Bullet-stopping Optic Saves Marine's Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js5Btz5crdU
Sergeant Todd Bowers was on patrol with MSR Mobile security, One Marine Expeditionary Force in the northern quadrant of Fallujah when their Infantry platoon received machine gun and sniper fire.

One of the few Marines with an ACOG at the time, SSG Bowers ran up to the front to fire well-aimed shots from his magazine of tracer ammo at enemy positions as he identified them to help the crew served gunners better direct their fires.

As he was shooting, the rifle flew from his hands, knocking off his safety glasses and helmet. Blood was on the dirt when a corpsman began treating Bowers, telling him he was the luckiest Marine in Fallujah.

A bullet from a 7.62x54mmR had hit his ACOG, stopping about a half inch from his eye. Believed to be shot from one of the enemy snipers using a SVD Dragunov sniper rifle, the bullet was stopped and remained inside the ACOG. Despite the direct hit and damage, the optic's reticle was still visible and illuminated.

Keep this in mind the next time someone suggests we need to stay with iron sights because an optic might fail.