While reviewing topics to discuss in future posts, I came across the following article written for Morovision in early 2011. Written by a combat
veteran who recently got out of serving in one of the U.S. Army Ranger
Battalions, it was too good to pass up, so I decided to post it. For security, the author of the article remains anonymous, however I can tell you that this
soldier has completed six special operations overseas combat deployments (Iraq,
Afghanistan and East Africa) and was active in more than 200 combined missions,
including with units from U.S. Army Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta
(SFOD), the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) and Britain's
Special Air Service (SAS). He is currently assigned to another U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) unit.
The PVS-14 night
vision monocular is something that can give any law enforcement or military
unit an extreme advantage in any tactical situation. The one caveat to
that is that YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO USE THE PVS-14 PROPERLY.
In this article I will talk about how I applied close quarters battle (CQB)
techniques, in combat operations, with my Ranger unit during room clearing
operations in low/no light conditions. If you don’t already use these
techniques in your unit I recommend you give them a try during your next
training exercise.
As military or law enforcement personnel we carry firearms, whether it is a sidearm, or a carbine. The use of the PVS-14 night vision monocular system gives us the advantage of not only seeing at night but being able to use our firearm at night responsibly.
The first main rule is that how you shoot, meaning with which hand, and using what dominant eye, stays the same, with or without the use of night vision equipment. If, for example, you are a right-handed firer and right eye dominant, then that is how you will shoot at night using the PVS-14. Remember, as shooters, we do everything the same to build muscle memory.
What this means, as it relates to your PVS-14 monocular, is that whether it is mounted on your helmet or a skull-crusher (that would be your head harness) the PVS-14 must be mounted over your non-dominant eye. For example, if you are a right-handed shooter with your pistol and are right eye dominant, then the PVS-14 is mounted over your left eye or the other way around, if you are a left-handed shooter with your pistol and are left eye dominant, then the PVS-14 is mounted over your right eye.
As it relates to using the PVS-14 monocular in a room clearing operation, if you have a day optic, IT IS ONLY FOR DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. You do not look through the PVS-14 into your day optic. This changes your sight picture and how you bring your weapon to your face.
The PVS-14 can be combined with a laser system such as the PEQ-2, to take advantage of using the infrared (IR) spectrum of light at night, which is invisible to the naked eye. This is most effective. If you do not have a laser, do not change the configuration of your PVS-14 and continue using the night vision over your non-dominant eye. Simply bring the weapon system up to its normal firing position in front of your face and shoot. If you are competent with your weapon, you know where your rounds are going, regardless of being able to use your optic or not, because of limited visibility. Remember, although you may be in limited visibility at one moment in time, you may enter a situation where you may want to use your tactical flashlight, or all the lights may come on, at which point, because your optic is free from your PVS-14 monocular, you can quickly transition back to using your optic as if it were daytime.
In conjunction with your PVS-14 night vision monocular it is recommended you use a tactical flashlight with your weapon. At any point inside a building or room, or even near an unnatural light source, it may become bright again. That is why you do not cover up your firing eye with the night vision, so you can quickly transition from the InfraRed (IR) spectrum to the full spectrum.
Although the PVS-14 can filter out “white light” there is a split-second delay and it still obscures part of your view. With your “tac” light, upon entering a room, you switch on the “tac” light and sweep the room using your firing eye, which is not covered, and when “room clear” is called, switch off your “tac” light and go back to the IR spectrum. In the dark, this quick blast of light boasts the additional advantage of blinding the enemy/suspect momentarily.
The one change to this would be if you were in a support by fire situation, you
may choose to mount the PVS-14 to
the Picatinny rail system on your carbine and hunker down behind your weapon
and look through both the night vision and optic, although this is not optimal.
An additional tip is that you may wish to field craft a counter weight for your
helmet to keep your helmet sitting on your head correctly. Anyone who has
had to move tactically with a helmet mounted PVS-14 can
remember constantly adjusting his helmet after each bound or movement.
This can be done by taping a few batteries together and Velcroing them to the
back of your helmet. It’s cheap, keeps spare batteries handy and works.
Getting a good chinstrap and making sure it fits properly also helps quite a
bit. I recommend something similar to a MSA combat chinstrap. Speaking of
quality equipment, it is important to use only the best equipment when your
life is on the line and that is why my Ranger unit exclusively used the PVS-14 made
by ITT Exelis because of its performance and reliability. We all want to get home to
our families alive and in one piece!
