People who've experienced actual combat?

thedoc46

thedoc46

thedoc46

Soldato
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Expat in the USA
Hi,

I'm curious to hear from people that have experienced actual combat as part of their job. Say perhaps in the armed forces or even in the Police, where you've had to discharge a firearm, perhaps even on a regular basis, if you were part of the front line.

I'm curious, did you or do you wear hearing protection during the firefight? My understanding is that a typical round goes off around the 150-160db range, which on paper, is said that it will cause instant damage to hearing, or give you tittinus for the rest of your life.

Yet hearing protection will also block your spacial awareness, and afaik, probably isn't worn during combat scenario's? Could be wrong, i'm not in the military so i have no idea ? Like for example cops in America do not walk around with ear plugs, but at a moments notice, they may need to pull out their guns to shoot at someone..

Is it a given that if you're in the Police force working in a city, where the chances are you're going to need to pull your gun out every once in a while, or in the military front line, where shooting your gun is a regular occurance, then going deaf it part and parcel of the job? Or are the sayings that go around, that if you fire a gun without hearing protection and you'll go deaf, exaggerated?

Now i'm not talking about at the range here, where hearing protection is a requirement. I'm talking about people that need to use their guns for their daily jobs. Be it an armed officer or in the army.
 
I'm not military, but you can get ear defenders with directional microphones in them, which cancel out noises above certain decibel levels, but you can talk to one and other at normal levels when you're around each other, or patched into your radio. Pretty cool things, had a go of someones before, don't know how widespread they are in the military though, pretty costly IIRC.
 
I can only speak from a very limited experience and no idea what its like in law enforcement - but in the armed forces its usually available but very rarely used - i.e. mortar/artillery positions usually just put their hands to their ears when rounds are outgoing. (My experience is from non-combat R&D tho).
 
I think the claims are somewhat exagerrated.

I've seen people let off 12 bore shotguns at clay targets, having forgotten to put on their ear protection, and suffer no ill effects. They usually remember the earmuffs for shot 2 though :)

That said, it could be different firing a large amount of rounds. If you look around you'll probably find a lot of anecdotal evidence that you may well get temporary deafness from loud guns going off, but hearing probably returns for the most part.

Also, try being onboard USS Iowa when she fired?

w1vy8.jpg
 
matt_fsr said:
I think the claims are somewhat exagerrated.

I've seen people let off 12 bore shotguns at clay targets, having forgotten to put on their ear protection, and suffer no ill effects. They usually remember the earmuffs for shot 2 though :)

That said, it could be different firing a large amount of rounds. If you look around you'll probably find a lot of anecdotal evidence that you may well get temporary deafness from loud guns going off, but hearing probably returns for the most part.

Also, try being onboard USS Iowa when she fired?

w1vy8.jpg
Click to expand...

LOL, I bet a few Dolphins left a mess after that !
 
I'd rather be on the boat than on whatever she is firing upon.

I can't really comment as I've only ever fired on private land or at a range, but guns are loud :p.
 
I was in the military when we used SLR's and they had a right bang to them. The ear defenders we used to horrible plastic and damned uncomfortable to the point of pain.
The OP's question has never really occurred to me. I've not been in a real firefight so can't intelligently answer, but its a good question nonetheless.
 
matt_fsr said:
I think the claims are somewhat exagerrated.
Click to expand...

Dunno what the long term effects are like for someone who sees prolonged frontline action but the first day or 2 of sustained firefights you'll really notice it when trying to sleep - your ears will be ringing. Stop noticing it after a couple of days or so but I'd imagine that in the long term it would do some damage. (EDIT: I've never been in a real firefight with people actually shooting trying to kill me).
 
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I'm ex-army have been in situations where I've fired in anger. No hearing protection. I am now pretty much deaf to high tones in my left ear, the right is fine as that rests on your shoulder when aiming and gets some protection.
 
I wear earplugs with a valve in them for clay pigeon shooting.

The impact sound of the shot is enough to close the valve, normal conversation isn't. I don't know if military etc wear them, but they certainly work.

Armed police is probably much less of an issue as they're not under constant fire.
 
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