Soldiers and Hearing Protection?

[extremescene]

Just curious if soldiers wear some sore of hearing protection while on duty. Seems like they would all come home deaf if not, so I assume it is required, but you also would not be able to hear people sneaking up on you as easily.

Anybody know firsthand?

[Guest jackdm3]

My father-in-law did Navy all through the sixties, from Cuban crisis to Vietnam and made OK with nothing on those large gun ships. He lives in the country and we frequently shoot whatever we have, and he won't wear anything, even though he can. I guess the ears can take alot more than we realize.

[Kegger]

Ear Pro is something that the DoD has put out many advisements and policies about wearing. Though you still have the guys who don't. And they come back half deaf.

We have combat ear plugs, Surefire ear pro, and the most commonly seen thing are Peltor electronic muffs. All of which allow you to still hear ambient noise but deaden the sharp impulse sounds i.e. gun shots.

Also being snuck up on isn't something we worry about much nowadays. Sneaking isn't really the insurgents thing, they'd rather sit afar and IED and snipe us whenever possible. CQB gets them killed in rather large numbers.

And the ears are very sensitive to impulse noises, especially those over 140 db. Constant exposure to that quickly causes hearing degradation or total loss. All the big bad tough guys who say they are used to it, really aren't. Their ears have just been damaged to a point that the sound is slightly muffled, which is still dangerous. You may not be able to hear the sharp crack due to partial deafness, but the anatomy of the ear, specifically the eardrum, and the three little bones in there are still subject to the vibrational forces the sound creates.

Short answer for the ADD afflicted.

We wear it, are required to wear it, and when we don't we gradually go deaf.

[Guest Tenngunner]

Hello, collinp2-

I 're-joined' the Army (Reserve) in 2005, (after having served R.A./Guard, since '85) and nearly all the (combat arms) guys who had served a tour in Iraq were (at least) partially deaf. When asked about it, the usual reply was along the order of 'well, I wanted to be sure I could hear my buddies, and commands, etc...'---very sad situation, and we (as a nation/society) will be bearing the cost for years to come. I'm not complaining about the 'cost' (as in VA $). I'm talking about the loss of contributions to our culture (and workforce) that will be incurred by these brave young men and women not being physically/emotionally 'complete' (as in normal hearing, PTSD, etc.) as people.

Edited January 25, 2010 by Tenngunner
This thread isn't about religion. Unecessary content removed.

[TGO David]

Let's keep this thread topical and keep the religious/political elements out of it.

[Guest rystine]

I'm not sure about what other services or service members did or still do. But the two times I was in Iraq I didn't even bother bringing ear pro in country, nor do I remember anyone else using any (and our unit was actually in the fight, unlike the pogs who populate the big bases and work desk jobs). Honestly, most of us didn't even use any on training ranges state side either.

I don't know of any policies requiring ear pro like Kegger said, if there are any such policies they certainly don't get enforced. But the result is obvious, me and most of the guys I knew while I was in have hearing problems.

[saintsfanbrian]

I can recall being on the pistol/rifle range in the military and wearing ear protection. When I was issued a rifle and told to stand guard and shoot anything that comes within x feet and doesn't properly identify itself I did not get ear protection.

My guess is that if they wanted me to have it they would have given it to me.

When I was riding on a fork lift I wasn't required to wear it and that can be much louder for longer periods of time then a rifle/pistol shot.

[Daniel]

I can recall being on the pistol/rifle range in the military and wearing ear protection. When I was issued a rifle and told to stand guard and shoot anything that comes within x feet and doesn't properly identify itself I did not get ear protection.

I took ear pro. I didnt wear it. A friend of mine that went after me brought back a ton of these .

He said they were given them to wear. He was with an engineer unit though so maybe it was for heavy equipment.

Any time we go to the range to fire we have ear pro though.

[E4 No More]

I was in field artillery, and the smart ones wore the ear protection that was issued or were able to muff their ears when they heard the fire command. The sounds weren't bad from the 175mm guns, but the muzzle brakes on the 8" would add a high-pitched, metallic sound that came right back at you and it hurt. I would wear plugs even if I was 100 yards away from the 8" going off.