Above everything else, remember the most important tip is to train as you fight and fight as you train. Using the PVS-14 night vision monocular is not a magical “see-in-the-dark” fix but a tool to be used and as with any tool, you must constantly train with it to become proficient in its use so it becomes second nature to you.
As military or law enforcement personnel we carry firearms, whether it is a sidearm, or a carbine. The use of the PVS-14 night vision monocular system gives us the advantage of not only seeing at night but being able to use our firearm at night responsibly.
The first main rule is that how you shoot, meaning with which hand, and using what dominant eye, stays the same, with or without the use of night vision equipment. If, for example, you are a right-handed firer and right eye dominant, then that is how you will shoot at night using the PVS-14. Remember, as shooters, we do everything the same to build muscle memory.
What this means, as it relates to your PVS-14 monocular, is that whether it is mounted on your helmet or a skull-crusher (that would be your head harness) the PVS-14 must be mounted over your non-dominant eye. For example, if you are a right-handed shooter with your pistol and are right eye dominant, then the PVS-14 is mounted over your left eye or the other way around, if you are a left-handed shooter with your pistol and are left eye dominant, then the PVS-14 is mounted over your right eye.
As it relates to using the PVS-14 monocular in a room clearing operation, if you have a day optic, IT IS ONLY FOR DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. You do not look through the PVS-14 into your day optic. This changes your sight picture and how you bring your weapon to your face.
The PVS-14 can be combined with a laser system such as the PEQ-2, to take advantage of using the infrared (IR) spectrum of light at night, which is invisible to the naked eye. This is most effective. If you do not have a laser, do not change the configuration of your PVS-14 and continue using the night vision over your non-dominant eye. Simply bring the weapon system up to its normal firing position in front of your face and shoot. If you are competent with your weapon, you know where your rounds are going, regardless of being able to use your optic or not, because of limited visibility. Remember, although you may be in limited visibility at one moment in time, you may enter a situation where you may want to use your tactical flashlight, or all the lights may come on, at which point, because your optic is free from your PVS-14 monocular, you can quickly transition back to using your optic as if it were daytime.
In conjunction with your PVS-14 night vision monocular it is recommended you use a tactical flashlight with your weapon. At any point inside a building or room, or even near an unnatural light source, it may become bright again. That is why you do not cover up your firing eye with the night vision, so you can quickly transition from the InfraRed (IR) spectrum to the full spectrum.
Although the PVS-14 can filter out “white light” there is a split-second delay and it still obscures part of your view. With your “tac” light, upon entering a room, you switch on the “tac” light and sweep the room using your firing eye, which is not covered, and when “room clear” is called, switch off your “tac” light and go back to the IR spectrum. In the dark, this quick blast of light boasts the additional advantage of blinding the enemy/suspect momentarily.
An additional tip is that you may wish to field craft a counter weight for your
helmet to keep your helmet sitting on your head correctly. Anyone who has
had to move tactically with a helmet mounted PVS-14 can
remember constantly adjusting his helmet after each bound or movement.
This can be done by taping a few batteries together and Velcroing them to the
back of your helmet. It’s cheap, keeps spare batteries handy and works.
Getting a good chinstrap and making sure it fits properly also helps quite a
bit. I recommend something similar to a MSA combat chinstrap. Speaking of
quality equipment, it is important to use only the best equipment when your
life is on the line and that is why my Ranger unit exclusively used the PVS-14 made
by ITT Exelis because of its performance and reliability. We all want to get home to
our families alive and in one piece!Above everything else, remember the most important tip is to train as you fight and fight as you train. Using the PVS-14 night vision monocular is not a magical “see-in-the-dark” fix but a tool to be used and as with any tool, you must constantly train with it to become proficient in its use so it becomes second nature to you.
If you find this article useful you may also want to read
his first article “2
Important PVS-14 Training Tips from a Combat Veteran of the U.S. Army Rangers”.
2 comments:
This was a very educational article for me. I've been considering getting something like this for hunting. After reading your article, I have a much better idea of what I'm looking for. http://shop.superiortac.com/searchquick-submit.sc?keywords=PVS+14
Very interesting but I use a PEQ15 and I just cannot move or shoot comfortably with the IR laser if my PVS14 in over my left eye. I am right eye dominate and right handed. I am only seem to move and shoot well if it's over my right eye.
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