Revived interest in mid-IR lasers can be attributed to better materials, medical applications, and their eyesafety. Twenty years ago, these 2 to 3 micron lasers were limited to research labs because of the necessity of cryogenic cooling. Recent advances have made room temperature operation with manageable thresholds available for Co:MgF2, Tm, Ho, and Er covering from 1.7 microns to 2.5 microns. The interest in medical applications is related to the high absorption for tissue at these wavelengths and the flexible delivery by low fiber optics. The eyesafety issue makes commercial uses more attractive. Other interesting applications where eyesafety is critical include: rangefinders, remote sensing, wind shear detection and lidar.