JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, Wash. - The Program Executive Office Soldier’s Command presented Sgt. Roger S. Daniels, a human intelligence collector, with the 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade the Advanced Combat Helmet which saved his life during a ceremony at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Aug. 2.
Daniels was shot in the head during an ambush against his unit in Afghanistan more than a year ago. Although he was wounded, his ACH is what protected him that day.
“I never thought the helmet would save my life,” said Daniels.
Daniels said it was his first mission outside the wire. He was pulling security when all of sudden he felt like he had been hit with a baseball bat.
“My neck just snapped back,” said Daniels.
He knew he was shot, but hadn’t believed the ACH protected him.
Master Sgt. Benjamin L. Owens, a senior enlisted adviser for Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment, said the helmet defeated a threat that it was not actually tested to defeat.
“The ACH was only designed to defeat a 9 mm round, it defeated a 7.62 mm round. So that’s significant,” said Owens.
PEO’s mission is to continue to improve and enhance all equipment for soldiers, he added.