Maybe I should invest in some earplugs.

For some strange reason I'm always the guy sitting next to the gunner. I don't know how this happens. Well if you have ever been on a helicopter then you know these things are very loud. Those rotors make a lot of noise and they drown out any other noise around. You can't really hear anything but the rotors. If someone is screaming at you at the top of their lungs it only makes it to you as a whisper. For the most part you the sound becomes white noise and you don't even notice it for me I usually go to sleep and I don't wake up until the bird lands. However there is one sound that drowns out the sound of the blades and that is the sound of the gunners racking the .50 cal back. Then I realized why I'm the sucker that's all ways by the gunner. If he has to let loose with that thing you can kiss your eardrums goodbye. That's all she wrote for your hearing on top of that you will be the recipient of hot shell casings to the face and body. Next time I get on a bird I'm going to try and get on in the back or invest in earplugs.