A paratrooper with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., was recently reunited with the helmet that saved his life.
Staff Sgt. Christopher Wheatley was all smiles during a ceremony held by Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, Feb. 18. A year prior, Wheatley submitted a formal request to the organization to have his helmet returned to him for personal reasons.
"I wasn't expecting any of this," said Wheatley at the ceremony. "This shows me that the Army cares, and it's great for soldiers to [physically] see this so they can visualize the seriousness."
Wheatley was assigned to the Devil brigade in 2012 when his squad was ambushed during a dismounted patrol in Afghanistan. His unit was conducting a movement to contact and took up a blocking position to prevent the enemy from advancing.
Wheatley was returning fire upon the enemy when his Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) was struck one-and-a-half inches from its bottom back edge by an enemy bullet. The impact of the collision between the bullet and his helmet was enough to hurl him to the ground and render him unconscious.
"I felt the hit, and everything went black," said Wheatley.
As Wheatley lay on the ground, a battle raged on and engulfed his surroundings.
"After I woke up I was confused, but I was so happy," said Wheatley.
Wheatley said he immediately got back into the fight and assisted his team throughout the remainder of the two-hour engagement with the enemy.
Upon return to the base he was required to turn in the ACH to the Battle Damage Collection Team. An investigation by PEO Soldier concluded that the ACH performed as required and most likely prevented life-threatening injuries.
Wheatley said having his battle damaged equipment be returned in front of other soldiers allowed them to see the importance of properly wearing their equipment, and building faith in it as well.
1st Sgt. Walter Perez, first sergeant of Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., said the presentation was beneficial to his paratroopers because it helped drive home the point that their equipment will work when it needs to.
"When I returned the helmet to PEO I wrote a message," said Wheatley. "It said this helmet saved my life."
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