Helmet Camera in Combat

[GearGod]

http://www.helmetcamera.com/

If one is in a US Army Infantry/SF unit such as the 101st/75th or any SF unit are they allowed to bring cameras such as the above to mount on thier helmet to record stuff?

[Vance]

That would be cool.

[FallenAngel]

I'm sure it's done, but the video's never leave the war-room. Most civilians I think wouldn't like the real face of war. (ya know...the non-movie kind) Thus the military would control any sort of footage recorded.

[Light Fighter]

Yes, having a helmet mounted camera is sometimes practiced. The brass sometimes wants a visual of the targets that they sent the team in to get. I beleave an SF soldier in the rescue of Lynch(sp) had one on.

[GearGod]

I mean I think that if one was in a very independant and "free" unit such as some Special Forces groups who operate independantly of the "main force" as demonstrated in the recent "Profiles" show or if one were in a leadership position and no one can tell that leader what to do etc. It sure as heck may be possible to do so

[Smoothie104]

Good friend of mine is a retired Nightstalker, he has some home video shot in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Liberia etc.... some of it is very entertaining.

[GearGod]

Some impressive Afghanistan Videos:

http://americasarmy.com/archives/afghanistan_weblog/video_gallery/video_gallery.php

[Duke]

Just another command tether, will simply be used to second guess squad and platoon commanders.

[Sirpad]

The israely army is using these devices a lot, esspecialy with specops
units. In the BBC movie about the golany regiment's recon unit, an entire operation in the west bank
was shown - the footage was taken by helmet-mounted cameras, and mostly from the operation CO's own.

http://www.isayeret.com/gear/helmet/minicam.jpg
IDF officer equiped with helmet-mounted camera. Also note laser designator and flashlight on the gun.

[Royal]

Just another command tether, will simply be used to second guess squad and platoon commanders.

I'm with Duke - the whole point of Mission Command is for responsibility to be devolved to the lowest possible level. We're already seeing Coy level (& below) Ops being micro managed from on high.

With decent secure comms (& compability of those comms with all arms - something that we Brits still don't have - criminal negligence IMHO) there is no need in conventional Ops.

SF is a different matter, as doctrinaly that type of Op is controlled at the highest level.

Camera's are a tool for C2 and AAR's - there's enough illinformed crap in the media already, without them becoming an 'entertainment tool', though I fear they're already beeing used as a propaganda/PsyOps (call it what you like) tool.