ACVCH Sample

[Guy56]

Here’s my Advanced Combat Vehicle Crewman’s Helmet (ACVCH) sample that was labeled for the U.S. Army, not the Marine Corps. To make it more confusing, the program was a USMC development effort, but the early prototypes were built by the Army’s Natick RD&E Center. The program began in 1992 and testing was conducted January to May 1996 and  Army Natick Soldier Systems Center was in charge of awarding the contract for about 11,000 helmets.
 

Now we’ll talk about this sample helmet. The shell was fitted with a camouflage cover, which is something that carried on with the production version for the Marine Corps. The gel ear seals were breaking down, with the right one covered in electrical tape. The mask was fitted to prevent impact injuries to the face, but I’ve never have seen a photo of a crewman wearing an ACVCH with the mask attached. The mask probably got in the way of drinking, smoking, etc., and it’s likely many were lost.  I’ll post photos of a production ACVCH helmet later. 
 

Enjoy…