tactical use of white light by former Delta

I found this short article by Larry Vickers, a consultant who was formerly employed in the U.S. military "Delta Force." The basic premise, familiar to anybody in the Army or Marines, is to minimize the use of white light to prevent an enemy from seeing it.

He then explains one tactic he and Ken Hackathorn (formerly of Army Special Forces, I believe) developed. The "flashbulb" approach is a momentary burst of light to identify hostile targets and another to engage--or something like that--while moving to prevent an enemy from targeting the last position of the light emission.

This might be one way to approach this problem, though I can think of others I would try first.

http://www.vickerstactical.com/Tips/whiteLight.htm

Wouldn't a quick flash light also take away much of the user's night adapted vision as well even though the light isn't pointed at them?

Indoors I'm fairly certain that it would. Outdoors--it depends on reflectivity of objects in the beam.

If we're talking about dodging bullets while night blinded by our own light, I can see how that might be a problem.

I talked to one Navy guy last night. He was telling me of one dark room clearing exercise where none of his guys had brought a light (they weren't SEALs). The "bad guys" all had lights. The "bad guys" with lights wiped out everybody in a Simunition slaughter.

swxb12 said:

Wouldn't a quick flash light also take away much of the user's night adapted vision as well even though the light isn't pointed at them?

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Not nearly as bad as the guy getting flashed.

Anybody getting a tactical light in their eyes (with a gun muzzle on the same line) is toast with certain exceptions.

What is more worrisome is when you are still searching and haven't got the light beam onto the threat. For example, I'm lighting to 12 O'clock and the threat is at 3 O'clock--on my right flank and outside the light beam. Or the threat is above me and I'm lighting downwards or vice versa. Indoors, light bounce from tactical lights can illuminate smaller rooms with white walls, no problem. Outdoors, it's a different story.

Lightraven said:

What is more worrisome is when you are still searching and haven't got the light beam onto the threat... Indoors, light bounce from tactical lights can illuminate smaller rooms with white walls, no problem. Outdoors, it's a different story.

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That's what you bring along your mates for isn't it?
(and also why one tends to be ordered to call for backup and wait for it to arrive before engaging in certain types of activities)

You us the light in quick flashes of light to identify the bad guy. It works, during our last training session one of the scenarios was to find bad guys in an abandoned building (we all had simulations weapons). I was using my Seoul modded Insight Typhoon and in a dark room one the the bg role players told me "That light was so bright I was closing my eyes and it still hurt". It works very well.

A slight sidetrack, but Depus i've got a gladius i've been thinking of upgrading too. I like its beam already, but brighter is better Who did yours, and what are your thoughts on the benefits of it over the standard? I am a bit hesitant to upgrade because "It ain't broke" if you know what I mean... Sorry for the hijack

Ideally, a team is used to cover all the angles. Certainly in the military, you don't go anywhere by yourself.

In law enforcement, however, patrol officers (and some plain clothes types) usually work alone for maximum efficiency. A typical scenario is lighting up a vehicle, a pursuit and bailout with driver running straight to 9 O'clock from his door and passengers either staying in the car and/or running to 3 O'clock from the passenger doors. And you still have the car, often in gear, driving off a cliff or into oncoming traffic. Multiple problem areas, one officer.

The flash technique is valid, somewhat like a quick peek, but don't forget the bad guy could be concealed in a way that makes a brief flash insufficient. During one night exercise in a canyon, I (bad guy) hid prone in a bush. The officers shined their tac lights right in my eyes through a bush between us, but they never saw me. I could have fired straight through that bush. Instead, I waited for them to come down the trail, to give them a chance. I opened fire (Airsoft), but once that light swung into my eyes again, it was all over. I was shot in the head.

In real life, passing up well hidden bad guys happens more often than I care to admit.