Marine Corps to explore helmet redesign for improved blast protection

Washington, D.C. — Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today commended a decision by the Commandant of the Marine Corps to study the issue of how best to protect the heads all Marines and servicemembers from traumatic brain injuries from blasts caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Partly because of IEDs, servicemembers are experiencing more brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan than in other wars. Also, the body armor they now wear saves combatants who might otherwise have died from injuries. Many of these servicemembers escape death but suffer terrible wounds, including brain injuries.

Helmets have been designed only to protect from the effects of fragmentation and blunt force impacts. After Buyer’s inquiries over the past several weeks, the Marine Corps initiated the studies to explore ways to protect from blast.

“We need to manufacture a helmet that does not compromise ballistic integrity but that allows ventilation and the release of energy from explosive impacts,” said Buyer. “Our servicemembers put on their armored vests, with side plate, groin and neck protections, and they strap on their Kevlar helmet. Then they get into armored vehicles. When a blast occurs, there is nowhere for the impact to go. A portion of the blast is reflected up into the helmet and then the impact comes back down, causing head and brain injuries. Other injuries include hearing loss, damage to the eyes and facial trauma.”

The Marine Corps has indicated that as part of its study it will examine its current helmet and also explore future helmet systems. Buyer has gotten bipartisan support for funding helmet tests. Showing their own support for improvements, the Marines say that money should not be an issue.

“We established four polytrauma rehabilitation centers in; Richmond, Virginia, Palo Alto, California Minneapolis, Minnesota and Tampa, Florida to meet the specific needs of our wounded returning servicemembers,” said Buyer. “We don’t focus on the extremities; we focus on the brain, because without the brain, it’s all over. We are doing incredible things. As we do all of this, we have to take care of the brain.”