In 1989 General Manuel Noriega voided free elections and then declared Panama and the U.S. in a "state of war." His supporters began harrassing U.S. servicemen along the Panama Canal. On 20 December almost 20,000 U.S. troops invaded Panama. Units of the 7th Infantry Division captured the power station at Sierra Tigre, a dam on the Canal and Gamboa Prison, where Noriega's politcal prisoners were being held. In early January, General Noriega eventually turned himself in to U.S. Forces to face drug smuggling charges.
This soldier wears the new kevlar helmet issued to U.S. forces in the mid-1980s. It provides 11% more coverage than the M1 helmet. Because of its Germanic shape it was immediately dubbed the "Fritz" by the Army. Other nicknames for the new helmet were, "K'pot" or " ballistic berets." Soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division commonly applied additional camouflage strips of burlap and/or BDU strips to help break up the helmet's outline. These camouflaged helmets were often referred to as "Ragtops" or "Cabbage Patch Hats" and became the virtual trademark of the 7th Infantry Division. |
