The Army's Hearing May Be Improving Soon

Auditory Situational Awareness is being addressed by the military and a new electronic device could improve a soldier's hearing on the battlefield

Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - In the past, hearing loss was thought of as an acceptable side effect of military combat because few soldiers were willing to wear hearing protection for fear of being unable to hear life-saving combat commands. In recent wars, soldiers that chose to wear hearing protection during battle were misled into thinking that the 3M Combat Army Earplug would block out the loud noises of battle while simultaneously allowing them to hear critical military commands. As a result of the failed and misrepresented 3M Combat Army Earplug more combat veterans have returned home from fighting with hearing loss or tinnitus and file more disability claims than any other injury according to the Veterans Administration (VA). 3M Combat Army Earplug lawyers offer a free consultation and no obligation to file a claim.

The Army's latest combat hearing solution addresses not only the soldier's need for hearing protection, but also seeks to enhance one's ability to hear not just military commands, but also the whispers of potential enemies in waiting in ambush. The Tactical Communication and Protective System (TCPS) is a combination of hearing aid and earplug designed to block out gunfire and explosive sounds while enhancing quieter tones. The hearing device provides instant feedback during situations that require anticipating enemy attacks since the hearing sensitivity can be turned up to provide super-sensitive levels simply by turning a nob on a device attached to the waist much like a nob on an electric guitar. The device then instantly switches to back to maximize hearing protection when high decibel sounds are detected. Military commanders stress that the hearing device can enhance combat effectiveness, however, a soldier needs to be trained as to how to properly use the device. The army has ordered 20,000 units of the device for testing at a cost of around $2000 each, and the device can be charged via solar, standard outlets and even vehicle batteries, according to Tech Crunch.com.

A soldier's battlefield priorities are finding and fighting the enemy and not necessarily on protecting against hearing loss which is incorrectly assumed to be a non-life threatening injury. The 3M Army Earplug failed to fill the ear canal and allow the deafening explosions of combat to destroy a soldier's hearing. The need for hearing protection in combat situations appears suddenly as firefights emerge and a soldier does not have the time to drop everything and insert hearing protection. Dodging bullets and grenades are a much greater priority. Before the 3M Combat Army Earplug came around, a soldier had several hearing protection choices available to them. Most preferred the standard foam earplug to the other more sophisticated devices hearing protection devices. Passive foam earplugs can increase the allowable decibel level by a factor of 30 meaning that a soldier can be in the presence of loud sustainable noises for ten times as long without experiencing hearing damage.

More Recent 3M Earplug Lawsuit News:

