US Navy Flight Deck Helmet (2017)

Headgear, Helmets, Later Cold War (1969 - 1989), Modern (1990 - Present), United States, War on Terror, War on Terror (2001 - 2021)

Sample 1:

These “bump” helmets are worn by aircraft carrier deck crews. They are made from several disconnected plastic shells secured to a cloth cap, allowing them to be lower profile and more flexible than an actual helmet. The shells’ color corresponds to the wearer’s job on the flightdeck. White helmets mean safety (quality control) and medical personnel. [1]

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2017 date.

Usage Photos:

1991: US Navy SEALs from SEAL TEAM 8 during ship-boarding training [2].
February 1, 1991: A member of Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) Team 8, armed with a 9mm MP-5A5E submachine gun, gives a thumbs-up at the successful completion of a training mission aboard the USNS JOSHUA HUMPHREYS (T-AO-188). SEAL Team 8 is providing boarding teams to assist the ships of the Maritime Interception Force in their enforcement of U.N. sanctions against Iraq during Operation Desert Storm [3][4]. SEAL in foreground is wearing a rigger-modified vest.

Besides aircraft carrier flightdeck crews, these helmets were sometimes repurposed for VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure) personnel during the 1990’s for raids due to the low profile combined with integrated communications. Thanks to some “glamour” shots, these helmets are commonly associated with VBSS in video games [5] and action figures.

From [6].