Rebuilding Afghanistan

diverdriver

Ha, the moderator's away. We can go mad and say what we like. Things like, hmm............well let me think about it.

But seriously, MM does play down the whole thing, sitting in his office, eating lucky charms, building model tanks and hiking around the hills and valleys acting as if the the most dangerous thing he does is face down an overexcited contributor to this forum. But Afghanistan is still bloody dangerous and he doesn't carry around that M4 so he can look cool in photos.

Meanwhile the most dangerous thing I do is driving to the airfield before and after a day's flying. The flying bit isn't even that dangerous, (though it has it's moments).

Good luck to him, no I'm not crawling to the mod, well maybe a little.:)

citizen_p

diverdriver wrote: »

But Afghanistan is still bloody dangerous and he doesn't carry around that M4 so he can look cool in photos.

i think he does a little....:)

minidazzler

Mousey- wrote: »

i think he does a little....:)

He doesn't need an M4 to look cool, he has Nessy:D

goldie fish

Mousey- wrote: »

i think he does a little....:)

If he needed a rifle to look cool, He'd bring his FAL.:cool:

Manic Moran

I spent today with my top half and the M4 out the roof hatch of a VBL. I was so cool, that the lake we drove around froze over.

VBLs are bloody tiny. Standing with my feet on the floor, I've got bruises on my upper thigh where the roof armour kept bashing into my leg as the vehicle threw me around over the rough ground.

NTM

Manic Moran

Example.



Yes, my feet are on the floor. The fourth chap in the vehicle basically sat on a cushion on the floor with his legs bent and feet against the far wall.

They love the vehicle, but it's not one for large crews.

Got invited to lunch. We in the US Army are doing something wrong when it comes to chow halls. Even their plates had their regimental insignia on them.



NTM

ynotdu

Hmmmmmmm looks like Radar needs to be moved from the 4077th to MM!

He would sort out the transport and food!:)(also nylon stockings,$5 Ladies and bootleg!:))

helimachoptor

Manic are you the ranking officer at the table?

Ping Chow Chi

Victor wrote: »

#29 http://skippyslist.com/list/

not seen this list before - its very very funny

minidazzler

helimachoptor wrote: »

Manic are you the ranking officer at the table?

If you're asking is he the eh.... large Captain, he's doesn't have that much padding. Manic Probably took the photo;)

Manic Moran

helimachoptor wrote: »

Manic are you the ranking officer at the table?

Not even close. There were at least two majors, two LTCs and one full colonel.

NTM

minidazzler

Manic Moran wrote: »

Not even close. There were at least two majors, two LTCs and one full colonel.

NTM

But you're Irish, so you are the ranking PERSON:D

ynotdu

Ha, I saw Manics profile before he was a mod,He,s actually a hippie type:pac::pac::pac::)

MM hope You keep posting whatever photo,s You can.
it helps bring the reality of Afghanistan to life for us!

Cheers and stay safe!

minidazzler

ynotdu wrote: »

Ha, I saw Manics profile before he was a mod,He,s actually a hippie type:pac::pac::pac::)

MM hope You keep posting whatever photo,s You can.
it helps bring the reality of Afghanistan to life for us!

Cheers and stay safe!

Lol, Not many hippies would be happy being compared to a Gun toting US Cavalry Officer:D

ynotdu

minidazzler wrote: »

Lol, Not many hippies would be happy being compared to a Gun toting US Cavalry Officer:D

Good Point!
Now that MM has given up dropping acid,licking toads backs,and is ALMOST off the weed,but most of ALL because He carries a gun,best call him SIR:D

Manic Moran

Attrition continues. Sometimes it's the unavoidable facts of life: One trooper had his baby born at 26 weeks. I don't know the outcome of that one, but he's gone home. Sometimes it's just odd: One guy tried suicide (He had been found out as a thief), another two or three had pre-existing injuries which acted up. Sometimes they just swap out with a Fobbit, man the radios or whatnot.

