SCREWED – The Army Recalls 30,000 ACHs

Army Times reporter Matt Cox is reporting the Army is pulling approximately 37,000 Advanced Combat Helmets off soldier’s head’s. An improper coating on screws used by one of Gentex’s subcontractor is causing the screws to rust. That rust is leading to the loss of ballistic performance as borne out by tests performed by the Army.

It’s not as bad as it sounds, though. Of the 30,000 issued to soldiers and airmen, about 27,000 have already been collected. From Matt’s story:

Gentex notified the Army in January that one of its subcontractors used “a different finish on the screws than what is required by the government,” Myles said. The finish is designed to protect the screws from corrosion.

The former subcontractor, A.J. Hughes Screw Products Company Inc., is under investigation by Army CID and Gentex is not, said Ken Lee, corporate counsel for Gentex.

The Army pulled samples of the helmets and found that extreme environmental conditions caused the substitute screw coating to degrade prematurely and create a weak spot in the helmet, Myles said.