Todays PIX!! Wednesday, February 20th,2008

[He219]

Sgt. Scott Brock from Bravo Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, Task Force Gladius pulls security while soldiers from th Afghan national army and coalition forces regress west across the wadi to Main Supply Route Vermont, in the Tagab District, Kapisa province, Afghanistan, after a security patrol on Jan. 19, 2008. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Johnny R. Aragon)

Soldiers from the Afghan national army and French Special Forces make there final push across the wadi and into the outskirts of the village in the Tagab District, Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on Jan. 19. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. Johnny R. Aragon)

International Security Assistance Force soldiers from the Kunduz Provincial Reconstruction Team hand out food during a winter relief mission conducted in Lala Maydan recently.

An unidentified U.S. soldier poses next to school girls during an inauguration ceremony for Haider Khails Girls High School in Tani district of Khost province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. The school was built by the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team for around US $142, 000

Kiowa Warriors sit on Jalabad Airfield, as two more depart for a mission. The helicopter is an observation-light attack platform and is being used for the first time in the Jalalabad area.

An OH-58 D Kiowa Warrior returns to Jalalabad Airfield after completing an aerial surveillance mission. The Kiowa Warrior is a new asset to the area, brought into theater by Task Force Out Front of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade.

Iraqi army soldiers stand next to a 14.5 mm machine gun discovered in the village of Hussein al Hamadi, Iraq, Feb. 12, during Operation Lions Attack. Numerous weapons and explosives were found in the former al-Qaida in Iraq stronghold.

Spc. Wallis Lacey, rule of law paralegal, G9, 3rd Infantry Division, shown standing, instructs Iraqi judges on how to use customized laptops and specialized judicial software.

Portuguese NATO soldiers patrol in the northern, ethnic Serb dominated, part of Mitrovica, Kosovo, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. NATO peacekeepers closed off roads between Serbia and northern Kosovo and armed U.N. policemen guarded smoldering border checkpoints Wednesday as thousands of Serbs protested Kosovo's independence

Hi-Res

U.S. Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, witnesses the newly unveiled Infantry Immersion Trainer at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Feb. 19, 2008. The close quarters battle simulator is designed to give Marines the most realistic training possible by utilizing live actors, pyrotechnics, sight, sound and smell to teach tactics and battlefield ethics. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

[flanker7]

Do I see a LAW on his back?

Also, what is a "Division Special Troop Battalion"?

[Lancero]

Nice ones gents!

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led peacekeepers patrol under the flags decorating the town of Ljipljan, Kosovo, 20 February 2008. Kosovo's Parliament proclaimed independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008

French and US KFOR soldiers, and Polish special police, set up check-point baricades at the border crossing Jarinje 20 February 2008. Kosovo Serbs set fire to two border crossings linking Kosovo to southern Serbia, reacting to growing international tensions over the teritory's independence, KFOR closed the border crossings for 24 hours

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Vice Premier and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (C) listen to the explanation of an unidentified serviceman standing at a Su-35 aircraft as they visit the aircraft industry centre in Zhukovsky, Russia on 20 February 2008. Vladimir Putin supports the candidacy of Dmitry Medvedev for Russian presidency

Russian Vice Premier and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (L) sits in the Yak-130 training aircraft during the visit to aircraft industry centre Zhukovsky, Russia on 20 February 2008. Russian President Vladimir Putin supports the candidacy of Dmitry Medvedev for Russian presidency. The man at R is unidentified

A mob of Luo residents from the Mathare North slum armed with machetes steel bars and other crude weapons beat and rob a Kikuyu man (C) after ethnic clashes erupted overnight on 20 February 2008. Kenyan police moved into the volatile slum in the early morning hours to arrest and evict tenants that had not paid their rent, sparking off a violent wave of protests that witnesses say killed at least three people.

A policeman inspects weapons confiscated during a raid, at the police headquarters in Kerbala, southern Baghdad on 19 February 2008. About 50 suspected insurgents were arrested and a weapons cache was found during a raid conducted by the Iraqi security forces south west of Kerbala , police said

Royal Australian Airforce Roulettes perform aerobatics displays at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, 20 February, 2008. The inaugural Singapore Airshow opens 19 February with more than 800 companies from 42 countries exhibiting at the six-day event including leaders in the commercial, military, general aviation and space sectors

Indonesian navy seal soldiers guard near U.S. oceanographic survey ship USNS Mary Sears at Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta, Indonesia, 20 February 2008. USNS Mary Sears was the vessel that found the wreckage of Indonesian air carrier, Adam Air flight that went down en route to Makassar in January 2007. Measuring 329 feet long by 58 feet wide, the USNS Mary Sears has a crew of nearly 50 and a top speed of 16 knots

