Beam of Light

Southern Bagdad, Iraq The only thing I can hear is my own heart thumping away, pumping adrenalin throughout my body. We stalk through the calm, cool desert night towards the target. My night vision goggles illuminate the building in a green hue in my left eye, my right eye blind in the dark night. I am the fourth man on the four-man breach team, and the rest of the platoon covers the building in an L formation from behind us. Our feet fall silently on the dry dirt as we approach. There is only one door to the adobe home, and we angle towards the right side doorknob side of the door. Without touching the building, we line up against the wall. We are nearly invisible in our desert camouflage next to the earthen wall.

 

      The point man on the breach team is our best shooter, and will be the first one through the door. He aims his M-4 at the closed door in case one of the occupants decides to take a nighttime stroll. The second man, the team leader, raises his hand displaying four fingers, and waves me forward. I slide past the rest of the team and stand shoulder to shoulder next to the point man, also pointing my M-4 at the closed door.

    

     Kick, the team leader whispers in my ear. I carry a 20-inch breaching shotgun with special rounds designed to blow locks off doors, but that would be overkill for what Im looking at. I step in front of the black, flimsy metal door. I glance back at my team leader. In the green glow of my left eye, he gives me the nod. I step back, and then slam my size twelve against the door. The door gives way like a leaf in the wind. I roll away from the doorway. The team rushes the room, and Im right on the heels of the third man. With my weapon up, I look down my red dot sight with my right eye, and squeeze the pressure trigger on my mounted flashlight. Four bright white beams of light blind the three Iraqis who were sleeping just seconds ago. I place the small red dot on the chest of the man in the middle who sat wide-eyed on the floor.

 

     Although, Im sure none of the three men knew a word of what we said, they remained frozen on the floor. Showered with four bright streams of light, they simply raised their hands. Nothing says dont move more than a light attached to the end of a weapon. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be on the other side of the door that night.

 

     A tactical flashlight attached to a weapon with a pressure switch, is a must have for any tactical or home defense situation. The last thing you want to do is monkey around with a flashlight when youre dealing with an unwanted person in your home. Ask yourself this question. If someone broke into your home tonight, do you have a flashlight next to your gun?

 

Based on true first-hand accounts.