And, sometimes, the enemy has a hand. We've lost a couple more MRAPs to bombs, with yet two more people out due to broken bones in one of them, and one possible spinal injury, and in the other, the guy's front teeth got shoved up into his gums (and back a bit) when his head met the .50 cal coming up, but the other guys seem to have suffered just concussions and should return. None of this batch were my guys I brought from Yerington, though.

One of my Lieutenants isn't working out, though. Had to pull him from the PL position, we need to work on him a bit. We'll give him another crack with another platoon in a month or two, if that doesn't work out, his career in the Cavalry will be over. Not everyone who comissions is cut out for this work.

NTM

citizen_p

you never really here about the wounded in the news

ynotdu

Mousey- wrote: »

you never really here about the wounded in the news

How very true Mousey!

post traumatic stress disorder often leaves even the physicly uninjured a wreck for life!

When the UK&Argentina went to war over the Island(to be diplomatic:))
More Argentines commited suicide over time than lost their lives in battle.:(

iceage

ynotdu wrote: »

How very true Mousey!

post traumatic stress disorder often leaves even the physicly uninjured a wreck for life!

When the UK&Argentina went to war over the Island(to be diplomatic:))
More Argentines commited suicide over time than lost their lives in battle.:(

That definately applied to the British Troops that fought there, at the minute there is a major campaign to address this sad fact. It is the case that more british troops who returned from the Falklands have topped themselves than were killed in the War. A terrible fact which some high profile indivduals are trying to do something about it.

I wasn't aware of the Argentinians finding the same results. But I am not surprised if this is the case, again a sad state of affairs that these guys are not offered some sort of support. PTSD is so widely accepted now that the supposed stigma of counselling for men that fought was thought to be a sign of weakness and the old adage of the stiff upper lip and "don't mention the War" should sort everything out...what a load of twaddle.

Lets hope that this is being addressed properly and these guys get the treatment and support they deserve.

Local-womanizer

There was a good Dispatches programme on Channel 4 a few weeks back called Battle Scarred I think.

Basically it tried to delve into the mind of British soldiers who returned from combat.The show talked to families of soldiers who committed suicide after returning from overseas.Tragic stuff and the Army would try and cover it up as best it could.

One soldier killed himself because of Alcohol,or so the army claimed.The soldiers friend was summoned to give evidence at the inquest and basically told them that they were chatting BS.He was seriously depressed.Still think the Army put it down to alcholism.Offered no support to the family even after the death.

One soldier,who was involved in an IED attack was offered councilling only because he recieved physical wounds,whearas the driver of the vehicle who was very nearly killed but received no wounds was back on duty 3 hours later along with a few others.The emotional trauma suffered is far greater that the phyiscal trauma this soldier said,yet the Army fail to see this.

iceage

missed that one Local, those programmes as vital as they are only tend to wind me up lately.

Local-womanizer

iceage wrote: »

missed that one Local, those programmes as vital as they are only tend to wind me up lately.

I know what you mean,I came away from that really pissed.Young men are taking their lives mainly down to the lack of support in place,then their families are left to pick up the pieces,again mainly due to the lack of support.

EDIT: Promo for it,cant find the actual show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U0Ohjr8ae8

"they told us to get pissed,fight,get it out of our system":mad:

jank

Just came across this now. Afghanistan is a lost cause. The US should get out and let china have a crack at it! The elections themsevles are a joke. Even right wing commentators are starting to admit the place is un governable.

Poccington

jank wrote: »

Just came across this now. Afghanistan is a lost cause. The US should get out and let china have a crack at it! The elections themsevles are a joke. Even right wing commentators are starting to admit the place is un governable.

Afghanistan isn't a lost cause.

jank

LOL you really fill me with confidence with that comment.