Singapore army officers look at smoke trails created by Black Knights, F16s from the Singapore Airforce in an aerobatics display at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, 20 February, 2008. The inaugural Singapore Airshow opens 19 February with more than 800 companies from 42 countries exhibiting at the six-day event including leaders in the commercial, military, general aviation and space sectors

(FILES) Undated file photo shows an UH-1H helicopter. Seven people were killed 20 February 2008 in South Korea when an Army helicopter crashed after completing a medical emergency mission, news reports said. The UH-1H helicopter, carrying seven military personnel, crashed in the early morning near a mountain east of Seoul, national Yonhap news agency said, citing army officials

Members of Macedonian special police secure the Greece embassy in Skopje, Macedonia late 19 February 2008. A few hundreds young Macedonians staged a protest against Greece's plans to block the Macedonian application in NATO. Greece and Macedonia today have launched a new effort to end the dispute over Macedonia’s official name, an issue that has stressed relations between the two countries for 17 years

Paraguayan soldiers arrive 19 February 2008, to San Lorenzo, 20 km from Asuncion, Paraguay, to help cleaning the land from the yellow fever as hundreds of people wait to be vaccinated against the disease that according to authorities could have caused the death of six people during the current year

US KFOR soldiers line up to block the road to their base near the small town of Leposavic, after Kosovo Serbs burned down the border crossing point Jarinje in northern Kosovo, 19 February 2008. Kosovo Serbs set fire on two border crossing points linking Kosovo to southern Serbia, reacting on growing international tensions over the territory's proclamation of independence

French KFOR soldiers watch as smoke rises from the burnt border crossing point Jarinje in northern Kosovo, 19 February 2008. Kosovo Serbs set fire on two border crossing linking Kosovo to southern Serbia, reacting on growing international tensions over teritory's independence

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister and presidential candidate Dmitry Medvedev (R) visits the IZHMASH plant, the largest firearms producer in Russia, in the central Russian city of Izhevsk, about 1,000km east of Moscow, Russia, 19 February 2008. Presidential elections in Russia are set on March 02

A Kosovo Serbian boy passes by Swedish Kosovo Force KFOR soldiers who sealed off the area around a primary school in the ethnic Serbian enclave village of Laplje, Kosovo, on 19 February 2008. Soldiers of the KFOR mission evacuated the area following a bomb threat on the phone by unidentified. Kosovo's parliament had proclaimed independence from Serbia on 17 February

South African police move a pregnant woman from a street during evictions of illegally occupied houses in Delft, Cape Town, South Africa 19 February 2008. Police used force to evict residents illegally inhabiting Delft houses Tuesday. The houses are part of the N2 Gateway housing project which is yet to be completed. Residents resisted evictions in fear of loosing the houses if vacated. Housing and the lack thereof is one of the biggest problems facing the ruling party (ANC) African National Congress

A regional authorities handout picture made available on 19 February 2008 shows Italian police surrounding the house of Pasquale Condello, a Calabrian mafia boss, in Reggio Calabria, Italy, late 18 February 2008. Condello, allegedly a key figure in cocaine trafficking and accused of running an extortion network, was captured in southern Italy on 18 February, police sources said. The 57-year-old has been on the run for almost 20 years

FILES) File photo dated January 1959 of Fidel Castro (L) as he chats with Ernesto 'Che' Guevara shortly after the victory of Cuban Revolution, which led the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista's overthrow. Cuban President, Fidel Castro, announced on 19 February 2008 he renounced his presidency and military leadership of Cuba. European Commission has reiterated on Tuesday its offer of 'striking up a constructive political dialogue which is aimed at the Cuba's democratization

(FILES) File photo dated 08 January 1959 of Fidel Castro (C) as he celebrates the victory of Cuban Revolutionary Movement over Fulgencio Batista's regime. Cuban President, Fidel Castro, announced on 19 February 2008 he renounced his presidency and military leadership of Cuba. European Commission has reiterated on Tuesday its offer of 'striking up a constructive political dialogue which is aimed at the Cuba's democratization

A Pakistani paramilitary soldier on patrol, prior to the announcement of unofficial preliminary results at a polling station in Qila Abdullah near the Afghan border in Pakistan 19 February 2008. The Pakistan People Party of assassinated Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto emerged victorious today in crucial parliamentary elections that delivered a devastating defeat to embattled President Pervez Musharraf and his ruling party. Unofficial results from 253 of the 272 National Assembly seats showed Bhutto's Pakistani People's Party (PPP) with 86 seats, followed by opposition leader Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 65, giving the duo nearly 60 percent of the vote

