Army Should Not Ignore Ear Protection Needs

There are thousands of US soldiers who acquire hearing loss because they are not provided with ear protection against noises heard in battle. A precise number cannot be supplied by the Army. An effort is being made to study the problem's magnitude. One hearing specialist of the Army points out that around half of 500,000 men in combat training experience severe hearing loss, disqualifying them from actual combat.

The chief audiologist found out that at Fort Jackson, researchers found that several of the men who trained were not able to keep their jobs because of hearing loss. This move would only be done if the hearing loss is at 113. More than half of the soldiers assigned to Fort Jackson had this rating. A 112 rating applied to about 23.5 percent of the soldiers.

It was recommended back in 1963 by the surgeon general's office that each recruit should be given a pair of ear plugs. No implementation of this recommendation had taken place. Individually fitting earplugs to each recruit who were given earplugs was not done. Apparently, wearing ear plugs while training at the rifle ranges of Fort Dix was not a rule enforced there.

The use of ear plugs in some exercises was not recommended by range officials in certain cases. When the hearing specialists issued their report, fort officials began telling their trainees that ear plugs was a must. The men at Fort Knox have accepted the fact that partial deafness may take place. A soldier complains that wearing earplugs during a cannon fire is like having a stick poking at your eardrum.

832 rounds of gunfire were what the trainees and instructors at the Fort Knox range were made to endure. A reporter watched and listened for only two hours, but 16 hours later his ears were still ringing. Wearing ear muffs is a protective measure recommended by experts.

A commander at Fort Rucker in Alaska mentions that those involved with helicopter flight and ground crews may also be experiencing hearing loss problems. The helicopter helmet used by the Army does not do a good job of screening noise. It is advisable that by next year the Navy helmet is used instead of the Army helmet.

According to the Army, the helmet doesn't provide the same kind of protection necessary in case of a crash, despite the Navy's claims that it does. This is the same story for the Canadian air force which also uses the same helmet. The helmet should also be recommended for use in the Army tank corps whose crews use repainted football helmets.

Many soldiers complain that the ear plugs issued by the Army are uncomfortable. Instead of ear plugs, they would opt for cigarette filters. Though uncomfortable, these alternatives won't offer as much protection.

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