The article mentions that the "four light" version is the best, but it must have the red light filter. The three light version is out there, but apparently is not as good for our guys at night.
Many of us have our contacts in the field. Let's maybe sit on this a couple days till we have heard back from them?
If our guys need something that the military machine is not providing, we need to give that machine a nudge! Meanwhile, we can fill in the gaps. That machine doesn't always move as fast as it should.
I received this e-mail from Mike. He is there, he sees the "big picture", and the big need.
But it is like I said on the WA board...I would be safer in my home if I had an armed guard patroling around the outside 24/7, but I cannot afford that, so I depend on a locked door, good ears and Betsy in the drawer beside my bed.
I am sure there are lots of different things that would make our soldiers safer or help them do what they have to do easier, but there are limits...that is just a reality. Besides, even if the US ordered enough lights to outfit everyone today, how long would it be before enough of them could be produced to do the job??
It seems to me that if we could outfit one soldier, or 10, or 50, or 100, etc. that would be far better than none. I don't know........what do the rest of you think...and at any rate, after much delay from my rambling, here is Mike's e-mail:
Hi, Hanna and Al!
Looks like a dust storm is kicking up outside. Place is getting that eery orange glow.
Have been thinking about your ideas with the lights. Firstly, your thoughtfulness toward the soldiers is commendable. Yet, translating those good thoughts into realities is obviously expensive and somewhat daunting. Sure, it's possible to send a few lights over here, but even if you could afford 10,000 (which, with a discount, might cost maybe $150,000 to $200,000, I would guess), that would be a small impact. There are hundreds of thousands of soldiers between Iraq, Afghanistan, South America...North Carolina... You get the picture. Probably would cost a few million dollars to really outfit those who need the lights. Obviously, a few million dollars is peanut husks to the US government. I think instead of trying to fix a few soldiers with lights, it's probably a better to just keep hitting people with the message..."Our soldiers need lights...our soldiers need lights...our soldiers need lights." The right person in the right place, with the wave of a hand, could fix this problem.
Okay, Hannah, of all the zingers...Petzl is a French company? Oh boy. And I've been using their lights for years and had no idea.
Where do we go from here? I think the best impact they I can make, personally, is merely observe and report so that the information is available. I am ranging all over the battlefield here, and units are in constant flux. Right now is a particularly hectic time for the troops in this AO because 1st ID is pulling out and 3rd ID (and 42nd ID) are pulling in. Not the ideal time to start contacting anyone in this AO. I think this should be brought up not even at the Army level, but at the DOD level. (Navy, Marines, AF and others will also need lights).
Do you know anyone at high level in the DOD?
Mike