AAR Strategic Dark Solutions, SDS DARKNESS 1, March 13, 2021 Garretsville, Ohio

SDS DARKNESS 1, Night Vision Operator Fundamentals
March 13, 2021
2:00p-12:00a
Garretsville, Ohio
Southington Hunt Club

Strategic Dark Solutions chose an ideal location to host their inaugural SDS Darkness 1 course. Southington Hunt Club had the facilities needed to ensure students could focus on the information presented, conduct exercises safely, and conclude the night with some incredible equipment presentations, that would not have been possible at other venues.

SDS Darkness 1 began with an in-depth classroom presentation. Attendees included Police, SWAT, K9, Military, and professional students. Introductions to the Strategic Dark training cadre were made brief and direct, before moving full gas into the subject matter. The presentation broke down the technology and associated terminology with night vision devices allowing students of all experience levels to obtain an even foundation to move forward. Tube technology, housings, laser devices, and associated support gear were discussed in depth ensuring that students with agency issued equipment, self-procured devices, and rentals all had an understanding of the function, and potential limitations of the equipment they would be using. This course is a great start for individuals who may have limited prior experience with night vision, or who may be looking to take their first steps into the dark. The classroom portion culminated with a safety brief regarding firearms handling, emergency evacuation of an injured person, and other contingencies.

Once on the range, the class stepped onto the firing line to use what daylight remained to check zeros of both rifle and pistol optics. The preferred laser zero was a converging zero. This was conceptually explained in the classroom, then put into practical application on the range. Daytime rifle drills included a series of standards that would be conducted after dark under night vision. While this is not a course about firearms manipulations or how to shoot, these daytime drills gave the instructors the opportunity to observe shooters and ensure they had the skills necessary to safely conduct all live fire exercises under night vision.

Once darkness fell, students donned their NODs to begin working through the course curriculum. This is truly not a shooting course, but a course on how to move, observe, and function under night vision. The drills presented allowed students to become familiar with the abilities and limitations of their night vision equipment while progressively becoming more challenging as the night progressed. The course ended with a brief night hike loosely modeled after a military foot patrol. This final exercise gave students the opportunity to explore their field of view, depth perception, and other factors of night vision, not only when shooting but when moving through terrain. The hike led to the Southington Hunt Club’s precision rifle range where a series of clip-on NVG devices, illuminators, and lasers were available for comparison. These pieces of equipment were provided by Strategic Dark staff, students, and industry professionals in attendance. The collection of equipment ranged from civilian lasers, such as the DBAL, Atpial-c, and Mawl, to high power illuminators, such as the IZLID. Students ended their course with the opportunity to shoot steel on the precision range at known distances in order to collect data on the abilities of their laser aiming and illumination devices.

Strategic Dark Solutions is a company comprised of end users in harms way with a diverse background in the Law Enforcement, Military, and Special Operations communities. Students of all backgrounds and applications would find value in the curriculum presented. Parallels to the law enforcement, military, and civilian shooting communities were discussed in various circumstances enabling attendees to take with them the information relevant to their needs to continue forward into the dark.

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Photos by Heart & Fist