Helmet fit & MARADMIN 480/06

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

HELMETS SAVE LIVES!! Earlier this year one of my LCpl's caught a round and is alive today because his helmet took the hit instead of his forehead! It rang his bell good and he had a damn sore neck but, thanks to his helmet, he was able to tell his family and friends all about it. A few minutes later, another Marine was saved by his helmet when it diverted a round that struck the back of his head.

As you may know, various widespread issues with helmets have come to the surface since the start of combat ops. The two most obvious and easiest to fix are appropriate fit and proper wear. When helmets are ill fitted or worn improperly, Marines are exposed to increased risk of injury due to ballistic threats and concussion. Surveys from OIF/OEF show the majority of improperly sized/fitted helmets have been found to be too small. Obviously the individual Marine and Supply have to take care of helmet fit, but all NCO's are responsible to ensure their Marines' are wearing the helmet correctly. As the Doc, it is your job to make sure everyone else is doing their job towards making your Marines safer...

In addition to the complete phase out of the PASGT helmet with the new Lightweight Helmet (LWH) by FY2009, another issue to resolve is that MARADMIN 480/06 rescinded the authorization for the sling suspension system in the LWH. The pad suspension system is now the only authorized system for the helmet. Furthermore, other guidance states that all helmet 2-point chinstraps should be replaced with a 4-point retention system (chinstrap). Hopefully your command is ahead of the curve, or at least has it in the budget for next year because there are plenty of Marines running around with obsolete helmets.

A bad fitting helmet works about as good as bad fitting boots and we all know what that can be like. When being fitted, avoid "guessing" and take the time to do it right. Marines need to know that the correct size of the LWH might not be the same size as their previously issued PASGT helmet. To make this an even bigger logistical headache, converting the LWH from sling suspension to pads often makes the helmet smaller, so many Marines will likely need to be refitted with a larger helmet during the process.

Like there wasn't enough to do already...


ALSO REFERENCE:
USMC Lightweight Helmet (LWH)
Manuals, Messages, News, Apr07 Info Paper
https://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/pmice/ALWH.asp

Proper Wear and Adjustment Graphic Training Aid (GTA) 07-08-001
https://peosoldier.army.mil/docs/GTA07-08-001.pdf

Army Safety Of Use Message, TACOM SOUM 05-006, Inspect Soldier fit and wear of ground combat helmets.
https://peosoldier.army.mil/soldierscorner/achmam.asp

Army Maintenance Advisory Message, MAM 04-001-013, Correct fit and wear standards
https://peosoldier.army.mil/soldierscorner/ach.asp

Helmet wear and fit examples (pics)
https://peosoldier.army.mil/soldierscorner/achfit.asp

ACH technical reference (TM 10-8470-204-10)
https://peosoldier.army.mil/docs/TM10847020410R001.pdf

PASGT technical references (Natick PAM 70-2)
https://peosoldier.army.mil/docs/pasgtusecare(NatickPam70-2).pdf

[Da-Chief]

Thanks Brother Yup your right, I used to get on my Marines all the time when they were "John Wayne'ing" it..

Better to sweat in Training then to bleed in combat..

Later

HMC

[The_Dirty_Name]

Very informative. Thanks.

[beavis]

HMC-FMF-PJ,
Are you guys getting the LWH? I have heard some other ANGLICO guys talking about getting MICHs. I got issued a PASGT, but am hoping that if I get deployed I will get upgraded, or at least a better suspension system.


Todd

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

"ANGLICO guys" ?????????????

Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

Are you guys getting the LWH? I have heard some other ANGLICO guys talking about getting MICHs. I got issued a PASGT, but am hoping that if I get deployed I will get upgraded, or at least a better suspension system.

The unit is transitioning from the PASGT to the LWH. A few still have the PASGT with the web suspension, but most individuals who still have a PASGT helmet invested in either the OregonAero BLSSS Kit or Skydex Retrofit Liner Kit long ago and are reluctant to trade it in for a LWH with sling suspension. The MICH is an okay helmet, but the integrated comm gear is the biggest selling point for most. The MICH comm gear is available separately and can be used with other helmets, plus other comm headsets are also available. So assuming I had the comm gear, I would probably take a LWH with pad suspension system over a MICH if given the choice.

