Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sheds some light on post-service occurrences of SHI among veterans. The impact of SHI extends well beyond an individual’s active military service. HEARING IMPAIRMENT RANKS AS A TOP DISABILITY AMONG VETERANS Sadly, by this time, thousands of American veterans had already paid the price for the manufacturer’s poor design and fraudulent methods. In time, a general awareness grew of the earplugs’ defects - improper fittings that prevented a true seal in the ear, thereby allowing high-level noises to penetrate the eardrum.
In 2006, the DOD signed off on an exclusive contract with 3M, making the manufacturer the sole supplier of earplugs to the U.S. By 2004, DOD supplied all soldiers with the earplugs the U.S. Throughout the Iraqi theater, the CAEv2 earplugs were standard issue. In 2001, the DOD began distributing the Combat Arms earplugs to military personnel deployed to Afghanistan. Under the terms of the 2006 contract, 3M supplied approximately 15,000 earplug packages each year, with 50 pairs of earplugs in each package, for a guaranteed price of at least $9 million for the year. The CAEv2 earplugs are reusable and cost only $10 per pair. With an attractive, low per-unit cost, the earplugs were an easy sell to the DOD. When the yellow side is properly inserted, the device acts in an unblocked, or open, position, reducing the volume of loud noises, such as explosions, but allowing the sounds of spoken commands and approaching enemies to be heard. With this side properly inserted, all sound is blocked, just as with a traditional earplug. The olive-green side presents the blocked, or closed, position. Each side is color-coded, marking the level of noise protection afforded by inserting it into the ear. The chief differentiator with these earplugs is their dual-sided design. The CAEv2 devices presented an interesting and innovative technological solution. As it became glaringly clear that these hearing impairments were having a negative impact on performance, the DOD brought in audiologists to survey the problem and come up with solutions. Combat troops were experiencing hearing problems in significant numbers and levels of severity.
THE INNOVATIVE PROMISE OF THE COMBAT EARPLUGSģM’s earplugs came across the DOD’s radar at a time when a disturbing trend was unveiling itself. The case settled in July 2018, with 3M agreeing to pay $9.1 million to the U.S. Moldex claimed that the manufacturer had implemented fraudulent practices to sway the government into buying the defective earplugs, filing a lawsuit against 3M on behalf of the government under qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. In 2016, Moldex-Metric, Inc., a 3M competitor blew the whistle on the fraudulent testing methods. However, defects in the devices revealed themselves over time, generating thousands of cases of severe hearing impairment (SHI) in military personnel who counted on them. The earplugs’ adaptive design made it an appealing option for soldiers who needed to protect their eardrums from high-level sounds that accompany service. The Combat Arms Earplugs Version 2 (CAEv2) are military hearing protection devices designed by Aearo Technologies and sold to the Department of Defense (DOD) in an exclusive-supplier contract later assumed by 3M when it purchased the manufacturer.
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