[Daniel]

I took ear pro. I didnt wear it. A friend of mine that went after me brought back a ton of these .

He said they were given them to wear. He was with an engineer unit though so maybe it was for heavy equipment.

Any time we go to the range to fire we have ear pro though.

Id like to add that I have tinnitus.

Tinnitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have to have my ceiling fan on to fall asleep.

[timcalhoun]

Guys, if you are or know someone in the military send them this link.

The trouble with most hearing protection is that some frequencies are suppressed more than others and those are the ones that make it hard to understand words/sibilance.

These kinda act like a volume knob lowering all frequencies roughly the same. You can still hear and understand words but everything is at a lower volume.

I have the molds and they work great but I have not tried the others. I used them when I did a lot of film scoring and when I'm playing music live. You don't get that muffled felling and can still hear everything.

ER-20 Hi-Fidelity Ety-Plugs - Music & Concert Plugs

[Mike.357]

how long does Ear Pro last? Or are they disposable after each wearing?

[Guest 2HOW]

WHAAAAAAAAAT ? I CAAAAAANT hear YOU.

[Guest Swamprunner]

I guess it wasn't the shootin' that got my hearing, although I'm sure it may have contributed to my hearing loss. When I was a kid, I worked in a 5"-38 mount that was very loud. That, on top of working in engine rooms standing next to a gas turbine for 12 hours a day sure didn't help.

IMHO I wouldn't worry too much about occasional small arms fire. but I would sure wear muffs for extended exposure to the really loud stuff.

That being said, I'm supposed to get my new hearing aids from the VA in the next week or so.

[extremescene]

Constant exposure to that quickly causes hearing degradation or total loss. All the big bad tough guys who say they are used to it, really aren't. Their ears have just been damaged to a point that the sound is slightly muffled, which is still dangerous. You may not be able to hear the sharp crack due to partial deafness, but the anatomy of the ear, specifically the eardrum, and the three little bones in there are still subject to the vibrational forces the sound creates.

Well put... thanks for the feedback guys! I am a professional audio engineer and can guarantee that hearing loss is a real thing. You may not go completely deaf, but you get what's known as the "4k notch" in your audiogram results... sometimes the notch is HUGE.

4k is one of the most important upper midrange frequencies... we rely on this frequency range to distinguish words. That's why people with hearing loss can hear you talking, they just can't tell what you are saying.

For an audio engineer, it can mean career death and horrible sounding music. I've worn custom fitted musician earplugs for about 10 years while attending concerts. They allow all frequencies to be heard equally, but at lower volume.

Watching the sniper programs on the history channel got me thinking about this, as some of them in the past reported hearing tree limbs cracking revealing their enemy.

I've gone home from the range with my ears ringing just from shooting .45s, and I had earplugs in, although they obviously weren't sufficient. Those sniper rounds are significantly louder. Now I use plugs AND muffs.

[E4 No More]

Well put... thanks for the feedback guys! I am a professional audio engineer and can guarantee that hearing loss is a real thing. You may not go completely deaf, but you get what's known as the "4k notch" in your audiogram results... sometimes the notch is HUGE.

4k is one of the most important upper midrange frequencies... we rely on this frequency range to distinguish words. That's why people with hearing loss can hear you talking, they just can't tell what you are saying.

For an audio engineer, it can mean career death and horrible sounding music. I've worn custom fitted musician earplugs for about 10 years while attending concerts. They allow all frequencies to be heard equally, but at lower volume.

Watching the sniper programs on the history channel got me thinking about this, as some of them in the past reported hearing tree limbs cracking revealing their enemy.

I've gone home from the range with my ears ringing just from shooting .45s, and I had earplugs in, although they obviously weren't sufficient. Those sniper rounds are significantly louder. Now I use plugs AND muffs.

I have the mid-range problem...especially when my wife's talking.

