This is the third and final post on the PASGT (Kevlar) helmet. To view part I, go here. To view part II, go here. These previous posts contain loads of additional photographs and information, plus another interview with a paratrooper who wore the PASGT while fighting on Grenada during Operation Urgent Fury.
A park ranger friend of mine, John Nicholas, wore the PASGT during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm (Sept 1990 - March 1991) and again in Iraq (March 2003 - March 2004). John generously took a moment during his busiest time of year - battle anniversary at Gettysburg - to talk with me about the helmet.
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Interview
John, thank your for participating. I have just a few questions regarding your experience with the PASGT helmet when you were deployed to Iraq in 2003.
- When were you in the US Army, and where were you stationed?
Fort Jackson SC - Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, VA, - BCH,VA- Fort Dix NJ - Fort Stewart GA - Saudi Arabia - Fort Devens, MA - Fort Huachua, AZ - Camp Red Cloud, S. Korea - Fort Lee, VA - Fort Hood, TX - FOB Ironhorse, Tikrit, Iraq - Fort Hood, TX - Fort Lee, VA - Fort Living Room.
- When you were in, did you see any of the older M1 helmet still in use?
Yes, that was the issue item at the time. I think they started phasing them out around 1986 or '87
- What were your general feelings regarding the level of protection afforded to you by the PASGT helmet?
I thought it was better than the M1. It protected the sides and back of the head and neck better.
- How comfortable was the PASGT, and what could you do to make it more so?
Well, if you never wear a helmet and then have to wear one all the time, it is a little uncomfortable at first, but you quickly get used to it after a couple of days or a week. The webbing sitting directly on the head was uncomfortable. Most put a foam "doughnut" in the helmet directly on top of the webbing to make it comfortable.
- The M1 helmet, with its two-piece construction - shell and liner - made it an effective sink, shovel, cooking pot, footbath, etc. Where there any alternatives uses for the PASGT? If so, what in particular?
There was no liner for the helmet, because the kevlar helmet was thicker than the steel pot, you could not use it for anything other than what it was intended for.
- How was the PASGT accepted by the troops, especially those who had worn the M1 in their earlier career?
I never heard any complaints.
- What did you find to be the shortcomings of the helmet?
Because it was heaver, you could not really hang it on to anything.
- What kind of maintenance did the helmet require?
None.
- Did you wear the six-color "chocolate chip" cover, or did you use the later subdued three-color pattern?
The standard helmet cover was the "woodland" camouflage pattern. The "chocolate chip desert" pattern came out around 1988 and was only a supplemental issue for units doing a rotation through the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA and then later for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The new "desert" camouflage pattern came out around 1998.
- Do you still have your helmet, or did you have to turn it in?
You had to turn it in.
- Are there any final thoughts that you'd like to share?
Sometime before the run-up to the War in Iraq, the Army came out with new body armor, which I guess Natick Labs never actually field-tested. Before deploying in 2003, the division commander of 4ID [IV Infantry Division] wanted everybody to qualify on their weapon before deploying with the new body armor. For a large majority of soldiers, if you were firing from the prone position, the new body armor pushed the front of the helmet over your firing eye...
even if you removed the Kevlar collar off of the body armor. This was a major problem in OIF [Operation Iraqi Freedom) 1 and 2 because there was no workaround. A new helmet had to be designed, manufactured, and issued in 2006. I never wore the new helmet.
Thank you John.
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As we continue the walk-around, do know that in the two posts previous to this one, I have discussed the development, use, and other specifics of the helmet, with many, many photographs. I've covered the helmet in detail already, accordingly, this post will provide some additional views of the third PASGT in my collection.
Please go here for the full exploration of the PASGT helmet.
Note that the chinstrap is desert tan, rather than the olive drab of the previous PASGT helmets that I've posted.
(Note the desert grime)
Screws and "A" washers secure the suspension to the shell. These through-holes present potential failure-points for the ballistic value of the shell. This is something that I have not seen discussed, so perhaps it provides less of a compromise than I think it might.
The ferrule of the washer and it's corresponding screw.
The nomenclature stamp indicates that this helmet was manufactured by Unicor on the 1985 contract.
The cover was made in or near the year 2000, coincidentally, the last year of the 20th century and the end-point of the scope of my collection. That the dates of the helmet and the cover are fifteen-years apart, speaks to the durability and service-life of the helmet.
Velcro tapes secure the cover to the suspension.
The cover is particularly well-made.
As with every generation of US helmets since 1917, the surface is textured to provide non-reflectivity.
The chinstrap fits through slits in the cover.
The plus-sign indicates the center of the mold and the 86/87 denotes the range of years that this contract was produced. You can see a tiny tick-mark to the left of the "87" that indicates the actual year of manufacture.
The logo of Unicor, the manufacturer, is embossed in the dome.
"M-3" denotes the size of the helmet. The PASGT helmet came in five sizes, from extra-small to extra-large. With the entry of women into war zones, a smaller-sized helmet was necessary. Far different from the one-size-fits-all of the M1 helmet.
The insignia of the III Infantry Division is on either side of the helmet cover.
Rank indicator is on the front of the cover, indicating that this particular helmet was worn by a staff sergeant.
A robust snap fastens the chinstrap.
The three-color desert pattern was found to be more effective than the six-color "chocolate chip" pattern of the early Desert Storm operation. The pattern pictured here was introduced toward the end of Desert Storm .
Action shots?...absolutely!
These are Air Force personnel coordinating air support, Note the range of communications equipment that can be used with the PASGT.
This photo is significant in that it shows the PASGT helmet and the next generation ACH helmet (middle) deployed simultaneously, as the PASGT was leaving service and the ACH was entering. The at-a-glance giveaway between the two is the absence of a visor on the ACH (Advanced Combat Helmet).
It's funny, how when the first PASGT came into the collection, I thought it was an ugly duckling, but over the years, it has become one of my favorites, and I am very happy to have them in the collection.
Special thanks to sergeant John for taking the time to participate.
As you can see, John is still serving his country, but now as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service. Here, John and I are are participating in the 150th anniversary of the Civil War at Antietam.
Here is a post on my Park Ranger blog with views of the 150th events at Gettysburg the following year: https://volunteersinparks.blogspot.com/2013/07/gettysburg-150-july-3.html
I hope that you've enjoyed this multi-installment look at the US PASGT helmet. Stop by again for a look at another cool helmet from the collection.
Mannie
Sources
Brayley, Martin J., Tin Hats to Composite Helmets: a collectors guide. The Crowood Press, 2008.
Yonggiang, Li, Science Direct vol 238, June 1, 2022, Ballistic helmets: Recent advances in materials, protection mechanisms, performance, and head injury mitigation. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359836822002694#preview-section-references
U.S. Army, USAG Natick, https://home.army.mil/natick/my-fort/newcomers
Digital Commonwealth, Massachusetts Collections Online, PASGT helmet development, https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search?page=8&q=PASGT+helmet+development&search_field=all_fields
Reynosa, Mark A., (PASGT) Helmet: an Illustrated Study of the U.S. Military's Current Issue Helmet. Schiffer Military History, 1999.
Reynosa, Mark A., U.S.Combat Helmets of the 20th Century. Schiffer Military History Books, 1997.
Army Navy Warehouse, Using Contract Numbers to Determine Dates on Military Gear, July 7, 2020. https://www.armynavywarehouse.com/post/contract-number-dating
Camopedia, United States, https://www.camopedia.org/index.php/USA
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