Chem-lights
- Thread starter gore226
- Start date
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furtive
Guest
Heh.
Well, I'm not in the forces anymore, but my experience was that each colour didn't specifically mean anything. Some might argue that different colours often last different amount of time, which is sometimes true, but mainly different colours generate different amounts of light/brightness/spectrum and as such are useful in different situations (e.g. red one will keep your night vision but make it pretty hard to see certain roads on the map). Often it was a matter of what was available at your QM. Having said that, we pretty much only used them as non-tactical markers, e.g. to point out where the RHQ generator was (if for some strange reason you happened to be completely deaf!) or as an objective during a navigation exercise (a much better and more common example). Sometimes as a section commander we had them in case things went noduff.
As an instructor on a recruit course we were given them to read our clipboards more easily, but I tend to recall most instructors just bringing them home and giving them to their kids.
Hope that helps shed some light.
Well, I'm not in the forces anymore, but my experience was that each colour didn't specifically mean anything. Some might argue that different colours often last different amount of time, which is sometimes true, but mainly different colours generate different amounts of light/brightness/spectrum and as such are useful in different situations (e.g. red one will keep your night vision but make it pretty hard to see certain roads on the map). Often it was a matter of what was available at your QM. Having said that, we pretty much only used them as non-tactical markers, e.g. to point out where the RHQ generator was (if for some strange reason you happened to be completely deaf!) or as an objective during a navigation exercise (a much better and more common example). Sometimes as a section commander we had them in case things went noduff.
As an instructor on a recruit course we were given them to read our clipboards more easily, but I tend to recall most instructors just bringing them home and giving them to their kids.
Hope that helps shed some light.
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If light colours will have specific meaning for a mission, they will be specified in the issued orders. I believe 2RCR exerimented with chem light markings during a series of night dry and live exercises a couple years ago (using IR only?), perhaps someone who was involved can elaborate.
With the amount of night vision equipment available now to line units, the use of chem lights in a lot of areas can be counter-productive.
I do remember the first time 2 RCR used them on a large scale in training. It was the spring of 1986, if I recall correctly. Recce Platoon laid out the assault route to be followed by the battalion for a dismounted night attack on Day Hill. Recce had marked the route with chem lights during daylight, the plan being that the last detachment out, less those picketing the assault position, would break the lights as they retired to the battalion's assembly area before dusk. The next time anyone crested the ridge at Monument Wood was about midnight as the approach march started. Even from the FSCC, I knew something was up from the remarks on my fire control net from the Fire Controllers. Apparently, no one had done an experiment for the range of visibiity of the chem lights, we'd all seen them up close, but not over distance. The route to the attack position, and the assault line were visible for th entire route, like landing guidance markers for E.T. Certain senior officers were not amused.
With the amount of night vision equipment available now to line units, the use of chem lights in a lot of areas can be counter-productive.
I do remember the first time 2 RCR used them on a large scale in training. It was the spring of 1986, if I recall correctly. Recce Platoon laid out the assault route to be followed by the battalion for a dismounted night attack on Day Hill. Recce had marked the route with chem lights during daylight, the plan being that the last detachment out, less those picketing the assault position, would break the lights as they retired to the battalion's assembly area before dusk. The next time anyone crested the ridge at Monument Wood was about midnight as the approach march started. Even from the FSCC, I knew something was up from the remarks on my fire control net from the Fire Controllers. Apparently, no one had done an experiment for the range of visibiity of the chem lights, we'd all seen them up close, but not over distance. The route to the attack position, and the assault line were visible for th entire route, like landing guidance markers for E.T. Certain senior officers were not amused.
George Wallace
Army.ca Dinosaur
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We used to use Troop Colours some times to mark the backs of our tanks. Each troop would use their own colour, so at night it would be a little easier to identify what big black thing you had come up behind. We also used IR Chem Lites to mark the back of tanks when moving in a more Tactical scenerio. Chem lites come in different "Hour durations" along with different colours, 6 hour, 12 hour and perhaps a 24 hour duration. Engineers often use them to mark "Safe Lanes" through things like Minefields and Fords/Bridges. There is a cover that is made for Chem lites that can be opened or closed to vary the amount of 'light' exposed, that slips over the Chem Lites.
Here are a couple of other posts on them:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/26246.0.html
Here are a couple of other posts on them:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/26246.0.html
