Helmet in Afghanistan 2003 and Iraqi Freedom 2001

[Cobra den Bien Phieu]

For the US we started with PASGT with 2 point chin strap and old liner with DCU cammo covers Army/Marines......Marines were still replacing the DCU cammo with MARPAT.....then updated the 2 point chinstrap with the 4 point chin strap on the PASGT's then slowly switched to ACH/MICH Helmets........Army adopted the ACU cammo pattern in mid late 2005.......the Marines continue to field the PASGT but the ACH/MICH is slowly showing favor with them as well.

That applies for both conflicts.

[GGranha]

After a lot of research...

I am from Brazil and I am improving my helmet collection...

Sorry about my poor english....

American Helmets used in Iraq (2003 until now) and Afghanistan (2001 until now)...

Everyone agrees on that?

1. PASGT - ACU/UCP Desert Sand 500
2. PASGT - ACU/UCP Foliage Green 502
3. ACH COMBAT MICH - MARPAT woodland pattern [http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00028.php]
4. ACH COMBAT MICH - MARPAT urban (?????????????????) [http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00030.php]
5. ACH COMBAT MICH - MARPAT desert pattern [http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/00029.php]
6. ACH COMBAT MICH - MultiCam / OEF Camouflage Pattern

Thanks a lot;
GGranha

[AMTG]

Australia also used the PASGT in Iraq and Afghan with Distuptive pattern desert uniform (DPDU) and also used Disruptive pattern camouflage uniform (DPCU) covers in areas of Afghan

[AMTG]

heres a pic of me in my jelly bean suit....PASGT with DPDU cover....and of course the good old CVC

[AIF]

heres a pic of me in my jelly bean suit....PASGT with DPDU cover....and of course the good old CVC

Great pics AMTG ! What trip was the last picture taken? I see you are wearing the old Hellweg armour, PASGT helmet and Gentex goggles... I'm guessing from your name it was one of the AMTG rots ?

[AMTG]

That Armour was brand new when we got it!!! the Poms and yanks drooled over it!!

I was there between Nov 2005 and Jun 2006, AMTG 2, so its little bit outside the intial date range of the original poster....but the equipment would have been the same for the dates mentioned.... I dont have any close up pics of my helmet, just not something i thought to really photograph...

The gentex goggles were good, but a lot of us bought US ones from the PX...a bit more comfy to wear.....but thats me in both pics, I was a Bushmaster top gunner, even though I was Transport corps....we used Bushys instead of trucks! The helmet was very comfortable, it had the helmet mount with counterweights for the Night vision goggles, which was surprisingly comforatable to wear...I do have a first gen issue PASGT from 1999 when we got them issued for East Timor...slihjtly different liner...

[AIF]

Yeah the Hellweg armour was really nice! I'd love to find one for my collection... minus the plates of course

I just had a mate drop off a CVC helmet that was worn on secdet and then on MTF-2 in the Ghan It's a nice looking lid that's been there and done that It has a similar spattering of black on it like the one you are wearing... I agree the ESS goggles are a hell of a lot comfier than the old Gentex ones I have a pair of each both Ausssie issued... I still need to find a later issue PASGT for the collection I have a first gen one that was worn by a friend on interfet 1999-2000 and I was lucky enough to pick up a current issue ECH with DPDU cover, I'm just waiting on a mate to come through with the NVG mount and counterweights for it.

I never originally set out to collect current deployment stuff but having a lot of mates in the army that are also WW2 collectors that keep giving and trading me stuff from their trips overseas I sort of got hooked on it... plus how can you not like the 3rd patt DPDU?

[AMTG]

I still have my INTERFET helmet and DPCU cover....ESS goggles are comfy to wear, especially on long trips, but if i was going to get smacked in the face by a flying peice of metal, Gentex would be better! I still have about 70% of my gear, Im spewing i didnt keep my DPDU helmet cover, and I got really attached to my body Armour, after nearly 9 months, it got very "salty"

Australian troops in the current era are sort of the background noise of history....were always there, a lot of our gear influences the larger players gear...in fact, in Iraq was one of the first trips i heard of where we werent the ones swapping gear with the yanks to get better kit...they wanted our kit!!!

[AMTG]

The British Helmets were good lids, they had their desert cam covers, but their body armour when we first arrived was just a stab proof vest with a small plate over the heart, and one at the rear....after seeing our " Ned Kelly" suits, they modified their design a bit... I even had an US General in the back of my bushy drooling over our helmets and body armour....he reckoned our helmets were more " user friendly".... And he found our desert cam " interesting" but effective.....

[Reg]

Couldnt resist chipping in here gentlemen!

I can confirm that in 2003 in Kabul (KPC Kabul patrols coy) were issued with the mk 6 helmet, and as correctly stated above, the CBA (combat body armour) with the stamp sized plates, the covers were all standard army DPM green black and brown, the desert issue two tone was only issued in November 2003.....the week before I went home, it was then of course a peacekeeping operation and not the full combat mission as it is sadly now, and the aim was to actually be seen....driving round in open landrovers smiling and waving (a task to which I became rather fond) and anyway, all the decent kit was in use in Iraq as the UK forces in Kabul at that time numbered only a few hundred. The cartoon in Soldier magazine of the squaddie reading a letter from home in his firetrench whith rounds coming in and explosions with the quote "were glad your not somewhere dangerous" is comically accurate.

Cheers
Reg