My old helmet from Iraq and Afghanistan

[hatleyj]

I have seen some posts of guys showing there gear from Iraq and Afghanistan. I thought I would share my helmet and some pictures. It has been repainted a few times but I wore it for 19 months in Iraq and three months in Afghanistan till I got shot while wearing it. I was doing some contract work for the DoD and embedded with US Army and later Marines. While on a joint Afghan Army and Police mission was shot in December 2012 in Logar Provence Afghanistan. I must compliment the shooter because it was a good shot. I had my rifle resting on my magazines and was walking fast. The bullet passed through two fingers, hit my rifle and ripped through top of my magazine pouches. I know people overestimate distance but he had to have been at least 400 yards away at my 2 o'clock position. I came home had some surgeries and later went back with the plan to find and kill the guy. Instead I was sent to Helmend Province and lives with some Marines for a few months. In the last picture my middle finger is shorter.

[Steve B.]

Wow! Glad you're still with us!

[panzer1432]

Thank You for your post and service ! Fascinating. May God Bless you and your Family. Thank you

[hatleyj]

I am sorry finally got hit late January 2012 I believe not December. I was located at COP Charkh in Logar.

[ffuries]

Cool pictures, glad you made it home. I was Air Force, so my career was nowhere near as exciting.


Mike
TSgt USAF Retired
Jan 86 - Sept 08
Aircrew Life Support
"Your Life Is Our Business"
(122X0, 1T1X1, 1P0X1)
NRA Life Member

[WalterB]

Thank you for your service and glad that you made it back to us. Very neat helmet. Did you apply the camo yourself or was there someone in the unit that did several of them? I am wondering if there was a unit specific type of camo or if it was just individual creations and applications. Thanks for sharing!

By the way, did you find the bullet? What caliber you think it was?

[hatleyj]

I painted it tan in Iraq. I later wore an ACU cover on it in Iraq. I should have found a multican cover for it in Afghanistan and was wearing it just tan when I got shot. I stuck out when I got shot, which I should not have been doing along with wearing ACU goretex pants over my multicam pants because the snow was so high and it was so cold. I do have whats left of the bullet in a safety deposit box. The jacket peeled back from a steel core. The next time I am there I will get it out and take some pictures. I believed I measured and weighted it to a 7.62x54r. It ended up in the magazines next to this pouch. I threw the green paint on it later.

[WalterB]

I painted it tan in Iraq. I later wore an ACU cover on it in Iraq. I should have found a multican cover for it in Afghanistan and was wearing it just tan when I got shot. I stuck out when I got shot, which I should not have been doing along with wearing ACU goretex pants over my multicam pants because the snow was so high and it was so cold. I do have whats left of the bullet in a safety deposit box. The jacket peeled back from a steel core. The next time I am there I will get it out and take some pictures. I believed I measured and weighted it to a 7.62x54r. It ended up in the magazines next to this pouch. I threw the green paint on it later.

Very interesting, thank you for the additional information. Fascinating thread. Glad you didn’t lose your fingers, hand....or more than that.

[TPK]

Sir thank you for your service, I have my helmet from 2 tours Afghanistan and 1 Iraq, I came out pretty clean, close call with a suicide bomber at ECP and some small arms fire and of course the mortar and rocket attacks. I do hope you have healed and are able to have full use of it. I wish you and all service members here from all nations well as they continue to serve or are home and moving forward with their lives and collecting pursuits. TPK

[hatleyj]

Thanks for the kind words. I lost the joint in my middle finger and it is now fused straight. Once or twice a year I will jam it, but besides that it does not bother me.