Berets in the Army?

[Vudu15]

Most helmets are nigh on useless at stopping anything harder hitting than pistol rounds/shrapnel anyway.

untrue sir...

[guncrasher]

untrue sir...

helmets are designed to deflect a shot that otherwise will kill you.  will not stop all rounds but better than nothing.

semp

[moochin]

untrue sir...

Well i wore helmets for many years, from Mk4 steel jobbies to GS mk6 Kevlar, my brother is currently in theatre wearing the new helmet. Unless you are considering specialist heavyweight equipment, I'd like to see the modern, military issue skid lid that will stop 5.56x45mm or 7.62 x 39mm.

[Melvin]

Well i wore helmets for many years, from Mk4 steel jobbies to GS mk6 Kevlar, my brother is currently in theatre wearing the new helmet. Unless you are considering specialist heavyweight equipment, I'd like to see the modern, military issue skid lid that will stop 5.56x45mm or 7.63 x 39mm.

This one penetrated, but the soldiers life was saved by his helmet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y0g6PNqBiI

[Reaper90]

This one penetrated, but the soldiers life was saved by his helmet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y0g6PNqBiI

When my brother came back from Somolia 1n 1992 after Mogadishu, I (we, whole family went actually) visited him at Ft Benning and attended a ceremony and stuff, anyway, 3rd Bat Rangers barracks had offices of some sort in one part of the buildings (forgive my memory, it was 19 years ago!) and they had a lot of trphies of sorts, captured weapons, gear, etc. Anyway, he showed me a bunch of pics they had taken in Mogadishu after the raid, one I remember quite clearly was a pic of one of the guy's "clay pots" they called them, their helmets. Anyway, seems a Somoli had fired at them and one round ricochet'd off a wall and smacked this guy right in the helmet. The pic showed the helmet, whole side of it peeled open and just obliterated, but it stopped the round. Granted, the ricochet off the wall absorbed a lot of energy and slowed the round down quite a lot, but it was still carying quite a bit of energy, def enough to kill a guy wearing a steel helmet. As it ends up, it knocked the guy out cold and he wound up with a bad concussion, but was carried out and lived through it.

[cpxxx]

Well I still have my old beret which I wore during my time in the service and if ever went contracting I would wear it. I'm pretty proud of it. But as a helmet collector things have moved on. The British Mk7 is not bad. It saved a couple of Irish soldiers already. http://army-uk.info/news_detail.php?id=273. I have a mk 6 as used in Iraq complete with theatre appropriate modifications. Same with a PASGT helmt.

Not sure about you Americans but the beret is symbolic with us on this side of the pond. To be honest it's not the coolest ever military headgear but like all French uniform fashion, it seems to work.
 

[moochin]

I know they have save several lives, but my point was that in a non glancing impact, any modern cartridge will be through the helmet and on it's way

[LThunderpocket]

This.

 My little brother is kneeling center with the M243 SAW

thats a m249 SAW.theres another gun that looks pretty similar called the m240

[Major Biggles]

My thoughts exactly, why the f* would you wear a baret, why not something useful like a helmet?

Originally introduced over here in tank crews, didn't get in the way of cramped tank interiors and the originals were brown so as to hide oil stains. Berets are strictly speaking only a parade head-dress, in the british army you wear them around camp/on parade in your green kit, but certainly never on patrol. Also, if you mould them right, they look ally (army cool): ala http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1505000/images/_1505794_beret300.jpg

Unfortunately the way you yanks do yours often makes your lads look like giant noodlees ala http://www.glogster.com/media/4/35/66/35/35663524.jpg

And then there are the isrealis............... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Nahal-kumta.jpg

Isn't the world lucky to have the outstanding and oh-so-fashionable British Army?

[VonMessa]

Originally introduced over here in tank crews, didn't get in the way of cramped tank interiors and the originals were brown so as to hide oil stains. Berets are strictly speaking only a parade head-dress, in the british army you wear them around camp/on parade in your green kit, but certainly never on patrol. Also, if you mould them right, they look ally (army cool): ala http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1505000/images/_1505794_beret300.jpg

Unfortunately the way you yanks do yours often makes your lads look like giant noodlees ala http://www.glogster.com/media/4/35/66/35/35663524.jpg

And then there are the isrealis............... http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Nahal-kumta.jpg

Isn't the world lucky to have the outstanding and oh-so-fashionable British Army?

There’s a French Soldier, an Israeli Commando, a British SAS officer and a Green Beret sitting around a campfire telling each-other how mean and tough they are.

The French Soldier says “I can swim 50 miles and bite the head off a live chicken. One French soldier is worth 5 other men.”

The Israeli Commando says “I can clear runways one-handed and kill a man with my bare hands. One Israeli Commando is worth 10 other men.”

The British SAS officer says “Yeah? Well I can dive up to 90 feet without air, and I’m an expert in demolitions. One British SAS officer is worth 13 other men.”

The Green Beret just sat there all this time saying nothing, stirring the fire with his d*%k.

[Melvin]

Unfortunately the way you yanks do yours often makes your lads look like giant noodlees ala http://www.glogster.com/media/4/35/66/35/35663524.jpg

At least our fighters don't act like vaginas.

God save the queen, because her army can't.

[moochin]

At least our fighters don't act like vaginas.

God save the queen, because her army can't.

Erm, I think you'd discover the opposite to be true, but no-one is intending to fight or die for the Queen, just as US forces do not fight and die for their president or flag. They do it for their muckers. As for your soldiers acting like anything, there are good and bad units in every armed services. In my experience the British Armed services are amongst the most professional in the world.
That being said, U.S forces I have come across in the most part have been first rate.

[JunkyII]

Coming from the Honor Guard I learned very quickly how to wear my beret....

Alot of the other nations wear them hear in afghanistan and its quite funny.....only reason why they can is because they don't leave the wire...

[Melvin]

Erm, I think you'd discover the opposite to be true, but no-one is intending to fight or die for the Queen, just as US forces do not fight and die for their president or flag. They do it for their muckers. As for your soldiers acting like anything, there are good and bad units in every armed services. In my experience the British Armed services are amongst the most professional in the world.
That being said, U.S forces I have come across in the most part have been first rate.

Yes, I responded hastily.

The Brits have been steadfastly doing our bidding for years now. They (in my estimation) are at least worthy of the title: "coat room attendant".

[Major Biggles]

just as you yanks are wonderful light entertainment...