Night vision goggles increase deployment stability

As part of a 180-day inspection requirement for every Aircrew Flight Equipment technicians, Airman Greg Steele, 381st Training Squadron student, calibrates the G-Model night vision goggles on the 126A-tester May 26, 2010, at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. The tester allows for troubleshooting the NVGs after encountering any problem after flight. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea)

Night vision goggles increase deployment stability

To prepare G-Model night vision goggles for a pre-flight inspection on a tester, Airman Charles Francey, 381st Training Squadron student, adjusts the fit of the goggles May 26, 2010, at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. The pre-flight inspection is a 180-day inspection requirement for every Aircrew Flight Equipment technician. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea)

Night vision goggles increase deployment stability

Published June 3, 2010
By Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea
82nd Training Wing Pubic Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- For some Airmen it is a priority to accomplish the Air Force mission during daytime hours. However, for some Airmen it is done from sunset to sunrise.

Night vision goggles provide Airmen with the ability to complete the mission during the hours of darkness.

Sheppard trains NVG maintainers and every pilot in the Air Force to use, fit and troubleshoot the G-model NVGs. Airmen complete 56 days of instruction to have the ability to assemble, maintain, breakdown and troubleshoot the NVGs at any given time.

"Each set of the goggles we use here cost about $8,000," said Staff Sgt. Michael Rosatone, a 361st Training Squadron instructor. "Our Air Force is the only one in the world to use the series we use--the F4949 series."

The G-model NVGs increase a person's field of view (the image seen without turning the head) to about 40 percent while still enabling the individual to see at night.

Sergeant Rosatone said there are four main assemblies for the NVGs including, the monocular housing, eyepiece lens, objective lens and an image intensifier tube. Each plays a critical role in producing night vision.

"The objective lens gathers the image viewed and reflects it onto the IIT," he said. "Then, the IIT amplifies the image 20,000-50,000 times and reflects the image into the eyepiece which relays the image to the eye of the viewer."

Sergeant Rosatone said there is a wide variety of careers that depend on NVGs.

"About 90 percent of the Air Force uses them," he said. "Everyone from loadmasters to boom operators to pilots need them to do their jobs. It's actually a requirement for all U.S. Air Force pilots to have them."

He said NVGs are imperative to the Air Force mission whether especially when Airmen are deployed.

"NVGs do mission essential tasks," he said. "They make it possible to complete tasks such as covert rescue and identifying aircraft and targets which ultimately increases deployment stability."