3M’s heartless approach toward Purple Heart recipients

“was tempered by the disturbing news that multinational corporation 3M ordered an all-but-defunct subsidiary called Aearo to declare bankruptcy in a cowardly attempt to avoid accountability and limit its financial responsibility to veterans suffering from hearing damage caused by the company’s faulty Combat Arms earplugs.

Earplugs may not seem important to most civilians, but for those serving in the military, they are critical health and safety devices. From 1999 through 2015, 3M sold earplugs to every branch of the armed forces. 3M promised these “revolutionary” dual-ended earplugs would protect the hearing of servicemembers while letting them remain situationally aware, advertising them with the slogan “You Protect Us. We Protect You.” The claimed benefits convinced the military to make them standard issue to troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.“

SOURCE : https://www.navytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2022/08/11/3ms-heartless-approach-toward-purple-heart-recipients/