http://www.natick.army.mil/soldier/media/fact/individual/USMC_LtwtHelmet.htm
Posted on 11/02/2005 5:07:00 PM PST by SandRat
CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Nov. 2, 2005) -- The 3rd Mobile Assault Platoon took sniper fire all day as they conducted a relief in place with 1st Mobile Assault Platoon.
As Lacey Springs, Ala., native Lance Cpl. Bradley A. Snipes, antitank assault man, 3rd MAP, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, sat in the turret of his hummer watching his assigned sector behind his M-2 .50 caliber machine gun, it happened.
“We were doing a relief in place with [1st MAP] and had been taking sniper fire across the wadi all day,” Snipes, the 21-year-old, 2002 graduate of Brewer High School, said. “I was sitting in defilade, just my head above the turret when it felt like someone hit me in the head with a baseball bat.”
The sniper had shot Snipes square in the side of his head, hitting him directly in his Kevlar helmet.
“I was in shock, I didn’t know what happened. I remember thinking ‘Am I still here?’” he said.
Snipes dropped down in the turret. It was at that point he realized he was, in fact, still with the living thanks to his helmet. While inside the cab of the hummer, another shot tore through one of the handgrips of his .50 caliber machine gun, partially shattering it. The sniper then began focusing on the vehicles tires.
After a moment, he composed himself and raised his 5-foot-11-inch frame back up into the turret to engage the sniper with his machine gun.
According to Cambridge, Ohio native 1st Lt. Jeremy S. Wilkinson, platoon commander, 3rd MAP, his own platoon’s organic firepower and a 500-pound bomb from overhead air support eventually silenced the sniper.
Bradley Snipes’ life, though, was saved by his gear.
“I was really surprised. It’s supposed to be able to stop a 7.62mm round at long distances. Well, it did,” he said. “The gear works, don’t doubt it. This is proof.”
Currently, Snipes, who is a veteran of combat operations in Afghanistan, is trying to keep his helmet as a memento.
“I want to put it in a case with a plaque that says ‘The little bullet that couldn’t.’”
Wearing your equipment will save your life. Marine proves it!
Sounds tasty, is that the dish served with Mandarin mustard?
Best served with smokeless powder at high velocity.
On topic:
Here's a page I found while surfing around:
http://tasco-safety.com/sglasses/iraq/iraq.html
Simple things like civilian safety glasses, etc can make all the difference.
'According to .. 1st Lt. Jeremy S. Wilkinson, platoon commander, 3rd MAP, his own platoon’s organic firepower and a 500-pound bomb from overhead air support eventually silenced the sniper.'
Ya think? I love military understatement.
I can only imagine the feeling he had after he did realize what happened... I am sure the language in that Hummvee was a little salty... :)
With great respect for the platoon's firepower, somehow I suspect that the 500-pound bomb might have had the decisive effect on the sniper!
Looks to me like it bounced off due to the position of the hit, on the curve at the top. Might have been a different story one or two inches lower.
Since there are no signs of the snipers we will assume you are correct.
That depends.
Made in America
Yeah, somehow I think a near miss with a 500 pound counts more than a near miss with a rifle.
BTTT
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