Beard shaving for SpecOps in Afghanistan

[Anonymous]

that guy must be laughing non-stop that he got his picture on CNN with a shirt tied around his head like rambo... I wonder if no-shirt is part of the uniform also? tongue.gif Personally, I think whatever gets the job done is best...

[Anonymous]

The guy with the shirt around the head is the one who was injured during the firefight. He apparently had a non life threatening wound to the head. If you look closely you can see the blood on his left wrist. The shirt is just to soak up the blood and not a fashion accessory.

[Anonymous]

What do you guys think about this? wonder if it's overkill.

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

fist i told you that my english is very bad but... no really, i think it´s not imnportant if a SF soldier wears a beard or not or if he don´t wear his bdu jacket... and that they looks like al-quaida with bards thats ****... i don´t mind if they waer no bdu or if the have a beard!!!

Bye Dave

[Anonymous]

For those who haven't heard yet:
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/central/09/12/afghanistan.clean/index.html

[Anonymous]

Typical green army BS. As soon as a few cameras appear, they want SF looking high and tight. Incredible. Plus the claim by NGOs that their people may be mistaken for SF is crazy talk- NGOs dont tend to carry M4s.....

[IntelCO]

What type of source disclosed the possible head injury sustained by the operator? Also, is he part of the ground detail, or is he with the motorcade?

[[SAB]Grey]

Thought the beard was more of a cultural thing clean shaven= boy,beard = man. Seeing as these SF guys have to deal with the locals allday I didn't even think about it.

[Anonymous]

Virtual, you wanna answer IntelCO's question? Don't think we're blowing OPSEC but your call bro.
Oh yeah, I now read that the CQB snout on the M4s are both 10.5 and 11.5 so we're both right! :-)

laters

Chopper

[Anonymous]

Hey just realised I sounded like a mall ninja in my last! Ha!

Laters

Chopper

[Anonymous]

It isn't violating any OPSEC to confirm that the guy injured was with the ground detail providing additional security from an adjacent building.

You can actually see him being treated for his injuries and his shirt removed in the sequence of photos.

Choppper, feel free to add any other details I've omitted.

--virtualpender--

[Anonymous]

Virtual -

Regarding the sequence of photos (mentioned in your last post) - are you going to post those?

Or are they available on a news site?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

now i'm all anxious to see them.

[virtualpender]

I was actually referring to the photos that are already up. I added some captions to help show what is happening in each shot.

[virtualpender]

On a quasi-related note, check out these pics again:

http://www4.aixgaming.com/opend/albums/album13/d_nsw01.jpg

http://www4.aixgaming.com/opend/albums/album11/e_del01.jpg

Anyone know why they have rubber bands wrapped around the buttstocks?

[Anonymous]

I have no definate answer but guesstimates would be:

- to keep the stock latching lever from rattling or keeping some tension on the latching lever

- to carry a shell dressing

- DIY cheek pad (this was from some guy on one of the forums)

Just guesses guys

Cheers
Chopper

[Anonymous]

The Afghan culture does not recognize anyone without facial hair as a man, only a boy or a woman, therefore they get no respect from the indigenous population. Without the beards, an SF operator's ability to build ******* with the locals would be immensly difficult.

[Anonymous]

You can thank Jeff Lambert for that ****! He and people like him have been screwing up SF for years.

[ABNINF]

There's a key phrase in Special Operations, it's called relaxed grooming standards. Plus SF is all about blending in.

[budanski]

Stroll down memory lane are we? This thread is ancient. :D

[PassKey]

The Afghan culture does not recognize anyone without facial hair as a man, only a boy or a woman, therefore they get no respect from the indigenous population. Without the beards, an SF operator's ability to build ******* with the locals would be immensly difficult.

Okay, I realize this thread is almost a decade old, but I wonder, has this sentiment at all changed?

[BLUE THOR]

You see alot of clean faces around, but the locals always love a good beard.

It brings instant respect and you get treated like a man and taken seriously.

Just my findings, and no I am not SF


Nice necro-post. Always good to revisit the classics

[Steak-Sauce]

I'd love to hear what budanski would call this thread now, given he already used the term "ancient" back in 2003. ;)

[muttbutt]

Okay, I realize this thread is almost a decade old, but I wonder, has this sentiment at all changed?

It didn't change in the dozen or so centuries before 2002 I doubt 10 years has made much of an impact.

[NovocastrianUK]

Bloody hell time travel

[my name again]

I bet this thread is older then many of the members on this board.

[Martel]

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/9690/docandmarty.jpg

[dave81]

Who are all the "anonymous" posters? Do they have beards?

[muttbutt]

Who are all the "anonymous" posters? Do they have beards?

I believe the anonymous hacker syndicate was secretly started on milphotos a decade ago....

[KittyWolf]

Holy neon-classical.

This thread was made when I was still in Middle School. Way to resurrect the dead.

[Beowulf]

Stroll down memory lane are we? This thread is ancient. :D

you can say that again....wait....

[Beowulf]

I was in kandahar city when the originating even happened...crazy ****.

[Bacon]

Just posting in this thread because I do what I want.

[Frenchdude]

Just posting in this thread because I do what I want.

Same here, glad to leave my print in History ! Better than art !

Beards for the win !

[kimujnr]

Damn!! This was some time capsule **** right here!!

[wwjs]

That's the biggest necro I've seen here :)
I've read an interview with SOF guy and when asked about why they have beards he said that most of the time it's about PERSEC, but the main reason is that gains locals' respect. He said that when working with ANP local commanders were looking for someone who looks the most serious. He was shaved so they completely ignored him. When he started to grow beard one of them came and said: "Finally you look serious"

[James]

Who are all the "anonymous" posters? Do they have beards?

A decade ago the focus of the site was really military photos, not the discussion boards, and people could post comments w/o having being a member, hence "anonymous". Those are probably half a dozen or more different people, not just one.

[James]

That's the biggest necro I've seen here :)
I've read an interview with SOF guy and when asked about why they have beards he said that most of the time it's about PERSEC, but the main reason is that gains locals' respect. He said that when working with ANP local commanders were looking for someone who looks the most serious. He was shaved so they completely ignored him. When he started to grow beard one of them came and said: "Finally you look serious"

That's why I always grew a great big Magnum PI 'stache whenever I was over there. At home, it comes and goes.

[muck]

This thread was made when I was still in Middle School. Way to resurrect the dead.It's worse with me: I didn't have internet back in the day! :petting:

That aside, this gotta be the most epic necroposting I've ever seen. Kudos to you PassKey. That time machine of yours is up and running.

[KittyWolf]

It's worse with me: I didn't have internet back in the day! :petting:

That aside, this gotta be the most epic necroposting I've ever seen. Kudos to you PassKey. That time machine of yours is up and running.

If it make you feel any better, I was only 12 when the thread was created so it's not like I had my own personal computer back in those day. :|

[DasVivo]

A decade ago the focus of the site was really military photos, not the discussion boards, and people could post comments w/o having being a member, hence "anonymous". Those are probably half a dozen or more different people, not just one.

Damn, I remember that (was never a member but shows how long I lurked for before joining), There is still a way to access those files/folders though yes? I remember one Album by a guy with the colourful moniker '****monkey' haha on his fotos in Iraq, god...

*nevermind foundthem*, Did all the Comments and replies for the Photos go?