Can you hear me now?
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFPN) -- Lt. Col. Mickra King removes a mold, the Air Force's new attenuating custom communications earpiece system, from the ear of 1st Lt. Drew Baird. Each earpiece is custom-fit to the person's ear canal and contains a built-in speaker that connects to an aircraft's communication system. The earpieces are designed to help enhance radio fidelity, reduce ambient noise, increase situational awareness and protect against potential hearing loss. Lieutenant Baird is assigned to the 93rd Bomb Squadron. Colonel King is a clinical audiologist from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brian Ferguson)