last post A GROPE IN THE DARK
A GROPE IN THE DARK...
NVG… NOD… NVD… THEY ARE KNOWN BY MANY ACRONYMS AND TLAS (THREE LETTER ABBREVIATIONS) AND OFTEN SEEN SPORTED ATOP HELMETS AND THE LIKE AT MILSIM EVENTS (WHETHER IT IS DARK OR NOT!) AND WHEN FRENCHIE FIRST GOT INTO AIRSOFT, WERE AN ABSOLUTE RARITY. TIMES HAVE CHANGED…
I
have mentioned the fact often enough to establish that I am, in airsofting terms, a veritable geriatric. This means that my experience of playing the game predates such niceties as night vision goggles (NVGs) or indeed anything of that nature. They were either not available or so expensive that no one I knew would stump up the cash for something that would be used, at best, very occasionally. Night games were a rare treat and the first one I recall taking part in was at The Hill, near Dundee. If my memory serves, it was loosely themed on the film “Dog Soldiers”, it started with one werewolf, others being added if they were grabbed by another. Simples. Thanks to Warren Reynold’s full-throated acting as the principal werewolf it was a fun, if occasionally pant-filling evening. I recall a whole bunch of airsofters screaming like schoolgirls when the “werewolf” attacked their Land Rover and I also recall a lack of illumination. I think someone was using a tracer adapter, which looked soooo cool but taught everyone else that tracer creates a direct line back to the shooter. Not so clever when things are up close and personal! I don’t recall many torches being used at all - probably for the same reason. If a “tree” might just savage you, staying invisible is a fine strategy. My abiding memory was of how close you could be to another human being, or vice versa, without being seen or being aware of their presence. I can’t
remember when in the year this game took place but it was not during the long, light nights of a Scottish summer - it was inky black. At the time the only integrated light unit I can remember was the LAM (Laser aiming Module) that came with the Marui SOCOM pistol, and it was crap. Most of us would tape a torch onto the grip or barrel of our guns if we needed light - fortunately that would change over the years. Also, I am harking back to a time when LED lights were, if not unheard of, damned uncommon and correspondingly expensive, so you often needed a big torch to deliver decent, focussed light. If you’ve seen images of the SAS with Maglites clamped to the top of their MP5s during the Iraninan Embassy rescue mission (Operation NImrod), you’ll know what I mean. Who needs sights at 5 feet when you have a bloody great light!
“…SOMEONE WAS USING A TRACER ADAPTER, WHICH LOOKED SOOOO COOL BUT TAUGHT EVERYONE ELSE THAT TRACER CREATES A DIRECT LINE BACK TO THE SHOOTER. NOT SO CLEVER WHEN THINGS ARE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL! I DON’T RECALL MANY TORCHES BEING USED AT ALL - PROBABLY FOR THE SAME REASON. IF A “TREE” MIGHT JUST SAVAGE YOU, STAYING INVISIBLE IS A FINE STRATEGY.”
100
NOVEMBER 2021