There is almost as much politics and posturing concerning helmets as there is with body armor. Let me just say that there is no single "best" helmet any more than there is a single "best" firearm. Your gear needs to match your mission and threat profile. For every advantage there is a disadvantage. Everything comes at a cost and must be balanced.

The shells of the new helmets are similar to the PASGT design but use improved materials. The new helmets are lighter, but that is primarily because of their smaller profile (cut edges off the PASGT design). The MICH, ACH, and LWH all have a higher ballistic rating than the PASGT, with the LWH having the highest rating of the four. However, the PASGT has the largest profile and therefore provides more ballistic coverage than the other helmets. With fragmentation being a much higher threat than bullets, many argue that increased coverage is more important than increased rating. Some unit SOP's require all turret gunners during vehicle ops to wear an upgraded PASGT with ballistic face shield and ballistic neck curtain. This is great in most body positions a turret gunner is likely to find himself, but impractical for foot patrols. In fact, the design of the PASGT helmet is rather incompatible with the current body armor in many positions a Marine might find himself during a firefight. (Ever try to shoot in the prone?)

The ACH is based on the MICH design and is basically the same helmet without the comm gear. The USMC agreed the PASGT interfered with the Interceptor body armor but did not like the increased head exposure so they developed the LWH. The LWH has a smaller profile than the PASGT, but larger than the ACH and MICH. The Army has experienced an increase in some fragmentation injuries in OIF/OEF with the ACH so they are now issuing ballistic Nape Pads for the rear strap of the ACH and MICH to improve fragmentation protection.

The padded suspension systems offer more impact protection than either the web suspension or sling suspension systems. The pads are also infinitely more comfortable than the other systems, which means a Marine is more likely to wear his helmet properly for longer. The 4-point chinstrap stabilizes the helmet much better than a 2-point chinstrap. (I have never seen a 4-point system accidentally come off or wrap the helmet around a Marine's neck like the 2-point system did.)

As for a predeployment helmet upgrade, print out a copy of the pdf document attached to my original post (or MARADMIN 480/06) and work your magic. Use the right technique with the right person in your chain to get the job done (Supply Sgt, LPO, SgtMaj, Bn Surg, whomever). If you have a PASGT with web suspension and the bureaucracy is slower than you like, think about investing in an upgrade kit. As I would tell my Marines: If you can afford an iPod or Gameboy, then you damn sure can afford a helmet kit! If you go to the sandbox without a pad suspension system then order it in-country or contact Operation Helmet to request assistance.


REFERENCE:
BLSS Kit
http://www.oregonaero.com/p81_2001.html
Retrofit Liner Kit
http://www.skydex.com/markets_and_products-military.html

example of upgraded PASGT with ballistic face shield and ballistic neck curtain
http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/personal/msa/msa3.html

ACH Nape Pad
http://www.army.mil/-news/2007/03/01/2051-army-fields-new-protective-neck-gear/

MICH Comm Gear
http://www.msanet.com/msafp/catalog17060.html
http://tacticalcommand.com/

Side-by-side pictures of PASGT, MICH, ACH, LWH & M1 helmets
http://www.operation-helmet.org/helmets.html
-Personal Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) helmet
-SOCOM Modular Integrated Communications Helmet (MICH)
-Army Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH)
-USMC Lightweight Helmet (LWH)

Operation Helmet in-theater assistance request
http://www.operation-helmet.org/Kitrequest.html

[beavis]

I have been thinking of the Oregon Aero upgrade. I didn't want to buy it then get issued a better helmet. I have seen some of the guys with the upgrade (OA) and they were issued it. I think they will issue it right before jump school. I just have the standard PASGT and it is just as uncomfortable as I remember it was when I was in the Army.

[manningrr]

Beavis,
You need to check with your chain about what to do. Your LPO should know the deal. Which unit are you with? I am with 2d LAR and we got all of our helmets changed over before our last deployment back in September. It was an easy process and the command actually scheduled everything at CIF. My whole BAS had the new pad systems in place. Now I can say that the CIF issued pad system is not very comfortable. It beats the sling suspension, but the Oregon Aero pads are way more comfortable. I actually changed over to those pads during deployment.

