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Field Ethos
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By Terry Houin
It really doesn’t seem fair, but hey I don’t make the rules. I just use them as guidelines.
As I scan the darkness looking for movement, I can’t help but think back to this same feeling scanning the Afghan hills looking for any sign of life as we progressed to the target. While tonight it’s 2026 and I’m now looking through my Armasight BNVD-51s with white phosphor tubes, the similarities draw me back to those early days of the GWOT.
Hunting for terrorists at night where we hold the advantage and can choose when and where we strike, it was a glorious time to be operating. In those days we were using PVS-15s with the old green tubes—ideal by today’s standards? No, but after countless hours and several years of operations, it was second nature deciphering my visuals with the grainy, green image. Hell, I still remember running around, getting in gunfights, and blowing crap up at night. But the green is not even part of those memories.
Tonight, though, I’m wearing some of the better BNVDs on the civilian market, and my quarry may not be as dangerous, but it’s a lot craftier and probably smarter. Old Wile E. Coyote met his match this evening. I have technology on my side: from the BNVD-51s on my head to the EOTECH OGL-C on my Q Honey Badger, there’s no escape. After luring him across the darkened field with the sweet sounds of lady love, he had no idea the IR laser from the OGL was following him to his deathbed. Then 103 grains of hot Black Hills sent him to the other side. Now I move. Now I find the next target.
Tech Talk
I could have gone with the Thermal setup again. It’s fun and very effective, but I had a different desire. Tonight, the focus was on my IR tools. On my noggin, mounted up on my Team Wendy shell, were the Armasight BNVD-51s. These NODs have the white phosphor filmless Gen 3 tubes, a 51° field of view, and long battery life with a CR123. Focus ranges from right in your hand—to read your phone if you’re bored and want to read under the BNVDs—to infinity and beyond. With the option of 1800 or 2400 FOM tubes, you could fly a helicopter at night with them if you knew how to fly a helicopter.
When you pair the BNVD-51s with an exceptional laser like the EOTECH OGL-C, you can tell your wife you own the night and watch her fall in love with you all over again. The OGL-C is probably one of the top two or three laser aiming devices you can get as a dirty civilian. Don’t worry too much, though; this thing is ten times better than most of the stuff I bounced around the world with. Compact, lightweight, durable, long battery life, and easy controls, plus an optically paired visible and IR laser, make this thing Army-proof. Slap a fresh battery in it, switch to dual hi, dial the laser to your crosshairs at 200 yards, and you are off to the races for night ops. It’s that simple. Trust me.
Boomstick Breakdown
My preferred sender of lead for night ops is my Q Honey Badger. It is one of my favorite weapon platforms when I need to add accessories like lasers, lights, and other fun items for quick, precise shots. The Honey Badger is such an iconic and innovative weapon it’s hard to tell you all the intricate little details that make it special, so just go to Q’s website and learn about the two-piece BCG, the trigger (which is literally the best trigger ever made), the anodizing, etc. What you won’t find on the website, though, is the 6mm ARC version, because I might have the only one ever made from the Q Skankwerks Shop.
My Honey Badger loves the Black Hills ammo. I alternate the 103s with the 90-grain Dual Performance, depending on what I feel like. Tonight, it’s the 103s, but tomorrow might be the 90s because they are a special kind of mean.
Uncle T’s Takeaway
Everyone with a little extra cash should have a set of NODs like the Armasight BNVD-51s. You never know how the world will turn tomorrow. Being prepared for night work with a rifle setup like my Q Honey Badger, rocking the EOTECH OGL-C and a mag full of Black Hills ammo, is never a bad idea.
Plus, your wife thinks you look hot with NODs taking out the trash. The subtle flex as the alpha dad on the cul-de-sac will not go unnoticed or unrewarded.
Cost: $6,999.
Pros: Own the night in the field, then again back at the homestead.
Cons: Stilly pricey to play like a champion.
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