The Responsibility of the Army to Protect Its Soldiers' Hearing Ability

There are thousands of US soldiers who acquire hearing loss because they are not provided with ear protection against noises heard in battle. The Army is unable to count them all. This year, work is being done to make sure that the extent of the problem is determined. Hundreds of thousands of men don't continue on to actual combat in the army because of hearing loss that came with their combat training, says a hearing specialist of the Army.

The chief audiologist at the army hospital says that his estimate was based on cases in Fort Jackson where men lost their jobs because of hearing loss. A 113 rating in hearing loss is required for this kind of action. The study showed 52.7 per cent of the soldiers permanently assigned to Fort Jackson had such a rating. More than 20 percent on the other hand had a 112 rating.

In 1963, it was recommended that a pair of ear plugs be provided for each recruit of the Army. This recommendation has not been implemented. Some recruits are given earplugs but they're not individually fitted. At the Fort Dix rifle ranges, it was found out that the wearing of ear plugs wasn't enforced.

Range officials sometimes did not want recruits to use earplugs, said the specialists. After hearing experts issued their report, fort officials said they began requiring trainees to wear the ear plugs. Partial loss of hearing is something accepted matter of factly by the men at Fort Knox. A soldier likens the feeling of wearing an earplug when a cannon is fired to getting your eardrum poked by a stick.

Around 832 rounds were fired in a training session at Fort Knox that included the trainees and the instructors. There was an observer who reported that after 16 hours, he could still hear the ringing in his ears. Tankers are advised to wear ear muffs for further ear damage protection.

A commander at Fort Rucker in Alaska claims that hearing loss is also a problem for helicopter flight and ground crews. Screening noise is not something the helicopter helmet used by the Army does effectively. Navy helmets should take the place of Army helmets because they are of better quality.

The Army said the recommended helmet didn't provide enough protection for helicopter crews in the event of a crash even though the Navy thinks it does. This is agreed upon by the Canadian air force as well. He said that this helmet, costing around $118 should be the same headgear of the crews who ride tanks.

The Army ear plugs don't give much comfort to soldiers when worn. Cigarette filters seem to be a better alternative for them. Though uncomfortable, these alternatives won't offer as much protection.