Questions from a hopeful future 0311

[PeterW]

I've always wanted to be in the military, but I had a few concerns about infantry. My dad was a serviceman (Sailor), so I grew up around firearms, and know just how devastatingly LOUD AR-15s (and presumably their mil-spec counterparts) can be. I've heard that even though you're technically supposed to wear hearing protection at all times, it's not always feasible in combat. As a musician, I need and depend on my ears. Aside from serving, music is really all I ever saw myself doing, and it's what I want to continue doing after I get out. So my questions are:
1) How good is the standard issue hearing protection?
2) Are we allowed to buy our own?
3) If so, does anyone here have experience with active hearing protection? Is it any good?
4) Are there any other ways of ensuring I don't do too much damage without endangering myself or (more importantly) the people who's backs I'm supposed to have?
5) For you current and former 03xxs, how often do you find yourselves saying "WHAT???"

Anyone who wants to call me a pussy, that's fine, but remember, as important as it is to throw yourself 110% at what you do and not whine about the "trivial" things, this to me is not trivial. As far as I'm concerned, if I have nothing to come back to, I may as well not come back at all.
I think I covered my main concerns for now, but I'll update if I think of anything new.

Thanks for the help.
P

Similar Threads:

• Few questions for future reservist
• A few questions for 0311 Marines
• Questions from a future poolee
• Two questions about my future in the Corps
• Future Marine Corps Officer Hopeful!

[josephd]

AR-15s and M16/M4s are not "devastatingly loud"...especially compared to a 240 or .50cal

1) no better and no worse than anything else, "standard issue" ear pro is just the foam plugs you stick in your ears

2) yes, as long as it is considered tactical eg. no big headphone looking ones

3) what is "active hearing protection"?

4) that is a pretty vague question. I didn't wear any ear protection through a 8 month deployment. I have a blown left ear drum from an IED but other than that the sound of gun fire doesn't bother me

5) see previous answer(not an 03xx though)

[silveradomick]

**** man, I really wish I had taken better care of my ears. Yeah, ma deuce and the 240 are way louder than a rifle, but indoors, when your buddy lights a few off next to your ear...yeah that's devastatingly loud. IED's are even louder yet, especially when they go off right next to the open window of your truck. On my second tour (04-05 in Ramadi and surrounding areas), we got issued surefire reversible earplugs. They were really nice. Nobody ever wore them. Way too important to be able to hear what the Muj was doing if possible. As far as active earpro, I don't know why it's not integrated into our kevlars yet. Bionic hearing that saves your ears from damage should be a standard thing. ****, tanks have had that **** since forever. As far as ensuring less damage, yeah, wear ear pro. You do that and your combat effectiveness goes down. It's up to you and the people around you to decide what's more important.

Edit: NOT a grunt.

[PeterW]

Didn't mean to say there was nothing louder out there, but it was loud enough to tear one of my fathers eardrums, and louder than the other firearms I've shot, including bigger rounds like .308s and .44 Magnums, but that's getting off the point. We can all agree they're loud enough to cause permanent damage. Joseph, Active hearing protection are electronic earplugs or earmuffs that claim to amplify ambient sound below a certain volume while suppressing loud, potentially damaging sounds like gunfire or heavy machinery. The idea is to allow you to maintain situational awareness while still keeping your ears somewhat protected, but having never used them myself, I'm a bit skeptical of both their effectiveness and their reliability and durability, hence me asking if anyone here has first hand experience with them.
Again, I would really like to be infantry, and if anyone can help me find a way to do that without going deaf, I would be very, very grateful.

[silveradomick]

Look dude, there's no magic fix here. Like I said, ear pro is available. When I was deployed, I didn't know anyone who wore it when out on patrol. Maybe some guys did, but I didn't know them.

As as far as electronic muffs are concerned, they work. They work on the range. I've never worn a set in the field, so I have no clue how they would hold up. As far as being allowed to use them, it would likely be one of those things that is decided at the platoon or company level, and would depend on your immediate leaderships approval. I doubt battalion would issue an order preventing their use, but then again, I've been out for years, and I know that more Mickey Mouse things than that have been governed by higher. Maybe Joe has some more insight on that, but what's true for his unit may not be true across the board.

Me for instance, my platoon used whatever gear setup a Marine preferred. We were on our own away from higher ups most of the time, so there was nobody telling us that we couldn't set up our gear the way we wanted it. Another platoon in my company had the CO with them. He dictated to them how their gear was to be set up, because he thought it more beneficial that everyone have all the same things in the same places on their flak.

On the range, ear pro is mandatory, and with ops tempo on the low end of the scale right now, range time is about all your going to need to worry about for the time being. For you to make this issue what decides between you joining and not joining seems a little silly to me. You either want to be a Marine or you don't. I play guitar now, and can hear just fine even with my crappy, broken ears and tinnitus. Just gotta turn the amp up to 11...

[PeterW]

Either way, I'm going to enlist. This will only affect whether I go grunt or pog, or possibly (but probably not) a different branch. I guess I'll just take a bit of time to weigh the risks vs rewards. I appreciate the help, guys. Thanks!

[silveradomick]

There again, the line between grunt and pog was pretty blurry in our most recent wars. I know many pogs that saw a lot of ****, and many grunts who had quiet tours. If you are looking at the best options to preserve your hearing, find an MOS that is primarily in the rear with the gear. I don't say this out of any sort of bravado, just a statement of fact. As a matter of fact, perhaps the Air Force or the Navy would be a better fit for you than the Corps. They don't call it a gun club for no reason.

Again, I'm not a grunt, just so we are clear.

[josephd]

Either way, I'm going to enlist. This will only affect whether I go grunt or pog, or possibly (but probably not) a different branch. I guess I'll just take a bit of time to weigh the risks vs rewards. I appreciate the help, guys. Thanks!

grunt or POG doesn't matter, you will still shoot your T/O weapon(M16/M4), 240, .50 cal, MK-19, etc....shooting and combat is NOT exclusive to grunts, as a matter of fact I have more "combat" experience as a reservist pog than friends of mine that were infantry Marines

[LCPL1341]

Standard service rifles are not loud at all; at the range, you're required to wear ear pro. They give you ear plugs or you can bring your own (In boot camp, you only wear what they give you); however, after boot camp, when you do your rifle qual, you can bring your own ear pro. Still though, the M16A4/M4 is not loud at all, even when there is 100+ Marines on the firing line shooting simultaneously. Combat, that's a different story. I've never been in combat, but I'd imagine ear pro hinders your ability to hear/call out commands during a firefight. Ask someone whose been in combat for a better answer.

[Tennessee Top]

If music is so important to you, why don't you talk to your recruiter about the Marine musician's program? Not talking about the "President's Own" here. Each USMC base has its own field band and then there is the"Commandant's Own" Drum and Bugle Corps". This way, you can follow your passion, still be a Marine, and not have to worry about your hearing (they still go to the rifle range annually to requalify but are issued adequate hearing protection). You can watch these musical units on youtube.

[silveradomick]

And that's why you're a MSGT and I got out an E5. You're an ideas man! Good advice top.