Khe Sanh68 Posted February 20, 2015 Share #1 Posted February 20, 2015 Was wondering when did they start to add the rear padding and staps to the paratrooper helmet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PriorityOne Posted February 20, 2015 Share #2 Posted February 20, 2015 Officially it came out with the helmet, as to when it was issued, I dont know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WW2JAKE Posted February 21, 2015 Share #3 Posted February 21, 2015 A guy I met showed me how he set up his helmet for comfort. He put the pad and those little straps said he wore it that way from 86-95 but he never jumped out of a plane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
37thguy Posted March 22, 2015 Share #4 Posted March 22, 2015 I think '83 is the first year for mfg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted March 23, 2015 Share #5 Posted March 23, 2015 I was issued my first (and only) PASGT in 1987,and it's dated 1983. I rigged it for jumping when it was issued, as the parts came with the helmet. I can tell you from experience (not my own, thankfully) that if you didn't have the straps (we called them rabbit ears because guys used to stick them up under the cover strap) pulled tight and in the right place, the front of the helmet would be pulled down by the force of the jump and take the skin right off your nose. I saw a jumper who didn't understand this and he was bloody with a piece of skin hanging off his nose right after a jump. I did 55 jumps with mine and never had a problem. The helmet went with me to Desert Storm and I still have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
37thguy Posted March 23, 2015 Share #6 Posted March 23, 2015 I was issued my first (and only) PASGT in 1987,and it's dated 1983. I rigged it for jumping when it was issued, as the parts came with the helmet. I can tell you from experience (not my own, thankfully) that if you didn't have the straps (we called them rabbit ears because guys used to stick them up under the cover strap) pulled tight and in the right place, the front of the helmet would be pulled down by the force of the jump and take the skin right off your nose. I saw a jumper who didn't understand this and he was bloody with a piece of skin hanging off his nose right after a jump. I did 55 jumps with mine and never had a problem. The helmet went with me to Desert Storm and I still have it. How about some pics if the OP doesnt mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted March 24, 2015 Share #7 Posted March 24, 2015 How about some pics if the OP doesnt mind? Here are a couple of pictures of the helmet, showing the padding (brain blotter in popular slang) and the straps (rabbit ears). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted March 24, 2015 Share #8 Posted March 24, 2015 Here's the inside with the rabbit ears tucked under the attaching straps for the cover. I also had the foam at the top to make the helmet more comfortable. in the upper left of the picture, inside the helmet, you can see an A fitting that attaches the webbing to the helmet; it's white with corrosion. That's three years of jumping, six months of the desert, and another three years of training exercises. I don't take this helmet apart, as I have alread broke the chin strap that was so weakened by years of absorbing sweat. It took me six months of looking to find another chin strap of the same material mix (some are cotton, some are nylon, and some are a mix of both, with differences in snaps) and about the same wear. I've kept the original chin strap but display it with the replacement chin strap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now