Veteran Lee Rowlands was following a ‘rite of passage’ when he enlisted in the ‘world’s best army’ at 18, with a family military history on both sides.
But what he did not know was he would go on to suffer incurable injuries, caused, he believes, not in combat – but by the military equipment meant to protect him.
Mr Rowlands, 39, from Thorne, Doncaster, is one of more than 2,000 veterans and current servicemen and women suing US industrial company 3M.
The firm supplied the Ministry of Defence (MoD) with combat earplugs for use in training and active service in Iraq and other deployments.
And the current and ex-soldiers have now claimed faulty military ear equipment caused them life-changing injuries such as deafness and tinnitus.
A severe case of the latter has plagued Mr Rowlands since his time in uniform, which saw him manning heavy-duty artillery weapons ‘from dusk till dawn’.
The father-of-eight joined the 26th Regiment Royal Artillery in 2004, serving two tours of Iraq in 2006 and 2009.
But it has left him with the incurable condition, which causes sleepless nights due to the constant ringing in his ears.
Veteran Lee Rowlands (pictured) was following a ‘rite of passage’ when he enlisted in the ‘world’s best army’ at 18, with a family military history on both sides
Mr Rowlands (pictured) is one of more than 2,000 veterans and current servicemen and women suing US industrial company 3M
But what the ex-soldier (pictured, second right) did not know was he would go on to suffer incurable injuries, caused, he believes, not in combat – but by the military equipment meant to protect him
He said: ‘It’s like a domino effect. It causes a lack of sleep which then causes problems in my home and work life.’
Mr Rowlands’ experience inspired him to become a campaigner on TikTok for veteran rights, with 42,600 followers and 743,600 likes.
The Royal Artillery veteran was doubtful of the lightweight earplugs from the very first wear: ‘They didn’t fit right and felt quite loose.
‘When I first joined the Army, you got the big over-the-head green ear defenders. Going from them to these little things just didn’t feel right.’
He first used the combat earplugs (version two) in 2008 while constantly manning an AS90 gun.
The self-propelled artillery vehicle is extremely loud, firing at around 180 decibels.
By comparison, a rock concert ranges between 90 and 120 decibels while noises between 150 and 160 decibels can rupture an ear drum.
Britain has now given its entire AS90 artillery supply to Ukraine as military aid.
Mr Rowlands (pictured) first used the combat earplugs (version two) in 2008 while constantly manning an AS90 gun
Automatic faith in the military stopped Mr Rowlands and his fellow soldiers from officially complaining about the earplugs at first.
The veteran, who also suffers from PTSD, said: ‘We did [complain] but obviously you’d want to trust the process.
‘We thought they wouldn’t issue something if they were faulty but clearly they were.’
The black-and-yellow earplugs were designed to be reversible: one side to block out most noise and the other for impact sounds, such as explosions, and to listen to commands.
But despite this protective kit, tinnitus – a persistent ringing in an ear – started for the ex-soldier more than two years after he left military service in 2010.
He said: ‘I was at work and I just thought something is not right. I stuck my fingers in my ears, gave them a wobble and it didn’t subside’.
His GP who diagnosed him with the condition told him that ‘it could have been preventable’ with proper equipment.
He said: ‘It just makes you angry. You want to trust in something, you are supposed to be the best army in the world.
Despite this protective kit, tinnitus – a persistent ringing in an ear – started for the ex-soldier (pictured) more than two years after he left military service in 2010
‘You want the correct kit to do your job efficiently and obviously that was not the case. Around 95 per cent of the people I worked with now have issues.
‘I feel that when you come out of service, you are just thrown on the scrap heap.’
Veterans under 75 are around 3.5 times more likely to have hearing problems than the general population, according to a 2014 study by Royal British Legion.
Between 2012 and 2020, the MoD settled more than 9,000 cases of hearing loss and paid £72million in compensation.
In 2023, the providers 3M settled on $6billion (£4.5million) with a similar case brought by 24,000 US servicemen and women.
The company said the settlement was not an admission of liability as the product worked effectively if used properly.
It also said that it was prepared to defend itself in the English courts.
The first legal claim was launched in the UK this week with a ‘letter before action’.
Mr Rowlands joined the case after hearing about it at Castle Court Veterans Village in North Yorkshire – a support centre scheduled to open this year – and felt that ‘a weight had been lifted’.
He said: ‘We shouldn’t have to go down these routes. We should be provided with the right equipment to do our job and really shouldn’t have to go down these routes.’
A spokesperson for 3M said the company has ‘great respect for the British Armed Forces’ and takes the allegations over its earplugs seriously.
‘The resolution of previous litigation in the United States did not involve any admission of liability and 3M is prepared to defend itself in any litigation threatened in the English courts regarding that product.’
An MoD spokesperson said: ‘We take the health and wellbeing of our personnel seriously and always look at how we can reduce noise levels in their working environment.’