Tell me lets just forget about all the problems for a moment but can you tell me and end game scenario?

ynotdu

iceage wrote: »

That definately applied to the British Troops that fought there, at the minute there is a major campaign to address this sad fact. It is the case that more british troops who returned from the Falklands have topped themselves than were killed in the War. A terrible fact which some high profile indivduals are trying to do something about it.

I wasn't aware of the Argentinians finding the same results. But I am not surprised if this is the case, again a sad state of affairs that these guys are not offered some sort of support. PTSD is so widely accepted now that the supposed stigma of counselling for men that fought was thought to be a sign of weakness and the old adage of the stiff upper lip and "don't mention the War" should sort everything out...what a load of twaddle.

Lets hope that this is being addressed properly and these guys get the treatment and support they deserve.

Hi,ya Iceage(sorry i've copied your entire post,when i try part quotes or multiquotes i usually make a balls of it:))
I did not know that the UK had the same experiance with suicides&PSTD,but i'm glad to hear something is being done about it!
I also agree with you that any request for help is stigmatised,it is an abuse of people who risked ALL for their Country,and really shoddy treatment by their Govts.
Those who stigmatise are the cowards,not the ones who risked their lives,got injured,or saw sights that others can only imagine:(

i'd like to mention the disgraceful treatment of the Ghurka's,who gave so many of their own lives,and saved the lives of so many of their comrades but were being refused as much as a passport:mad::mad:
as i say just a mention,anything further would be a new thread.

Manic Moran

What was supposed to be the crowning glory mission of our stay here got cancelled by higher.

There is a theory that it's because people higher than us didn't like the fact that a National Guard battalion had the umption to go and arrange its own three-nation multi-battalion operation without the Active Duty brigade telling us to go do it.

I'm not entirely sure I agree with the theory, but I can see why it is being proposed.

In addition to the three killed by the weather referenced in the other thread, the French had a VAB roll off a cliff the following day. One more killed, four injured, one seriously. They're not had a very good week.

The opposition have also become a lot more ballsy. Whilst the Afghan security forces basically took Ramadan off, the opposition consolidated and have started a bit of an offensive of their own. They've made travel up one particular road quite risky, with the loss of three MRAPs in more or less the same place in the last month. They tried a small-arms attack on our base here (got up to the wire, but not inside), and left rockets on a timer at a different location. Kept us up all night, the buggers. Fortunately, they can't shoot for love nor money.

Getting a little too cocky though. They had a crack at engaging one of our dismounted patrols in that same MRAP-killing area this morning using small-arms and RPG. Didn't work out too well for them. As they tried to disengage, (They usually shoot at us from the other side of an impassible terrain feature, in this case a river... but they forgot that the water's running a bit low right now) they ran into another of our patrols, which also happened to have helicopter support (OH-58s). Two confirmed dead, maybe a third. No injuries on our side. Should give them a little pause for thought.

NTM

helimachoptor

Manic just a (probably stupid) question. I presume you are active service in charge of the National Guard or are you NG aswell?

Manic Moran

I'm a Guardsman. There is no active duty cadre in the same manner as in Ireland, everyone in the unit from the lowest private to the Major General in command of a National Guard division is a Guardsman, unless gaps in the structure get filled in by active duty personnel. (eg the unit doesn't have quite enough medics, so they need to borrow one from another unit). Some Guardsmen are hired on a full-time basis to keep the wheels ticking over in the unit when it's not on a training weekend.

We have heard reports that the chaps we danced with yesterday were vacationing from another part of the country. Apparently, after seeing what happened to his buddies, a third guy said 'sod this, I'm going home' and took off for Helmland.

NTM

Manic Moran

Kill tally from incident now reported as four. This should help us retake the offensive in this part of the province.

My kill tally on ACUs is two. One, the crotch completely blew out when dismounting a HMMWV, the other I tripped, fell, and gashed out the knee.

ACU trousers have a really poor reputation for ruggedness, this isn't changing things. I'm told there's a new set of ACUs being designed, with super-reinforced material, and buttons vice velcro on the leg pockets.

NTM