000

They should look at making a hinged or articulated flap that could be attached at the bottom of the helmet.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 16:27:31 +0000

I'm showing my age here, I served wearing the steel pot. While perhaps somewhat less protective of one's gourd than the Kevlar hats it had one advantage in the long footslogging wars that we may never see again, general utility.
I've used that pot to dig and to wash my feet, to cook and to make coffee...hint, before making coffee in a helmet always remember which one everyone washed their feet in the night before. I've gathered fruit and eggs and pounded tent stakes, during monsoon season I always filled a helmet or two in case the rain stopped while I was soaped up. During the dry season I took my, pardon the expression, whore baths out of my pot and then shaved with the water that was left. When Doc needed hot water for either the mundane treatment of blisters or the emergency treatment of bad wounds it was ready in seconds by filling a helmet with water and lighting a small piece of C-4. On one bad night a friend of mine lived because he could whip off his pot and beat an NVA Sapper to death with it.
We've forgotten the lessons of my father's war. Take a look at the German POWs, their infantry almost never were wearing helmets because they threw them away on long marches. Our troops never threw their helmets away, they were simply too useful. If we ever get into a foot-soldier's war again there will be a helluva lot of our soldiers fighting in soft caps.
Something pretty good on your head is far better than something perfect laying in a ditch ten miles back.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 15:09:59 +0000

Kinch: Right. The old Kevlar was never popular--it had a number of flaws in comparison with the "steel pot" it replaced. But it's bulky, odd shape was apparently good for the unique environment of constant car bombings and explosive detonations.

By: Kinch1

Kinch1 — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:50:53 +0000

An recent article in Strategypage.com reported that the Pentagon was in the process of redesigning the helmet in response to complaints from soldiers and Marines in combat. Their main problem with the old design was that the back of the helmet interfered with the backpack when in the prone position. This made it difficult to raise thair head. This article must be about the new design.

By: La Femme Crickita

La Femme Crickita — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 13:10:53 +0000

At least he was thorough in pointing out some of
the flaws in the argument. But the Marines have
a tendency to take care of their infantry a tad
better than the Army. I hate to admit that, but
if variant is made available, I will concede that
the Army cares enough to do right by it's troops.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 12:56:39 +0000

It was hard enough for me to find the regular helmet to fit properly, let alone any new ones that have come along.

At my last unit, there was a 3-unit trade involved among supply sergeants and I still didn't get the ideal size - had to mess with the screws attaching the green band to the helmet to get it to fit.

At the end of basic at CIF they asked if I was Regular Army; had I been, they would have had me keep my XL helmet and not turn it in.