Arrangements at the Front

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Graebarde

First it is not really really dark in the desert at night unless it is overcast. The billlions and billions of stars supply an amazing about of illumination...
(I lived and worked in the desert at least fifty miles from ground lights.. the heavens are beautiful when uncluttered by ground wash or smog).

I live in the desert about 15 miles north of Tucson. When the moon is full, I can go for a walk in the wild without using/needing a flashlight. When the moon is waning, though, this is not possible. With a new moon, it's just way too dark. The stars are gorgeous, but they don't provide enough light to do anything by.

[Graebarde]

Originally Posted by Raellus

I live in the desert about 15 miles north of Tucson. When the moon is full, I can go for a walk in the wild without using/needing a flashlight. When the moon is waning, though, this is not possible. With a new moon, it's just way too dark. The stars are gorgeous, but they don't provide enough light to do anything by.

Well I could detect burros, wild horses, and coyotes sneaking around in the dark by starlight once the eyes got adjusted to the dark. No, I didn't go creeping around out there in starlight only.. good way to get poked. FB

[Legbreaker]

It depends on the individual. For me, starlight alone is more than enough light, but then I do have a UV sensitivity and need to wear sunglasses outside or suffer headaches.

[Webstral]

I was surprised to find that I could drive a track in a march column on a dirt road with only 2% illumination without night vision. I hated the night vision device, because the headband got crushed into my skull under the tight-fitting CVC helmet and the greenness gave me a headache. However, I discovered later that I cannot see well enough to shoot using iron sights in 15% illumination. Guess how that went. Fortunately, it was training and so not an especially expensive lesson.

Low illumination would be an excellent excuse for letting enemy raiders pass unmolested. One could almost predict when the enemy would make his move.

Though I'm supposed to be working on a new piece for Thunder Empire, I've been moonlighting (pun intended) on something truly evil. I'm fleshing out an idea for a megapunk gang that takes over the southeastern portion of New Hampshire. The Zombies are very bad news. They spend the daylight hours in basements and come out only at night. They use cosmetics and tattooing to give themselves an undead aspect. They engage in ritual cannibalism. They conduct raids for captives and booty only under very low illumination conditions. They keep themselves well-stocked with combat drugs. They engage in hand-to-hand combat with short spears, tomahawks, and knives. They are probably the best night actions light infantry in New England. They are able to operate this way because they have struck an unholy alliance with another megapunk gang who handles the daylight hours and the slave labor. My own creation disturbs me, but I feel the need to give them (un)life.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

For me, starlight alone is more than enough light, but then I do have a UV sensitivity and need to wear sunglasses outside or suffer headaches.

Yeah, I can relate. Pale blue eyes, great for night ops but bright sunlight is difficult for me to deal with without sunglasses.

[HorseSoldier]

I was surprised to find that I could drive a track in a march column on a dirt road with only 2% illumination without night vision. I hated the night vision device, because the headband got crushed into my skull under the tight-fitting CVC helmet and the greenness gave me a headache. However, I discovered later that I cannot see well enough to shoot using iron sights in 15% illumination. Guess how that went. Fortunately, it was training and so not an especially expensive lesson.

I hate driving under NODS, be they goggles or things like the driver's night sight on the A-Zero Bradleys (which turns the whole world into a neon green fish bowl). Back when I was a Brad driver I used to just pop the hatch a bit and drive by ambient light when I could get away with it.

Ditto on the shooting at night, also -- iron sights even with the big aperture on the M16 sights -- pretty much a noisemaker except at point blank range when body position and point shooting comes into play, for me. Performance gets better with a CCO/EOTech or an ACOG where I can actually see a sight picture.

[rcaf_777]

In Canada you were lucking if you had a pair of NODS per infantry section, I never use them as a grunt unless I was maning an OP or Crew Served Weapons, I don't think any drivers for any vehciles had them, the Army had M113 or AVGP and I don't they had night sights for the driver or crew, Leapord I might have had something but I was no tanker

[Legbreaker]

In my time I saw a grand total of one pair. They were in the hands of an M113 Lieutenant and on the edge of completely worn out.
Only saw one rifle mounted night sight as well. Shame the mount (which replaced the slide cover on the SLR) prevented the breach block from moving...

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

In Canada you were lucking if you had a pair of NODS per infantry section, I never use them as a grunt unless I was maning an OP or Crew Served Weapons, I don't think any drivers for any vehciles had them, the Army had M113 or AVGP and I don't they had night sights for the driver or crew, Leapord I might have had something but I was no tanker

Depends on the unit and it's current tasking really, so you were probably just unlucky. One year a reg or even reserve unit might have enough for every man or two, and the next year those sets might be allotted to another unit prepping for deployment or whatever.