Risk Management Magazine

The dust at Fort Hunter Liggett, California, hangs in the air as a fine powder, coating everything and growing finer the higher you climb. The hills do not just roll — they surge upward from the valley floors, carved with winding trails that resemble scars on the landscape. This area feels ancient and unforgiving, where gravity serves as a constant, patient enemy.

As a leader, maintaining unit readiness starts with shielding your Soldiers from the acoustic assault that bombards them every day. Whether from combat weaponry, vehicle stereos or high-powered machinery, this constant exposure does more than just disrupt sleep, produce stress and impair communication — in high enough doses, it causes significant noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

As a surface maintenance mechanic, I have installed countless MDS units across the fleet on a wide variety of Army vehicles. Having also served as a platoon sergeant and motor sergeant, I witnessed firsthand how this specific HMMWV retrofit endangers crews.