RE:Just between you and me, ear plugs? Combat? Hmmmmmmmm..I do believe I would much rather hear the enemy coming, can you do that with ear plugs in?

If the troops wear those plugs, they now have lost or dampen one of their sense's, resulted in more deaths.

Damn if you do, Damn if you don't....I have had ringing of both ears every since Nam..very loud ringing in both ears 24/7..the VA gave me 10% for it..WOW!!! I'm so impress.



http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,163557,00.html

It's not just explosions and shooting that do hearing damage. While I was in Iraq, I was living within 50 yards of loud diesel generators - these far exceeded OSHA standards.

Most military vehicles are loud enough that soldiers are supposed to wear hearing protection while operating them. I know of almost nobody who did while I was serving.

They have what the military calls "combat earplugs". They are not perfect but in theory, they lessen some of the damaging noise but allow other noise through. They worked pretty good in Iraq, but I only wore them while in a turret and not while on dismounted patrols.

No Shittt!

@@

I still get ringing in my ears off and on from my days in the Army back in the early 70's. We didn't get hearing protection back then. Since then I have guarded my hearing well as I'm a cop and have been a firearms instructor. But once the damage is done it is irreversable. You can only save what is left.

The best hearing protection are the ear muffs that amplify all but damaging high decible sounds. Totally impractical for combat and street patrol the way they are currently engineered. Till something like that can be made as part of a helmet we police and soldiers risk our hearing every day we go out there.

I have hearing aids that shut off with loud noise...issued by the VA...due to my hearing loss while in the military...

It's not just combat troops losing hearing.I was grounded from flight duties in 1985 for hearing loss and have been fighting the VA for a rating,so far the best I can get is 10%.

But here is the thing, there is another issue with people not using them at all. This is on ranges
and the like.

That is why the combat ear plugs are out now and I would recommend them to anyone in theater or out.
http://www.hooah4health.com/environment/hearingnvision/combathearing.htm

I was an STG (Surface Sonar Technician). So, I have dog ears. But, one thing that people always gave me chit for was the fact that whenever I was aboard my ship I always wore earplugs (24/7 unless I was airing my ears out). I am still +15 threshold on all freqs. Meanwhile, most or my division lost freqs between 1000 Hz and 10KHz (conservative average of -10 threshold).

I also always wore double hearing protection during any qual shoot.

I do have a friend that was Army Infantry that is receiving a Purple Heart for his hearing loss from an IED. That dude is deaf as a twig. And, as Istvan said, you cannot get it back.

So, They Discovered that troops are losing their hearing in combat. BIG discovery. This has been going on since guns were first used in combat. I have had tinnitus since 1961. The first day on a flight deck W/O hearing protection. I cant blame all of my hearing loss on the navy. I fired firearms a lot of years with no earplugs or protection. and drove diesel trucks for a long time. Not to mention several years of factory work around loud machinery. My dad, two brothers and my son all have had significant hearing loss. I have a 25% hearing loss W/tinnitus. The VA told me in 1963, Quote: That is not something that is covered. It is considered a normal occurrence during your enlistment. Now after several million servicemen have lost their hearing, the military says they've discovered it is caused by loud noises. They are right on top of the cutting edge. Then again, I could be wrong. Oh, one more thing. As of 2007,IT'S still not a service connected disability in most cases. You can get hearing aids but little else.

It sure would be nice if someone would come up with something but like the post above, those hearing protection like I wear at the range, block out the gun shot sound but allow in conversation, no way to wear those on patrols that I know of.

I was never in combat. I was a member of a Warrant Entry Tactical Team for a federal agency. No way would I want anything preventing me from hearing someone moving around in a building.

During a boat chase, I had to fire about a 100 rds of .223 into a boat. My damned ears were ringing for the next two days. I can only imagine how bad it is for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan firing larger rounds.

Wish I had an answer....

Stay safe.

Don

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 3670610:
They have what the military calls "combat earplugs". They are not perfect but in theory, they lessen some of the damaging noise but allow other noise through. They worked pretty good in Iraq, but I only wore them while in a turret and not while on dismounted patrols.[/QUOTE
Your right there I tryed those in IRAQ 04-05 in my hummv turit during convoy missions they where good but as for hearing the enemy shoot at you they wasent worth sh*t. But that is another 20 to 50% on your VA.

When I retired in 86, I was told the ringing and hearing loss could have been prevented with proper ear plugs. I asked if they would like to be in combat with ear plugs? In 2003 VA finally gave me hearing aids. Yup my ears still ring!

quote:

Originally posted by dman1948:
RE:Just between you and me, ear plugs? Combat? Hmmmmmmmm..I do believe I would much rather hear the enemy coming, can you do that with ear plugs in?

If the troops wear those plugs, they now have lost or dampen one of their sense's, resulted in more deaths.

Damn if you do, Damn if you don't....I have had ringing of both ears every since Nam..very loud ringing in both ears 24/7..the VA gave me 10% for it..WOW!!! I'm so impress.



http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,163557,00.html

And our 10% = zero benefits!

OLDAO - You're right, this is very old news. My dad - WWII/Korea/VN/SF career AD - received VA disability rating for his extensive loss of hearing, what with explosions, riding around in unpressurized aircraft, prop blast (the real kind, not the parties - though doubtless there were some of those as well). That was on top of other problems that resulted in medical retirement after thirty years.

Lots of problems are part and parcel of the job - certainly his spine and knee problems were directly related to his habit of jumping out of perfectly good aircraft. He probably developed the high blood pressure on his own, then again, maybe not.

Wouldn't have anything to do with earphones and music cranked to the max, would it?

Just one of the things that make this go-round a little different from previous outings.

22 years of pistols, rifles, machinguns, mortars, tanks, artillery, turbine and diesel generators, bulldozers, explosives, big trucks, turbo props, and jets - -

HUH?

If you have ear protection available and it is a safe evironment use it often...

Keep your hearing test results, if you notice a decline by your EAS, see the VA (worth a try), and follow up (I did'nt).

Most of all, keep those MP-3 players etc. to a lesser volume.

If you want to see what limited hearing is like, walk around with soft ear plugs in for a day....and imagine some ringing too.

What I can't believe is paying out disability for tinnitus claims. My ears have been ringing for the past 30 years. I just got used to it. The money is best served for those who really need it, such as TBI, lost limbs, internal damage, etc. I knew a guy who receives $110.00 per month because he had a cyst removed off his tailbone while in the Navy. These are the types of things that are taking advantage. Sometimes you just have to deal with what happens in life.