If you’re a military troop stationed in the heart of the conflict in the Middle East, the last thing you’ll be thinking about is looking “cool” with a pair of fashionable sunglasses. Just finishing your tour of duty and returning home with your vision intact is enough! Military sunglasses are not made as fashion accessories; an essential part of a soldier’s gear is a good pair (or two) of sunglasses that helps to maintain sharp, clear vision, but also keep a troop’s eyes safe from blowing sand and shrapnel from exploded ordinance. Military sunglasses are as important to a pilot or ground soldier as their helmets and boots; simply put, they save lives.
The essential components of military sunglasses are that they reduce glare from the merciless desert sun or blinding snow with smoke-grey lenses, that they provide a snug, secure fit, that they are impact-resistant, and that they provide distortion-free vision. Military sunglasses are usually thicker than those found in civilian eyewear stores; along with anti-scratch and anti-fog coating, these sunglasses are meant to take a beating so that the soldier doesn’t have to! You can find your own in our sunglasses auction. The frames of military sunglasses are also a bit thicker and are more flexible in design to keep them from breaking if they’re rolled, sat or slept upon.
When military personnel deploy to a combat area, part of their out-processing includes an inspection of their gear, including military sunglasses. Newer models provide pop-out lens replacement in case a lens is damaged. In addition, military sunglasses should be designed to protect the soldier from harmful UBA/UBV rays that can cause eye damage. Soldiers who don’t normally wear glasses for vision correction must still wear protective eye gear.
Military sunglasses are such an important part of a deploying soldier’s gear, that if a First Sergeant inspects a soldier’s gear pack and doesn’t find protective sunglasses and/or goggles, he/she will be a most unhappy man or woman! Even though the soldier’s weapon is perfectly stowed, the inspecting First Sergeant is likely to bellow, “You can’t hit it if you can’t see it!” You can see our full selection in the shades store.
Pilots have special needs in their military sunglasses. They must not only have the perfect vision to hit their missile or bomb’s targets, but they also face intense sun glare at higher altitudes than the ground soldier. There is always the looming danger that a pilot will be shot down by enemy fire. In this case, military sunglasses must be sturdy enough to withstand ground impact and must also have shatter-resistant lenses, and must provide the pilot with accurate vision to determine his/her location and summon help.
Military sunglasses are not intended to create just another suave-looking face; they have specific requirements that often make the difference between a successful mission and a flag-draped coffin.