Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) issued an intent to award a sole source contract to Gentex Corporation for 97 Mid-Cut and 109 High-Cut Enhanced Combat Helmets (ECHs). This comes after Marines with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division evaluated Ops-Core helmets in March, during Urban Advanced Naval Technology Exercise 2018 (Urban ANTX-18) at Camp Pendleton, California. Obviously, there aren’t enough helmets in the order to conduct any sort of fielding. Rather, the intent is to evaluate ECH protection-level in different cuts to explore wide spread fielding.
To the Marines and FMF Corpsmen who will be receiving this detritus, please know that’s exactly what it is.
Bottom Line Up Front: You’re not getting OPS CORE BALLISTIC FAST Helmets. You’re getting the “Swap Meet Louie” version.
oh, and apparently, it’s going to be at ECH weight which means it will be heavy too.
What MARCORSYSCOM has done is drop a sole source contract for cut down Modular Integrated Communications Helmets (MICHs). Specially the TC 2001 and TC 2002.
That’s right, no improved shell geometry, retention or suspension, just a hacked up version of what many of you all ready have.
Essentially the same helmets that were fielded to SOCOM units in the late 90s.
How has this happened?
It’s happened because the people running these programs have drank the Kool Aid of the following preached at MARCORSYSCOM:
1. “You don’t need to know about the end user or how the gear is used, you just need to know how to execute the acquisition process”
2. “Better is the enemy of good enough”
This is why you get FROG vs. PCU Level 9, etc. they do what is easy… for them. Could they have adopted the OPS CORE Ballistic FAST Helmet? Yes. It’s already provisioned, tested and FAR part 8 would let them do it. But oh no, you get a POS. After all, they don’t have to wear it.
Let that sink in next time you want to send a PFC or Terminal Lance to a “Subject Matter Expert” (SME) conference or “Limited User Evaluation” (LUE).
On the bright side, 1st SFAB is getting issued OPS CORE Ballistic FAST Helmets, Crye Precision Jumpable Plate Carriers (JPC) as well as M4s with all the bells and whistles.
And they’re looking for people
SFAB is getting JPCs? Makes sense it would be before group and regiment.
Yes they are. And the reason Group and Regiment isn’t getting them as quickly is because USASOC Doesn’t want to spend their MFP-11 funds on them.
I’m in the USMC. While I would love ops-core, crye, team Wendy, whatever high tech high cuts are available, I’m okay with anything that allows me to clip on my electronic headset to a rail and wear it on my helmet. Wearing these heavy ACHs are already a pain in the ass, but I’ll at least take one thats more comfortable with my ear pro.
Also yes, frogs are garbage – no external knee pads, not really any extra pockets (the ankle pockets don’t count because they’re worthless), but I’ll take them over wearing regular garrison cammies. The marine corps needs to make it a little easier for units to wear and receive these uniforms before I’d really start making noise. Most infantry only get frogs when deploying… Not when training… Which is strange because most of these accidents where people are getting lit on fire is during training (see: the tracks that flipped and caught fire in Pendleton, etc.)
I have accepted that the marine corps likes to tell people they’re trying to support and make their infantry better, but they fight every change that keeps us relevant and continue spend their time on administrative matters. I could go on, but it’s nothing people haven’t heard before.
SFAB is getting issued the AVS not JPC, same set of plate carrier already issued to Regiment and Group.