Many troops have had issues with the fit of the Advanced Combat Helmet. The idea is to go up a size when in doubt rather than use a smaller helmet which will fit closer to the head and place the wearer in danger of blunt force trauma and associated Traumatic Brain Injury. When Soldiers wear larger helmets it can feel “loose” when using issue 3/4 inch pads. To help combat this issue, the Army has introduced one inch thick pads.
PEO Soldier recently noted in an announcement regarding the new pads that there are a couple of ways to tell if your helmet isn’t fitting properly. Consider, if your helmet rocks back and forth and is not stable, if the helmet is too low on brow or if the helmet is not compatible with eyewear. These are all good indicators.
They suggest substituting pairs of one inch oblong/oval pads or individual trapezoidal front and/or rear pads or to even try another helmet to alleviate discomfort. If you decide to move to the new pads, PEO Soldier is very specific about how you must proceed.
“It is important to note the oblong/oval pads must be replaced in pairs to maintain stability, and the trapezoidal front and/or rear pad may be replaced individually. Safety considerations require the crown pad to be available in one size only, the three-quarter-inch size, to ensure the helmet does not ride too high the head.”
These changes are currently being incorporated in TM 10-8470-204-10 Technical Manual Operator’s Manual for Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH).
Pads are ordered in pairs and PEO Soldier provided these NSNs for your use. Pads should also be available through your CIF.
NSN, Item & Size
8470-01-547-2802, Pad Oblong/Oval, 8
8470-01-547-2795, Pad Trapezoidal, 8
*Pad sizes are in eighths of an inch. The 8 equals one inch.