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• 3M Combat Army Earplug Trial To Begin In Two Weeks | 3/17/2021
• Whistleblower Lawsuit Alerted The Military To Army Earplug Malfunction | 2/20/2021
• 3 Cases Selected For Army Hearing Loss Trial | 1/29/2021
• Military Veterans Tell the Stories of Their Hearing Loss Nightmare | 1/8/2021
• Military Veteran Hearing Loss Trials to Start in Spring 2021 | 12/26/2020
• Hundreds of Veterans Continue To Sign Up To Sue 3M For Defective Earplugs | 12/14/2020
• 3M's Greed Contributed To Thousands of Military Deaths and Injuries | 12/6/2020
• Taxpayers Foot The Bill For Army Earplugs That Turned Out To Be Defective | 11/21/2020
• Tinnitus Sufferers May Have Difficulties For The Remainder of Their Lives | 11/14/2020
• Aearo Inc. and 3M Took Shorcuts And Did Not Properly Redesign The Combat Army Earplugs | 11/3/2020
• US Military Alleges 3M Fraudulently Represented The Army Earplug | 10/27/2020
• Large Numbers of Soldiers Are Filing 3M Army Earplug Lawsuits Against 3M Inc. | 10/15/2020
• Soldiers Thought Their Hearing Protection Was Adequate | 9/28/2020
• Army Veterans Are Preparing For Court Over Hearing Loss | 9/24/2020
• Details Are Starting to Emerge About The 3M Army Earplug | 9/22/2020
• 3M Faces an Uphill Challenge in Defense of The Army Earplug | 9/18/2020
• 3M Faces an Uphill Challenge in Defense of The Army Earplug | 9/9/2020
• 200,000 Military Veterans Suing 3M For Defective Hearing Protection | 8/31/2020
• Thousands of Military Veterans Suing Over Hearing Loss | 8/26/2020
• Federal Judge Rules 3M Is Responsible For The Army Earplug Design | 7/28/2020
• Army Testing Points To The Need For Improving Hearing Protection Equipment | 7/14/2020
• Trials By Plaintiffs Alleging Hearing Damage From 3M Army Earplugs To Begin in the Spring of 2021 | 7/10/2020
• Army Veterans With Tinnitus Are Unable To Live Normal Lives | 6/29/2020
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• US Army Will Use 3D Printing To Create Individual Custom Fitting Ear Protection Devices | 6/3/2020
• Unsealed Court Documents Show 3M Made Nearly 1000% Profit Selling Combat Earplugs | 5/26/2020
• The US Army Is Training Soldiers to Protect Their Hearing | 5/7/2020
• Billions of Dollars Will Be Needed To Reimburse Taxpayers For Veterans Hearing Loss Disability Payments | 5/1/2020
• The US Military Prioritized Soldier's Hearing Protection Needs In Iraq and Afghanistan | 4/17/2020
• 3M Thinks Army Earplug Lawsuits Against Them May Be Thrown Out of Court Before They Begin | 4/6/2020
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• Naval Flight Deck Workers Also Experienced Hearing Damage Due To Defective 3M Earplugs | 3/11/2020
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• Army Earplug Trials Against 3M Could Start Early Next Year | 2/18/2020
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• Aereo Inc, maker of 3M Earplugs May Have Known The Combat Safety Device Would Not Work | 2/3/2020
• 3M Corporation Could Be Forced to Pay Veterans For Their Hearing Damage | 1/24/2020
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• The False Claims Act Settlement Against 3M Proides Ammunition to Lawsuits Filed By Soldiers With Hearing Damage | 12/31/2019
• Faulty Combat Earplug Cost Taxpayers Billions | 12/24/2019
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• Military Veterans Returning Home Tell Stories of Hearing Loss In Spite of Wearing Hearing Protection | 12/9/2019
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• Lawsuits Pile Up Alleging 3M Earplug Negligence | 11/14/2019
• Service Members Claim 3M's Defective Combat Army Earplug Caused Permanent Hearing Damage | 11/11/2019
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• Whistleblowers Can Save Taxpayers Money and Military Servicemember Lives | 10/15/2019
• New Army Earplug Lawsuit Accuses 3M of Fraud | 10/11/2019
• Military Veterans Are Suing 3M For Making Faulty Earplugs | 10/7/2019
• Military Personel Suffering From Tinnitus Have Found Ways To Alleviate Their Suffering | 9/26/2019
• Hearing Loss is Now Recognized For The Debilitating Service Injury It Is | 9/17/2019
• US Service Members Are Spreading The Word About The Faulty And Defective 3M Combat Army Earplug | 9/12/2019
• 3M Vows to Fight Lawsuits Alleging The Faulty Design of the 3M Combat Army Earplug | 8/28/2019
• Faulty 3M Earplugs Cost Thousands of Soldiers Their Hearing | 8/23/2019
• CBS Interviewed Returning Servicemen As To The 3M Combat Army Earplug Experiences | 8/8/2019
• The Army's Tactical Communication and Protective System (TCPS) May Replace The Ineffective 3M Combat Army Earplug | 8/6/2019
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• The 3M Combat Army Earplug Malfunctioned Causing Permanent Disability | 7/25/2019
• 3M Army Earplug Failure Can Cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | 7/18/2019
• Military Veterans May Be Unaware That They Have Hearing Loss | 7/11/2019
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• 3M Army Earplug Lawsuits Are Moving Forward To Discovery in Multi-District Litigation | 6/27/2019
• Service Members Continue To File Army Earplug Lawsuits | 6/24/2019
• 3M Failed Soldiers By Selling Earplugs They Knew Were Defective To The Military | 6/20/2019
• Service Members Have Needlessly Lost Hearing Due to 3M's Fraud, Deceit, and Deception | 6/11/2019
• Hearing Loss Should Be Taken More Seriously | 6/4/2019
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• Soldiers With Hearing Damage Are Blaming Their Earplugs | 5/22/2019
• Service Members Experience Hearing Loss From Defective Earplugs | 5/14/2019
• Army Servicemen Are Filing Hearing Loss Claims Against Earplug Maker 3M | 5/9/2019
• Hearing Loss From Defective Army Earplugs On The Frontlines and The Practice Range | 5/1/2019
• Hearing Loss Can Be A Deadly Battlefield Injury | 4/26/2019
• Servicemen Describe Hearing Loss Caused By The 3M Army Earplug | 4/22/2019
• The False Claims Act website helps whistleblower anonymously come forward easily and without fear of reprisals by their superiors | 4/15/2019
• Hundreds Of Army Earplug Lawsuits Consolidated in Federal Court | 4/9/2019
• Soldiers Are Filing Claims Against 3M Army Earplugs | 4/8/2019
• Army Veterans Have Suffered Hearing Loss From Defective Earplugs | 4/5/2019
• Whistleblower Reports Defective 3M Army Earplugs | 4/2/2019
• Service Member Suffer Tinnitus From Defective 3M Army Earplugs | 3/29/2019

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