Ask any photographer who tried; muzzle flashes rarely come out as well as this one. At Kapaun Air Station, Germany, an Airman with the 86th Airlift Wing fired an M4A1 carbine during a NATO training exchange focused on interoperability between Allied and partner forces, and the resulting flash looked bright enough to double as an aircraft landing light guiding a C-130 down through fog.
The Germans and the Dutch weren’t as lucky as the U.S. Marine, and only got rubber guns to play with. Regardless of all the new exciting firearm programs, the M4A1 remains a solid on ranges across NATO member forces for exactly this kind of proficiency training, regardless of which badge someone wears day to day. Today's TFB Photo of the Day proves a good flash photograph doesn't always need a professional lighting rig.
Images by: Senior Airman Jared Lovett, U.S. Air Force