Noise of military weapons, ground vehicles, planes and ships

Abstract

Noisy equipment and processes are found throughout military operations, exposing service members to risks of hearing damage due to hazardous noise levels. This article provides an overview of the military noise environment for the non-expert and provides a general characterization of the noise by source type and operational category. The focus of the article is primarily related to the Army, but the same, or similar, equipment is used by the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Damage risk criteria used by the Army Public Health Command are discussed. In addition, the important role of hearing protection to mitigate the hazards of noise exposure is provided.