308reloaded Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 can anyone please tell me what type of hearing protection our fighting forces use while in the field. is there anything that protects their hearing but does not keep them from hearing other sounds? something that allows them to hear even that small sound that could make the differance in who is going home. This question is from someone who did not take care of their hearing when they could or should have . shooting sports. loud machinery. loud music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6132expert Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 When training it is simple foam ear plugswhen out in the " real " dirt then nothing at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TANGO2072 Posted March 23, 2011 Report Share Posted March 23, 2011 308- hard to say, back in the day when I was in, the 90'swe had issued silicone ear plugs, still see some on garison guys. But in the poop...There's a mix, some wear foam plugs and electronic hearing protection, like the MSA Sordins / PELTORs. I'm sure that's a b_r_o_a_d Q? to be asking, tho, personal pref. I'm sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 When training it is simple foam ear plugswhen out in the " real " dirt then nothing at all.Yep, on flat ranges it was foamies or the issued silicone flange plugs. In the woods/dirtpile - nothing. Everything you need to hear all happens before the shooting starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
308reloaded Posted March 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 I asked the question because on one of the new channels , on a report in Iraq, I noticed ear plugs being used by the soldiers while out looking for who ever or what ever they were looking for.I wear ear plugs everyday at work, and miss hearing somethings because of them. like words, but then sometimes you can hear alarms on a machine that you cant hear if you don't have ear plugs in. it weird but that does happen. so how does hearing protection effect the troops? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbesgunner Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 I wear plugs and or muffs at work all the time..It's seems odd but you can hear some things better with them on..radio, people talking and machine noises.Think it blocks out those white background noises...constant hum of lights and other machinery running. Been pretty religious about hearing protection all these years in factories. May be why still have excellent hearing.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
308reloaded Posted March 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 have you noticed that you can turn on radio and cant hear it standing next to it, but 50ft away you can? I see that at works all the time. but I cant hear good anymore. hell I'm getting where I cant see either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbesgunner Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 Has something to do with frequency ranges. When we get our annual hearing test they show us results in all ranges they test...I had a drop in one range about 15 years ago in left ear..got pretty good idea what frequency range. 357 mag is when touched off 4 ft.from left side. They tell us a normal conversation tone is what you lose first.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
308reloaded Posted March 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 huh what I can hear you I just cant understand what you are say. that is where I'm at. ringing never stops. work test every year, if there is a change , they retest and if your hearing is the same as is was with the earlier test(2 weeks before) then you get a paper that says no change. but back to hearing protection I wear ear plugs now when ever I shoot. even rimfire.. I have the earmuff type hearing protectors for pistol but they get in the way with rifle. when we shoot at home warning is for hearing protection everyone know about safety,and we are always making sure we are .. but even when range is clear the alert is for hearing protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TANGO2072 Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 308this, obviously is something you are very passionate about. But I dont honestly believe you're gonna find an answer here. This isnt something that is a wide occurance. It is a personal issue w/ a soldier. As each individual is affected differently. I too have an annual "physical" where my hearing is tested.Now the loud noise I'm around, daily is the humming of turbine generators and Nuke reactors. But due to "Industrial Safety" protocols we are required to wear hearing protection inside and around noisy equipment.Whether you wear Hardshell muff or foam plugs is a personal preferance.You're reaching for some sort of sound amplifing "thing". That deliniates between Speech sound and "noise".Best bet are Electronic muffs. But quality will depend on pocket book... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
308reloaded Posted March 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 308this, obviously is something you are very passionate about. But I dont honestly believe you're gonna find an answer here. This isnt something that is a wide occurance. It is a personal issue w/ a soldier. As each individual is affected differently. I too have an annual "physical" where my hearing is tested.Now the loud noise I'm around, daily is the humming of turbine generators and Nuke reactors. But due to "Industrial Safety" protocols we are required to wear hearing protection inside and around noisy equipment.Whether you wear Hardshell muff or foam plugs is a personal preferance.You're reaching for some sort of sound amplifing "thing". That deliniates between Speech sound and "noise".Best bet are Electronic muffs. But quality will depend on pocket book... actually I am just see what resposnse I get with the question. i dont think I am passionate about it and no I am not looking for anything for me personally. not sound amplifiers. or hearing aid. the question came about because on one of the news channels I saw ear plugs and could not understand how they could use them on patrol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted March 27, 2011 Report Share Posted March 27, 2011 I asked the question because on one of the new channels , on a report in Iraq, I noticed ear plugs being used by the soldiers while out looking for who ever or what ever they were looking for.Based on that - but not being there, during that newscaster/reporters visit with those troops on the ground...The only thing I can come up with it the quest for news. This is the only scenario that would even make sense to me, seeing that: Some news guy over there "wants to go out with the troops and see them hunting for someone." It gets authorized somewhere in the military chain of command, but the order is to DEFINITELY take that news person somewhere "safe." I can tell you for sure that the military doesn't need or want to have some reporter's death on their hands, due to a firefight. So, "Take them somewhere safe, see something, shoot at something, make them happy..." I can definitely see that happening in today's military conflicts over there. Hence the earpro. I can't think of any other logical reason for soldiers in a combat zone, on a patrol with a mission of "looking for someone" to have earplugs in. That's putting stupid one-way flat-range safety rules in place that would actually be "not so safe" considering the mission. Risk assessment would tell me "Hell no, don't wear earpro." Not for a mission like that.Every unit I ever deployed with - didn't have embedded reporters. None attached, non accompanying us into the AO - none anywhere around us, not at all. I liked it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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