By: Diana Johnsen
djohnsen@kcautv.com
It's a day U.S. Army Specialist, Tom Albers of Alton, Iowa will never forget.
"I felt something hit me. It felt like I got hit by a baseball," Albers said.
On May 28, 2011 during a combat mission in Afghanistan, Albers was shot in his helmet.
The bullet though did not go straight through.
Instead, it went in between the helmet's layers of Kevlar, curved and went out the back.
After the incident, Albers suffered a concussion and minor scrapes to the top of his head.
He immediately called home and told his mother what happened.
"I was like 'Hey mom, I kind of have to tell you something. I got shot through the helmet, but I'm okay, everything is fine."
Albers' helmet was examined by U.S. Government organization "Program Executive Officer Soldier", a maker of soldier equipment.
"As we begin going forward looking for a new combat helmet for the Army, it's the information that we garter out of this that helps us make an even better, lighter and stronger helmet for the future," said Command Sergeant Major Emmett Maunakea of PEO Soldier.
After it was examined, the helmet was given back to Albers in a ceremony at the National Guard Armory in Le Mars on Saturday.
For Albers, the helmet now acts as a symbol of what helped save his life.
"I really didn't know what to say. It just happened, and I was back to everyday life."
Albers said he has one more year on his contract and does not know for sure what his next step will be, but he said this incident will not affect that decision.
