My DESERT STORM helmet

[USMCRECON]

I've been asked by a forum member about some of my desert gear from DESERT STORM. Most of it is in an A-bag in my storage locker and it must be buried under other boxes because I couldn't readily see it last time I was there or something. I do have my helmet here at the house, though so am going to post a couple photos of it here.

 

It was issued at SOCCENT in early Aug 1990 before I deployed to the Gulf. It's a standard "Fritz" helmet but it had been modified to parachute standards with a "kit" that consisted of a greenish pad that went in the back of the helmet to cushion the neck, a black foam "doughnut" for the top of the helmet, and two extra straps that attach to the main chinstrap. You can see all of this kit in the photo of the inside of the helmet.

 

I was promoted to Major in the Gulf War. the insignia on the helmet is a Major's oak leaf. At the start of the Afghan War, I was a Lt Col. I had bent the pins of the Major's leaf over when I put it on the helmet cover and I couldn't get it off easily so I just colored it black with a felt tip marker; it's brown underneath.

 

Here's two views of the helmet. The goggles are not issue. The issue ones have an open foam padding on the back which started to deteriorate and crumble quickly in the heat. My wife sent me a standard set of ski goggles that she got in a sporting goods store and I used them instead. the covering is a standard issue boot sock that I cut the foot part off to slide it over the goggles.

 

 

 

[USMCRECON]

Here's the last two shots. In the bottom one you can see the para kit items attached to the standard helmet. The additional stabilizing straps for the chinstrap are merely wrapped around the main strap with Velcro and their effectiveness at stabilizing the helmet in a paradrop is rather questionable. The neck pad seemed to work fairly well, though.

 

I don't think this para kit was used for very long as the later issue of the helmet have a 4-point stabilized chinstrap and additional padding already attached.

 

I forgot to mention earlier that the helmet cover looks very taunt on the helmet. It is! The helmet is a medium and the helmet cover is a small. It was the only size cover available at the moment. I had to wet it and stretch it a couple times before it finally went on the helmet. That's why I didn't use the clutch-backs to affix the oak leaf. I just couldn't get it on with them on the back and I had to bend the pins over on the back of the oak leaf to affix it.

 

 

[Bugme]

Well, there's no doubt about the provenance on this helmet, you pretty much know the guy pretty well. Thanks for posting and for your service!

[BEAST]

Great looking helmet! By the way, I was amused to read how you stored your gear in the storage locker. Here we are, people who spend lots of money preserving other people's historical items, but our gear get stuck away in the back of a storage locker, or in my case shoved up into the attic!

[everforward]

Many thanks for the pics, and without doubt thanks for the duty you pulled. :thumbsup:

[Nkomo]

Thanks for sharing pictures of your helmet. :thumbsup:

[sgtdorango]

Now thats a nice helmet with great personal history!!....mike :thumbsup:

[Manchu Warrior]

Great looking helmet! By the way, I was amused to read how you stored your gear in the storage locker. Here we are, people who spend lots of money preserving other people's historical items, but our gear get stuck away in the back of a storage locker, or in my case shoved up into the attic!

 

I was just thinking about where my own gear happens to be. The reason being was that I lost my lock for my shed in about three feet of snow so I went and dug out my duffle bags that have been locked and stuffed out in my garage since I separated from the Army. After I dug them out I went up to find the keys to the locks that had been on my dog tag chain for years. Low and behold the keys were not on the chain and I have no idea why I would have taken them off or when. So, my duffle bags stayed locked and where re-stuffed into the garage with just about everything relating to my time in Army stuffed in them. Well, that is other then my Class A's,and they happen to be hanging in the "cloth that don't fit me anymore" closet. While the rest of my closet and also my son's closet and most of my space is full of the stuff of strangers. Who knows maybe some day in the future some collector may find my duffle bags and cut the locks off and hang my junk in their house. By the way I apologize for going off track and that is a nice helmet and I really have a soft spot for the chocolate chip pattern. :thumbsup:

[USMCRECON]

Great looking helmet! By the way, I was amused to read how you stored your gear in the storage locker. Here we are, people who spend lots of money preserving other people's historical items, but our gear get stuck away in the back of a storage locker, or in my case shoved up into the attic!

 

Go fugure....huh! :crying: