Lately, I have been going through several bags of my gear that were shipped back to me from, Operation Iraqi Freedom. I had no idea that I had accumulated so much gear. You have no idea just how much gear, a soldier has to buy. You would think that the Army would issue the soldier something as simple as a flashlight, right? Well, they do not. They do not even issue the poncho liners anymore. So the soldier heads out to buy their own. Another item that the Army quit issuing the average infantry foot soldier is a compass, and they wonder why soldiers wonder into bordering countries. At any rate, the Mini Mag lights , with holsters were sold by the hundreds of thousands in AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) Post Exchanges across Iraq, as well as Afghanistan. If a soldier failed to purchase a Mini Mag lights before they were deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, they would have a hard time finding one in theater. There were certain items that sold very fast and Mini Mag lights were one of them.

Maglite® flashlight

• Adjustable Light beam
• Converts from a flash light to a candle light lamp
• Comes with a spare bulb
• Comes with 2 double A batteries
• Comes with a handy black nylon holster
• All Maglites are shock & water resistant

Specifications

• Mini Maglite AA
• 5 ¾ inches long
• 3.8 oz with batteries
• 2200 PBC , candle power
• 2 AA size Alkaline Batteries

Maglites also come in several colors; black, camouflage, red, gray, blue, purple and silver. The Mini Maglites are the most reliable and sturdy flash lights that I have ever used. These lights can take a beating and still fire up when you are counting on them. I have used them for camping, hiking, rescue operations, fishing and combat operations. I have never broke one. The only downside to the Mini Maglites is that they tend to burn out the small bulbs fairly quickly. If you are using the light to read in a fox hole or tent, it’ll burn out a light bulb every hour if you leave it on constantly. If you shut it off every half hour for a half an hour, they tend to last. Needless to say, you need to bring a lot of spare bulbs! The larger Maglites do not share this have this problem. The flash light is very user friendly and easy to use. To turn the light on you twist the head piece as you adjust the light beam to the size needed. Another reason that I like Maglite® flashlights is that accessories can be found at any number of stores. This is very handy when you need some new lenses or bulbs.

My Final Thoughts On The Mini Maglite® flashlight

I have been using these handy little flash lights for several years. Besides the bulbs burning out, if you leave the light on for an extended period of time, it’s a great flash light! I like being able to carry the Maglite® flashlight right on my belt in it’s small holster. I also like being able to adjust to light for different tasks. Another reason why soldiers purchase the Maglite® flashlight is for it’s accessories. Maglite sells an assortment of different colored lenses for the lights. You can not run around in a combat zone with white light blazing away. On occasion a soldier will get complacent and use a white light. On occasion they get shot in the arse for their trouble. You can purchase red, green, orange or blue lenses for your Maglite® flashlight. These can and do save lives in combat zones for soldiers and tactical zones for police officers. The reliably and sturdiness is why I continue to use this flashlight. I’d recommend this light to anyone who may find themselves in the dark sometime.

Official Site: www.maglite.com

Thanks for the read,
~Mac

©2004 Joe McMaster

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