Buyer to work with House Armed Services Committee
on helmet improvements

Washington, DC — Today, House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) participated in a hearing held by Congressman Curt Weldon (R-Penn.), Chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. This hearing was the third in a series held this year regarding Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom force protection issues. The hearing detailed existing combat helmet programs of the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps.

“We need to manufacture a helmet that does not compromise the integrity of ballistic and crash protection; however, it must allow ventilation to protect the brain from high energy explosive devices,” said Buyer.

Four polytrauma rehabilitation centers have been established in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to meet the specific needs of our wounded returning servicemembers who are suffering from traumatic brain injuries. These centers are located in Richmond, Virginia; Palo Alto, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Tampa, Florida. In fact, the VA just brought online Level II Polytrauma Centers of which includes Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.

“DOD must be responsive to this immediate need for researching improvements to these helmets. As Chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I plan to work closely with the House Armed Services Committee on this issue to combine our resources,” added Buyer.

“As long as our personnel are threatened we must do everything we can to provide them with the best protection that is available,” said Chairman Weldon.

On May 19, 2006, during debate on the House floor of the H.R. 5385, the FY2007 Military Construction, Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, Chairman Buyer raised the issue that body armor protection, while protecting the torso, deflects the blast up into the helmet increasing the likelihood of traumatic brain injuries.