[extremescene]

I have the mid-range problem...especially when my wife's talking.

Probably very common among husbands!

[gnmwilliams]

Probably very common among husbands!

It's called selective hearing! While I'm not in the military I have shot a full-auto Thompson and all I can say is I don't know how the fellas in WWII and later did it. I had 26db muffs on and my ears still rang! I have since started wearing plugs with muffs for all the big stuff.

[Chucktshoes]

After working on the flightline around F-16's (the exhaust does a great job of keeping your hands warm when it is really cold) even with double ears I have some hearing loss very similar to the above mentioned "4k notch". It makes hearing conversation difficult when there is a more than minimal ambient noise. So protect your ears! These days if someone wants to say something to me they have to ensure that they have my attention and I am looking at them first. I can say it cause me no end of headaches around the house with the wife.

[Guest gunslinger707]

I guess it wasn't the shootin' that got my hearing, although I'm sure it may have contributed to my hearing loss. When I was a kid, I worked in a 5"-38 mount that was very loud. That, on top of working in engine rooms standing next to a gas turbine for 12 hours a day sure didn't help.

IMHO I wouldn't worry too much about occasional small arms fire. but I would sure wear muffs for extended exposure to the really loud stuff.

That being said, I'm supposed to get my new hearing aids from the VA in the next week or so.

Id like to add that I have tinnitus.

Tinnitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have to have my ceiling fan on to fall asleep.

Swamprunner,welcome to the club.

Daniel,you hear the cricket's too??

[Guest bkelm18]

I made the mistake ONCE of not wearing hearing protection on vulture's row (kinda overlooks the flight deck) on my ship as an F/A-18 landed. I thought my brain was about to leak out of my head. But we were absolutely required to wear plugs 100% of the time we were in the reactor plant. They enforced it.

[Guest jackdm3]

I hear dead people. Wait ... what?!

[Guest clownsdd]

Well put... thanks for the feedback guys! I am a professional audio engineer and can guarantee that hearing loss is a real thing. You may not go completely deaf, but you get what's known as the "4k notch" in your audiogram results... sometimes the notch is HUGE.

4k is one of the most important upper midrange frequencies... we rely on this frequency range to distinguish words. That's why people with hearing loss can hear you talking, they just can't tell what you are saying.

For an audio engineer, it can mean career death and horrible sounding music. I've worn custom fitted musician earplugs for about 10 years while attending concerts. They allow all frequencies to be heard equally, but at lower volume.

Watching the sniper programs on the history channel got me thinking about this, as some of them in the past reported hearing tree limbs cracking revealing their enemy.

I've gone home from the range with my ears ringing just from shooting .45s, and I had earplugs in, although they obviously weren't sufficient. Those sniper rounds are significantly louder. Now I use plugs AND muffs.

Pete Townsend comes to mind. I am deaf and wear hearing aids..pain in the rear....Too many years of shooting, studio music, and being around heavy manufacturing equipment.

Edited January 26, 2010 by clownsdd

[Guest jackdm3]

You're in company with Ted Nugent and ALEX VAN HALEN!!!

[Guest Sgt. Joe]

I served in the Army or National Guard on and off from 1975 until 2008. A total of 16 or so years combined.

While on the ranges hearing protection was always strictly enforced by the range master.

During my few deployments to live fire areas it was mentioned but NOT enforced, I did not wear any sort of hearing protection during my year in Iraq.

Somehow thru it all I still maintain excellent hearing? I have no idea how as I also attended concerts in my younger days and fell asleep with headphones near wide open? This was confirmed in my discharge physical that showed very little difference from the very first hearing tests I took back in 1975.

I can not however stand any loud nosies, I can not stay in the room when the family watches TV as it seems sooo loud to me. I cringe at the crowd noise watching football games and watch a lot with the set on mute.

I also have the Selective Hearing going on with the wife, she is one who is long to get to the point and at a certain point of her comments either my hearing or brain shuts down.....and of course I dont get the point she was trying to make.

I guess hearing and listening really are two different things:rolleyes: