Operation Helmet Assists IAFF Members and Soldiers Serving in Iraq

In an effort to keep our brothers and sisters serving overseas as members of the Reserve Forces and National Guard safe, the IAFF is supporting Operation Helmet, a program to provide soldiers with potentially life-saving upgrades to ballistic helmets – free of charge. These upgrades are currently only issued to the military's most elite forces and do not filter down to Reserve and National Guard forces and, unfortunately, these and the many other soldiers who make up half of the nation’s military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are serving without the proper equipment to ensure their safety.

Bottom from left: Sgt. Sean Italiane of Otis Air Force Base Local F-264, Sgt. Christopher McGowan of Saginaw, MI Local 102, Marco Castro of Boston, MA Local 718, and Sgt. Patrick Peterson of Virginia, MN Local 390. Second row from left: Sgt. Stephen Jefferes of Cambridge, MA Local 30, Sgt. George Roig of Elyria, OH Local 474, Brian Campbell of Rock Hill, SC Local 2106, Sgt. Tom McDonough of St. Paul, MN Local 21, and Chris Klaveter of St. Paul, MN Local 21. Top row from left: Sgt. Chris Adams of Dekalb County, GA Local 1492, Sgt. Dan McBennet of Lorain, OH Local 267 and Sgt. Christien Savard of Hanscom Air Force Base Local F-78. Standing on the top row: Sgt. Paul Jacques of Attleboro, MA Local 848.

"It is a disgrace that our government continues to send troops into combat without the proper equipment to do their jobs and come home safely," says IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger. In honor of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, President Schaitberger has made a $5,000 donation to Operation Helmet to help pay for these desperately-needed helmet upgrades for the 407th Air Expeditionary Group based at Ali Base, Iraq, the unit in which former Attleboro, MA Local 858 President Paul Jacques, members of the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts and other IAFF members are now serving. 

These helmet upgrades replace the 1930s-era helmet support system, are more stable and decrease G-force transmission to the head and brain on impact.

The IAFF encourages its affiliates and members to help their brothers and sisters serving overseas by making a donation to Operation Helmet. Upgrades are $98.69 each, and contributions can be made for a specific soldier. Click here and go to “contributions” to make a donation.

Click here to visit the Honor Roll for a list of names of IAFF members serving in the armed forces.

Operation Helmet's efforts to obtain $10,000 in donated equipment to help their fellow Airmen have recently been prominently featured on the U.S. Air Force official web site. Click here to read the full story.