OIF/OEF vest w/ shrapnel in it

[Littleguy]

Today I was browsing through the local surplus store, and managed to find a IBA vest. First glance it looked like it went through hell, second glance I realized what I was holding. This vest has been through war. It has shrapnel still in it, has blood near the neck area, and the amount of penetration is disturbing to say the least. I almost regret buying it, but considering the avid customer of the store I was at, I'm happy I did. Last thing such a sacred piece needs is to be covered in paint or get used for air soft. I'll post pictures of it later on today, I'm away from a camera right now.

[Littleguy]

[Mercenary25]

Very nice relic. If you plan on letting it go, let me know.

[hawkdriver]

Not really sure that is combat worn shrapnel damage. Being a Medevac pilot, I can tell you that most guys are as naked as the day they were born if hit with that much shrapnel and the vest has never rode along with the patient on any of my missions. If shrapnel went through a vest like that, the wearer would have sustained wounds and there would be blood on the inside of the vest, not just the neck area. Also, if someone was injured in combat wearing something like that and it was blood covered, the vest would be destroyed as biohazard waste. Could it have been hanging on the outside of a vehicle and hit, yes, but then the individual would have to turn it in for replacement. Is it possible this is combat wear damage, yes, but not very likely. If this was shrapnel damaged, you should be able to find fragments and they will be distinctly different than bullet fragments.

[Littleguy]

Not really sure that is combat worn shrapnel damage. Being a Medevac pilot, I can tell you that most guys are as naked as the day they were born if hit with that much shrapnel and the vest has never rode along with the patient on any of my missions. If shrapnel went through a vest like that, the wearer would have sustained wounds and there would be blood on the inside of the vest, not just the neck area. Also, if someone was injured in combat wearing something like that and it was blood covered, the vest would be destroyed as biohazard waste. Could it have been hanging on the outside of a vehicle and hit, yes, but then the individual would have to turn it in for replacement. Is it possible this is combat wear damage, yes, but not very likely. If this was shrapnel damaged, you should be able to find fragments and they will be distinctly different than bullet fragments.

There are many fragments in it. Some have fallen out since I've purchased it and looked over it. Wood fragments, pieces of metal, and pebbles. Some of the metal is goldish bronze, some of it is black, and the wood fragments are very small. There isn't much blood on it, however there is some internally and externally, but not enough to make me think the guy or gall was wearing it for long if at all. I wonder what would've been the cause of such damage. It's both in the front and the rear which makes me think it at least had to have been in some sort of blast where it would've been upright/on something or someone.

[Littleguy]

Upon further inspection, there appears to be a bullet or bullet shaped object in the neck area of the vest that hasn't been bent or anything

[hawkdriver]

With wood fragments, I would tend to believe that someone hung this over a post and shot it. If the fragments are bronze or goldish, then that is probably copper and would be commensurate with bullet jacket fragments. It is not uncommon for a woodhook to get hold of these things to see what they will stop, not realizing that it is a fragmentation vest and not a bullet proof vest. It would be very rare that a shrapnel damaged vest would be allowed to depart the AOR, we are not even allowed to bring shrapnel itself out of theatre let alone a vest full of it.

[TRR]

I was able to bring shrapnel home in our conex and my driver was given a 8# chunk off a 155 deep buried by my 1SG had. It almost took his head off, but the driver took the brunt of it so it was given to him. If the vest was brought back, it may have been one that was damaged from a rocket or motor attack and not worn when it was hit. That would explain the different types of material found in it. That or I would also agree it may have been someone target practice piece.

[Littleguy]

The bronze and black material don't look a lot like they were bullets, which makes me think it could've been at least an explosive test. Any ideas for the blood, though? because honestly I doubt the guy who used this was injured in it (and if for some reason he was, that guy is the terminator because all the vests I've found online on this condition are blood soaked), but the blood is on both the outside and inside, and where it is somewhat matches up with the damage. If it wasn't used in combat, how does it also affect value? I have no intentions of giving it away and I know it is a somewhat frowned upon question, but I've never seen a piece like this before and can't find anything similar with a quick search.

[RedLegGI]

Not really sure that is combat worn shrapnel damage. Being a Medevac pilot, I can tell you that most guys are as naked as the day they were born if hit with that much shrapnel and the vest has never rode along with the patient on any of my missions. If shrapnel went through a vest like that, the wearer would have sustained wounds and there would be blood on the inside of the vest, not just the neck area. Also, if someone was injured in combat wearing something like that and it was blood covered, the vest would be destroyed as biohazard waste. Could it have been hanging on the outside of a vehicle and hit, yes, but then the individual would have to turn it in for replacement. Is it possible this is combat wear damage, yes, but not very likely. If this was shrapnel damaged, you should be able to find fragments and they will be distinctly different than bullet fragments.

 

 

We had 3 guys get blown up by a HBIED. Anything that didn't go on the bird with them, was burnt. Uniform parts, IBA's, plate carriers, plates.

[Littleguy]

 

 

We had 3 guys get blown up by a HBIED. Anything that didn't go on the bird with them, was burnt. Uniform parts, IBA's, plate carriers, plates.

Yeah, it was target practice. I found another 9MM bullet in it, different type of round, and I've seen both used by the US. The only thing weird is the blood, but who knows, the blood isn't enough to match the massive damage this thing took. One of the fragments looks like a classic example of a grenade fragment, and the other two are semi circular.

[hawkdriver]

If there is wood fragments, then the bullets were probably tore apart and that accounts for the fragment looks. The only explosive that uses anything other than steel is EFPs and if this thing was hit by an EFP, it would probably have a lot more damage.