|
| |
THANK YOU AMERICA! Your love, devotion, generosity and support of the
troops has helped Operation Helmet bring about a sea-change in the Military for
prevention of traumatic brain injury through improved head armor for our
troops.
We started this journey over three years with the goal of
providing helmet upgrades kits for one company of Marines. It grew by word of
mouth to providing kits for all branches of the service, and as of this week
nearly 36,000 kits have been sent. Although the scope of the operation
increased, our goal of providing padded combat helmet suspension systems never
changed.
The Army began providing helmet upgrades at least two years before
the other services. We provided upgrades for only 6
months at a time the Army's ACH helmet was under fire and some units reverted to
the older PASGT that required an expensive upgrade. Now, all of the Army advanced combat helmets
(ACH/MICH) have padded systems. Sadly,
they later switched from the same top-of-the-line pads we provide to a cheaper,
harder and almost unwearable pad set that cause troops to remove their helmets
or loosen the protective chin/nape straps for comfort. Bad idea given the
inability to predict IED's and ambushes.
The Navy began providing their Sailors and Seabees helmet upgrades for the PASGT
helmets after we had been providing them to deploying Sailors for 18 months.
They are slowly switching to the Army-style helmet with predictable
consequences.
The Air Force started their own helmet upgrade program after we had
supplied several thousand helmet upgrades to their front-line troops over a two
and half year period. The Air Force now has over 100,000 kits in distribution,
but is also switching to the Army-style helmet.
It took us just over 3 years to pursuade ALL services to include
blast/impact protecting helmet pads with the help of our fellow Americans and Congress.
Now we are working on getting them to use the very best pads available, not
the cheapest that can actually be a threat to troops.
We will
continue to press manufacturers and the military to provide helmet upgrades that
not only protect from blast/impact forces but also make the head armor
comfortable enough so troops can concentrate on their dangerous missions and not
headaches from poorly designed pad systems. We've met with Army, Marines, House
Armed Services Committee lately and are cautiously expecting them to re-test
the pads they've chosen and see for themselves how they can and MUST be
improved (or change vendors) to allow our troops both safety and comfort
while performing the dangerous jobs we ask of them.
Once the Services
are providing proper blast/impact protecting pads that troops can wear
during their danger-filled long duty hours and troops actually have them in
their hands, we will cease operations. Any remaining funds will go to charities providing
support for wounded troops and their families. These groups include (but aren't
limited to):
Semper Fi
Fund
http://www.semperfifund.org/
Fisher House
http://www.fisherhouse.org/ Armed Forces Foundation
http://www.armedforcesfoundation.org
Ten in 10 Project
http://www.10in10project.org/
or other local troop-support charity with less than 10%
administrative overhead
You will always be remembered. The generosity, love and patriotism you
have shown will live on in the hearts and minds of the troops and families who
carry the burden of war. The lives you have saved have indeed saved others.
Doc Bob
Robert H. Meaders, MD
Captain, Medical Corps, USN-Retired
President, Operation Helmet
P.S. We continue to receive requests from troops who do not have the
upgrade kits. Click Here for more info |
