Night mission, Night vision

We own the night, is the saying.

U.S. forces in Iraq often conduct night missions because night vision technology gives them a tactical advantage.

Every soldier is issued a night vision device that attaches to the top of their helmet. These NODs- "Night Optical Devices" allow infantrymen and convoy drivers to see through total blackness in neon-green hues.

At Fort Stewart convoys have been riding "black out" missions- driving with their Humvee's headlights off to anticipate and surprise ambushes along the route.

It's pretty scary to be driving on a dirt road through the woods in pitch darkness. But not with the "NODs" on. There's a growing debate on whether they should now be supplied to the Iraqi army.

Here's an interesting sidebar on supplying NODs to Iraqi soldiers.