Your chain is always the best source of answers because everything in the Marine Corps is usually Battalion or Unit specific.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

Continuing on with the safety theme...

Here is an article from Ground Warrior about what can happen when you don't wear safety gear. In addition to the scars, this Marine got two NJP charges for UCMJ Art. 92 resulting in (suspended) reduction in rank to PFC, fined one-half month's pay ($846), 45 days restriction, 45 days extra duty, and driving restrictions; not to mention a pissed-off MSgt & CO, a blot in his record that may impact his career later, and a dose of public humiliation.

[Da-Chief]

HMC,
I asked DeeDee to include this in the Newsletter.

ALCON,
This is not just a MARINE thing. It is a "EVERYBODY" thing. When you come back from a deployment you feel invincible..

Your not.

HMC

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

How Satisfied Are Soldiers with Their Ballistic Helmets?
A Comparison of Soldiers' Opinions about the Advanced Combat Helmet and the Personal Armor System for Ground Troops Helmet
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3912/is_200706/ai_n19433253/print
Ivins, Brian J
Military Medicine, Jun 2007

This study compared soldiers' satisfaction and problem experience with the advanced combat helmet (ACH) and the personal armor system for ground troops (PASGT) helmet.

Ninety percent of ACH users were satisfied overall with their helmet, but only 9.5% of PASGT users were satisfied

When problematic human use factors reduce helmet use, military personnel increase their risk of sustaining brain injuries, because a helmet cannot protect against injury when it is not used.

Four of the six most frequently identified problem categories for the PASGT involved discomfort. Twenty-one percent of the soldiers who reported problems with the PASGT (6% of all PASGT users) stated that it caused headaches, especially after being worn for extended periods of time. Nineteen percent of the soldiers with PASGT problems indicated that the helmet was too heavy. Eleven percent of the soldiers reported that the helmet caused skin irritation or cuts on their heads, including scratches, indentations in the skin, bald spots, hot spots, and reduced circulation. Sixteen percent of the soldiers simply stated that the PASGT was uncomfortable, without indicating any specific type of discomfort.

Another type of problem that was frequently reported for the PASGT involved fit. Many of the soldiers reported that the PASGT fit them poorly. Examples of poor fit were that the helmet was unstable, it was issued without being properly fitted, and it was loose-fitting. Strap problems were also among the more frequently reported problems. Many soldiers who reported problems with straps indicated that the chinstraps were uncomfortable. Others indicated that the chinstraps broke or that components of the chinstrap, such as fasteners, did not work properly.

Eighty-one percent of ACH users who had not been deployed were satisfied with the comfort of their helmet, but 95% of those who had been deployed were satisfied with that characteristic.

Deployment history had little effect on soldiers' perceptions about the PASGT (Fig. 6). Fewer deployed soldiers (11.1%) than nondeployed soldiers (18.7%) were satisfied with the fit of the PASGT (p = 0.033). Also, fewer deployed soldiers (28.5%) than nondeployed soldiers (36.1%) were satisfied with the maintainability of the PASGT (p = 0.021). However, despite being statistically significant, these differences were small. Deployment history did not result in any statistically significant differences in satisfaction with the comfort and weight of the PASGT. It also did not result in a difference in the soldiers' overall impression of the PASGT.



[[Do me a favor. If your unit is still using PASGT helmets, get your command to upgrade. The Marines will wear their helmets more, thereby reducing the risk of sustaining a brain injury. Fewer injured Marines equates to less patient care and less paperwork for the Corpsmen. Your head will appreciate the upgrade too. 95% v 9.5%, you tell me... ]]

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

For those who can't use the MARADMIN to upgrade their helmets, here is the NAVADMIN. Its a new fiscal year, so new requests and reminders need to go up the chain.

NAVADMIN 089/07
SUBJ: COMBAT HELMET PAD SUSPENSION SYSTEM POLICY

RMKS/1. PAD SUSPENSION SYSTEMS ARE NOW THE ONLY AUTHORIZED SUSPENSION SYSTEMS FOR COMBAT HELMETS, AND, DEPENDING ON THE COMBAT HELMET MODEL, THE ASSOCIATED CHIN STRAP MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED.