Dyess trains for night fight

by Airman 1st Class Damon Kasberg

7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

7/27/2012 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- When the sun goes down, the enemy threat doesn't follow.

In the early morning July 19, Dyess service members gathered at the 7th Security Forces Squadron Combat Arms building to perform night-fire training, which gives Airmen the opportunity to get accustomed to shooting with night vision goggles.

They fired 70 rounds from an M-4 Carbine mounted with a PVS-14 in front of a red dot sight. The scope collects small amounts of light and amplifies it, allowing Airmen to see down range in low-light situations. The targets were 25 feet away, but distances are simulated between 70 and 300 meters.

"We give them this equipment so they can get used to firing at night," said Senior Airman Davis O'Brien, 7th SFS. "Most of the time when people come in for combat arms training it's during the day, but that doesn't mean the enemy is going to attack during the day."

Shooting in low-light situations presents unique challenges that can hinder an Airman's ability to hit targets if they're not familiar with the equipment.

"Firing in the night is quite different," O'Brien said. "Once you have the NVGs on your weapon, it throws your sights off and you have to be careful of washouts, when your night vision turns off, which can delay firing. When searching for targets, you also have to keep an eye out for light sources or silhouettes."

Training such as this helps prepare the Airmen for situations they might encounter during the night.

"I believe that the night fire helps us gain the experience to use our weapons in that environment," said Airman 1st Class Sirenna Marindeleon, 7th SFS. "The more we do night fire, the more we get used to it. It's good training and we have great instructors."