It was just in January that we told you about the crowd funding campaign to produce the Kayrank Helmet Rank System. While it stirred quite a bit of debate among SSD readers, and although it wasn’t funded, the creator went ahead and raised the money himself. Now, it’s available for order.
Essentially, the Kayrank Helmet Rank System consists of polymer plates, sized to fit a NVG mount that are engraved with military rank insignia. Before everyone was issued NVGs we used to sew our rank on the front of our helmets just like on our patrol caps. When night vision became more common and almost every helmet now sports a VAS shroud of one sort or another, there is no place to attach the rank. This subdued device can be worn in the mount during the day and removed and stored when NODs are worn. Of course, I’m retired, so I’m not threatened in the least but by the Kayrank. But, it does have merits for folks in those units that want you to display your rank on your helmet.
Maybe they’d be more interesting if they displayed morale images rather than rank. I wonder if I could get one with the SSD logo?
Tags: Kayrank
It’s not reflective? Thats a serious safety concern, they better watch it doesnt get taken off the market.
why…..
Still lame. Some POG will buy it though
Pretty good idea, he needs to get all the ranks set up soon though.
Has Bawidamann seen this? Lets get some pinup art on these things.
That’s a great idea.
Might make more sense to make the whole helmet rank-shaped, in subdued colors of course.
Like!
How about one with a loop field on it? Then you can just throw on one of the eleventy-billion patches that are already available.
That’s one of those, “I wish I had thought about it first”, ideas there….
all this thought into how to display rank on the ACH. how about the lack of name tape on the damn helmet?
Do you like we used to do and get your name seen on your helmet band
Only some POG REMF Fobbit would’ve had the time to think something like this up. **graons** :-/
@ SGT Rock, I know the guy who developed this and hes spent over fifty (50) months in Iraq and Afghanistan and certainly not as a remf or fobbit. Check your fire when you see an idea that you wish you wouldve thought of, haha. I honestly think its a good idea and looks pretty squared away.
No, it’s NOT a “Good Idea”. It’s stupid and reeks of “You will respect my authority”. So, what happens at night? I guess rank doesn’t matter. I can see this becoming required in some units and possibly army wide when conventional forces are pulled out of combat. I can also see them getting lost so you’ll need to but a dummy cord on it.
Because, lets be honest, when fielding an improved piece of kit like a helmet or NVG mount, ones first thought shout be.. “Where does my rank go?” If you need a piece of tin on your forehead to validate you position as a “leader” you shouldn’t be “leading” troops, especially in combat.
In other words, “Tactical command supersedes authority associated to rank”
Sorry most of us WOULDN’T have thought of this asinine idea. Can’t deploy your nods in combat because there is a dumbass piece of rubber stuck in your mount, that the Good Idea Fairy got the 4 and the CSM to buy! Can’t fight the enemy without looking like an AR-670-1 poster boy!
Ok, so, you can’t remember to remove the rank when you are going to mount your NODs? Shit like that is the reason I had to wake my privates up at 0600 to make PT formation.
SSD, I empathize with you… to a point. I for one have learned to jam my NODs in the deepest place in my ruck because let’s face it; unless its an unanticipated eclipse, night isn’t gonna “sneak up on you”. However, this is really pointless. There’s pile tape on your body armor, sleeves etc to emplace rank etc. Am I going to forget to “remove a piece of rubber” before I put my NODs on? Of course not. But what am I going to do with that “piece of rubber” when I don’t need it? What about if it gets knocked off? Essentially it’s a competing interest.
Maybe the inventor of this product can explain exactly what added value this brings to “combat equipment”?
I hate to break it to you, but as far as the Army is concerned, the war is over. It’s now looked at as a nuisance.
SSD,
That’s always the unlearned lesson isn’t it? I can already see the non performers rearing their heads. Every day I walk around post it seems that I see more and more Senior SNCOs and Field Grade Officers lacking combat tours assuming leadership positions. These are the guys who’ll think that this piece of rubber will be a good idea. Eh, I’m not in such a unit so it won’t have any impact in me.
I don’t care about it either way, I tapped put in 06 so it won’t affect me. Even if it would, I wouldn’t be threatened by it. There are a lot bigger issues to deal with.
And here all along I thought I had to wake my knuckleheads up because they were privates and that’s what privates do. They act like privates.
For the rank obsessed unit, what’s wrong with sewing it on above the NVG bracket? I think it’s a total waste of time either way, but at least you don’t have to keep track of some stupid piece of rubber.
Still, hate if we must (and I do) but if this guy makes money on it, more power to him. That’s the beauty of the free market. If there is a demand for the product, it will sell. If not, it’ll go away all by itself.
Sniper Check!!
Its going to be a long, painful transition to life in a peacetime Army (or Marines, or Navy, or…) for some of these wartime-only studs. You guys may just want to embrace the suck now, or you’ll find yourselves with a bad attitude and an ETS or Chapter. Welcome to the Army many of us grew up in, like it or not.
Fortunately for some of us who grew up in that peacetime, garrison Army with its zero tolerance mentality and obsessive focus on CTC rotations, the fact that that was over ten years ago means we’re getting very close to retirement and and won’t have to go back to the Mickey Mouse bullshit.
How do I get out of this chicken shit outfit? Oh, yeah, all I have to do is submit my retirement packet.
I’ve done quite a few dismounted link ups and this would definitely have made them easier. I dont think its about establishing authority, more about knowing who youre talking to. Why waste time on the ground talking to one of the joes when you really need a PL, PSG, or SL? Guys that have done it know what i’m talking about.
Seriously? You can’t see the rank on their IOTV or combat shirt sleeve? If you’re doing that link up at night what do you do?
Yeah, I agree with Chuck. And I’ve done plenty of link ups.
And No, I’m not jealous that I didn’t come up with this “good” completely useless and unnecessary idea.
The fact that someone was deployed for “50 months” and still had time to devote his life to this… piece of gear pretty much assures us that it was invented by a REMF/Fobbit. It’s reassuring to know someone was earning danger pay while doodling little creations on scrap paper. I hope during the next deployment he remembers to bring enough crayons, markers, glue, and an extra set of safety scissors. Maybe in a nice multicam pencil box with a great big rank stenciled on it. What’s the next great invention, a water resistant washcloth?
Wait… I just noticed something. If you’re am officer above the rank of Captain or enlisted and above the rank of SFC or below SPC you don’t have a “kayrank” option! Well no wonder this hasn’t been adopted. The inventor forgot the SGM Mafia!
So, during “link ups” one must only look for those lacking the “kayrank” because obviously they are field grade and above or E8 and above (or possibly E3 and Below. Brilliant! This will definitely help out snipers too. If there’s no plastic insert in the NVG mount, that’s your guy and/or girl lol
Thanks “kayrank”
Or maybe what kayrank is saying is that E1-E3 as well as O3 and up don’t matter?
Stay tuned
The LT will love this. Bet by the time I get back he will have three or four. His fat ass wife back at Brag had his name and rank sewn into all of his shit before we deployed. Now he can have the trifecta of dochbagery. All that time he never spent on patrol, never leaving the wire, never cleaning his fucking weapon but HEY at least everyone knows his rank.