A Pentagon test group is eyeing these ballistic ball and patrol caps for troops

• Some US military units may soon be able to test out ballistic ball caps, a Pentagon contractor said.
• The hats have the potential to increase protection for some troops, as well as law enforcement.
• Military units have expressed interest in testing the hats after a fatal attack last year.

Manufactured by R-12, the ballistic ball caps were created by a surgeon. They include patrol caps — known within the military as “covers” — that soldiers and Marines wear with their camouflage uniforms, as well as neutral-colored ball caps many special operations members are known to favor.

The protective caps could also be worn by law enforcement officers or by personnel in other parts of the federal government where workers could be exposed to harm, Kelly said.

According to R-12, the protective hat “will slow the energy of NIJ Level IIIA threats,” a designation that applies to powerful ammunition fired from handguns, though it does not protect against ammunition fired from rifles, according to the National Institute of Justice.

The manufacturer said that in a shooting scenario, “the kinetic energy of the bullet may still damage the skull and/or cause bruising, bleeding, or swelling in the brain. However, those injuries are treatable and survivable with prompt surgical care.”

National Guard units, including the West Virginia National Guard, have expressed particular interest in the gear, Kelly said, following the deadly shooting attack in Washington, DC, last November in which two service members from the West Virginia National Guard were attacked.

Spc. Sarah Beckstrom died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. A second service member, Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, was also shot in the head and seriously wounded.

The ball caps weigh 11 ounces and cost $365 each, and they should be replaced every two years, according to R-12.