This thread is even more hilarious than most people reading this realise. There's a quite well known Russian joke which has to do specifically with army and headlamps... My liberal translation of it is below.
Military base... Smoking area. Four lieutenants are conversing. One suggests going to the unit commander to request leave. They get up and go. The first one enters:
"Comrade Colonel, allow me to take leave."
"What are you talking about! Leave, you say? Give me an improvement proposal — then you can go on leave!"
"Easy! Look out the window, there's a private mowing the grass. Why is he waving the scythe in only one direction? Let's tie a second blade to his scythe, so he can mow both left and right!"
"Well done! On leave!"
The second one enters:
"Give me an improvement proposal..."
"Easy! Look out the window, there's a private mowing the grass. Why is he just waving the scythe back and forth? Let's tie a pitchfork to his scythe, so he can pile it up right away!"
"Well done! On leave!"
The third one enters:
"Give me an improvement proposal..."
"Easy! Look out the window, there's a private mowing the grass. Why is he just waving the scythe back and forth and piling up the grass? Let's tie a cart to him, so he can take it away right away!"
"Well done! On leave!"
The fourth one enters:
"Give me an improvement proposal..."
"Sir, I can't come up with anything."
"Well, go think. Come back when you have something!"
The lieutenant goes out onto the porch, nervously lights a cigarette, frowning.
The private approaches him. With this contraption in his hands, with a cart tied to it, all sweaty and exhausted. And with a hint of malice, he asks the lieutenant:
"So, Lieutenant, you want to go on leave?"
"Y-yes..."
"Can't come up with an improvement proposal, huh?"
"Y-yes..."
"Well, damn it, PUT A HEADLAMP ON ME!!! A HEADLAMP!!! SO I CAN MOW AT NIGHT TOO!!!"