american wars...what flashlights did the soldiers carry?

hron61

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i was curious about what flashlights the us soldiers used during all the different wars. and today in iraq, what is the military issued flashlight?
and if any of our soldiers are reading this...thank you and god bless you.
 

hron61

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wow, with that civil war latern, im guessing he could not see the enemy but the enemy would see his target, all lit up. not good for the soldier holding it.
 

DanTSX

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Amazing how far we have come!

What is even more interesting is that military flashlights had not changed much at all since WWII until recently! Of course SF came in during the 1980's "Laser Products" era, but that was a due to the needs of police agencies rather than the military.

Typically, you see high-technology being driven by an initial military need that is later developed for civilian applications. (i.e. microwaves, transistors, computers, etc). I suppose that it is possible that military needs emphasized operations in a LACK of light. And it is due to this understanding that there had been developments in night vision and large-scale illumination (flares).

Until recently, close-quarters battles were not a big part of military doctrine for the USA, and hence the need for compact illumination was not a .mil need. I do think that SF has done a great job with coming up with really great and beneficial products from the military such as the small helmet-mounted lights and the Nitrolon series of lights (which I believe were developed to lower costs for defense-contract bidding). Today, you can see the benefit of SF gaining military contracts as they have introduced IR LEDs and increasingly powerful weapon mounted lights. As the military continues to contract with SF, one can only expect more developments. One area that you DO see right now is the use of IR LED beacons on "good guys" so that soldiers in firefights at night, don't accidentally shoot one of their buddies. This is a neat "IFF" feature that is going to save lives

What I would only expect to replace the old anglehead lights of the past would probably be something along the lines of a G2L with maybe 3 output settings, a fixed reflector optimized for flood and throw, with an LED that emits in the IR range. Specifically, I would expect it to be a development of the new nitrolon lights aimed at firefighters. The next development that I would expect, would be employment of the new multi-color LEDs to offer switching from white, to red, to IR only.

I have to toot my own horn on my predictions as when asked "what is the future of LEDs" thread last year, I was the first, and maybe only person to predict the development of multiple color LEDs on one die. :party: I was pretty stoked to see them come out with the Quark RGB a few months back.

Additionally, I believe that investment and development of "green" technologies will drive LED tech even further. Right now, it is the demand for flat TV's that is driving the core technology behind the bulbs.
 
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hron61

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oh yes i was a tot when my dad was in vietnam and i remember those angled flashlights and they werent too bright but they sure fun to play with. never did have any colored lenses though.
but getting back to subject... i see many manufactuers listing the lights that meets the demands of the military but what is the actual military issued light of today? i've searched but i've yet to find info. plus im thinking that each soldier has a choice of their own preference.
 

wwglen

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USMC just starting issuing Streamlight Sidewinders gor general use.

Surefire of various types are unit issued for specific needs.

wwglen
 

hron61

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wow, just went to streamlight site and some specs for the light are 1/2 watt led (white) with 20 lumens and a run time of 7.5 hours. im thinking 20 lumens vs some of whats available. it is a very impressive looking light thats for sure.
 

TMedina

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Speaking for the Army, we don't have a uniform issue flashlight - when new troops come through, they get a generic gear issue: ACUs, boots, duffel bag and so on, but flashlights are not part of that issue.

When the troops get to their new units, the individual unit may issue out supplementary gear like Gerbers, knives, flashlights, but that's highly individualized by unit.

When I went to BCT, the DIs did not tell us to buy anything. However, it was strongly encouraged that we buy a flashlight - of course, the only thing available to us to buy were the old Fulton Angleheads.

That said, the Army has started "certifying" gear approved for use - not endorsed or recommended, but meets the criteria for use by Soldiers (mind you, I have no idea how they do their testing, but check out "US Army Family of Flashlights" on Google).

-Trevor
 

Harv

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I grew up in the Army when all you had was the Plastic GI angled flashlight that ran off two BA-30's (.Mil version of the Dcell) The Army did not have a dedicated weapon light until SOCOM issued the SOPMOD 1 kit in the mid 90's.

It consisted of a lot of stuff like IR lasers and NVG's and a White light that could be added onto the rail system that replaced the hand guards on a M4-A1 carbine. Surefire made the MU series Weapon lights that had a mount with two large knurled knobs that you used to attach it to a rail. That light still continues to be the primary issue weapon light for the U.S. Army.

Now with RFI (Rapid Fielding initiative )instead of the .Mil trying to design there own stuff, they buy off the shelf gear that can be quickly issued to the troops as they deploy.
 

sed6

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When I deployed to Bosnia I was issued the standard anglehead Incan light. Everyone had one and no one knew there was anything better to be had, myself included.
 

ElectronGuru

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I suppose that it is possible that military needs emphasized operations in a LACK of light.

I was totally thinking that to, until recently. A military customer starting asking about 'silly powerful' handhelds.
When I inquired as to the purpose, I got a lesson in night time helo extraction.
 

frank777

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I think quite a few in Iraq are using Surefires and Novatac's. I've seen quite a few on eBay stating "used in Iraq".

Here is a very interesting story from Surefire's web site:

**************************************

L4 a Lifesaver in IED Explosion

It was a pitch-black, quiet night, and I was under the cover of a burned-out house. I saw what appeared to be an iPod and assumed it had been dropped by one of my fellow soldiers. Well, it wasn't an iPod; it was an IED (improvised explosive device).

I remember a bright, white light flashing, and waking up several hours later with a wall on top of me. I was 99% covered and stuck, except for my free right arm. I could not see and could barely breathe, but I could hear what I thought were drones passing by overhead and other units passing by. But I couldn't make a sound. Then I remembered that my SureFire L4 LumaMax® was on my belt.

After 10 minutes of painful wiggling, I was able to reach my L4 with my right hand. My head was split wide open, my nose was nearly completely off my face, so I couldn't get enough air, and I was quickly passing out, but I was able to click my L4 on and off several times before losing consciousness. It was enough to get me noticed by the drone passing over me. Roughly 20 minutes later, I was rescued and extricated from under a ton of debris.

Now, 197 stitches later, I'm back home recuperating and rehabilitating. The hundred-plus dollars I spent on my L4 was worth every penny. This is a life-saving tool. My only regret is that, after I passed out, I dropped my L4 and lost it forever. But I'm already saving up for a new one and hope to rejoin my unit in a few weeks.

God bless America, God bless The Corps, and God bless SureFire!

Gunny David M.
Piscataway, NJ
 

hron61

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im loving the angled fulton mx-991/u light. im not a modder but im wondering how hard it would be to turn it into an led light? anyone want to give me some tips on what parts to use? i would love to make that my first flashlight mod. :thumbsup:
i will start a seperate thread about it. if you have tips, please post them there. thanks
 
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Goat

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During my tour in Korea 1984-85 we used the old angle head with a red lens , during Desert Storm it was the mini-mag . I still wish I had my desert camo mini-mag just for old times sake .
 
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