A couple of Kosovo Albanians stand above a wall that carries graffiti of the countries who recognise the independence of Kosovo, in the town of Gnjilane, Kosovo, 19 February 2008. Kosovo’s Parliament proclaimed independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Kosovo will be the 6th state carved from the Serb-dominated federation since 1991, after Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro, and the last to escape Serbia's embrace. Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since mid-1999, after a NATO air assault drove out Serbian forces waging a brutal crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanian guerillas and their civilian supporters

Nepalese policewomen march during a function to mark the 58th Democracy Day in Kathmandu, Nepal, 19 February 2008. The United Democratic Mahadhesi Front (UDMF) called an indefinite general strike across the south of Nepal a week ago which affected the capital Kathmandu out of fuel and imported food. At least one person has been killed and 150 have been injured in violent protests. Local government officials imposed a curfew in five districts on Tuesday

Black Knights, F16s from the Singapore Airforce perform aerobatics displays during the Singapore Airshow in Singapore, 19 February, 2008. The inaugural Singapore Airshow opens 19 February with more than 800 companies from 42 countries exhibiting at the six-day event including leaders in the commercial, military, general aviation and space sectors

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark waves during the welcome ceremony at the National Palace in Mexico City on 18 February 2008

A Swedish soldier of the KFOR stands guard at the entrance of the Ortohodox monastery of Gracanica after the Kosovo's Serbs protest against proclaimed Kosovo's independence in ethnic Serbs enclave of Gracanica in Kosovo, 18 February 2008. Kosovo's Parliament proclaimed independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Kosovo will be the 6th state carved from the Serb-dominated federation since 1991, after Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro, and the last to escape Serbia's embrace

Philippine Armed Forces chief General Germogenes Esperon (front) with military officers inspect South Korean manufactured trucks during turn over and blessing ceremonies at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, east of Manila, Philippines on 18 February 2008. Esperon said, the military went on high alert after officials revealed an alleged plot to assassinate Mrs. Arroyo, in the wake of a Senate investigation on the kickback scandal against the Arroyo government generated by the China's ZTE project controversy.

[LHM]

Great photo. I know how they feel, not knowing what's on the other side.

[He219]

Hey Shipmate (BD),

Thanks for the BB Stacker pics!!

Question: Wasn't this the tank that Governor Arnold crashed into the lake?

I thought it was buried in earth and excavated as a gift by the Austrian Government. Goto the Motts Military Museum website, they'll have a bio.

Additional Info

California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger looks out of his Austrian M47 tank before taking it for a drive in this Aug. 2000 photo in Columbus, Ohio. Schwarzenegger turned over the tank to the Motts Military Museum for display

California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, talks with Warren E. Motts, director of Motts Military Museum, before taking a drive in his Austrian M47 tank in this Aug. 2000 photo in Columbus, Ohio. Schwarzenegger turned over the tank to the Museum for display.

California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, talks with Warren E. Motts, director of Motts Military Museum, in front of his Austrian M47 tank in this Aug. 2000 photo in Columbus, Ohio. Schwarzenegger turned over the tank to the Museum for display

California Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger looks over his Austrian M47 tank in this Aug. 2000 photo in Columbus, Ohio. Schwarzenegger turned over the tank to the Motts Military Museum for display.

[Yoram777]

Pictures of Dutch Fenneks at Operation Pathan Gahr that is going on in Deh Rawod at the moment.
(posted by Eggy in Dutch military pictures thread)

[He219]

Do I see a LAW on his back?

Indeed.
Small, light and perfect for blowing entry holes through mud-block Afghan compound walls.
Not much of a Taliban armor threat out there.

[NGSSS]

What is on their legs? Is it a brace of some sort?

[flanker7]

Maybe "anti-riot" protection

[Lancero]

German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung (C) arrives for a two-days visit to Pristina, Kosovo, 20 February 2008. The German government announced today that it would recognize Kosovo's independence proclaimed by Kosovo's Parliament on 17 February 2008. Kosovo will be the 6th state carved from the Serb-dominated federation since 1991, after Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Montenegro, and the last to escape Serbia's embrace. Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since mid-1999, after a NATO air assault drove out Serbian forces waging a brutal crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanian guerillas and their civilian supporters

Soldiers of the signal battalion 801 Neubrandenburg attend the comeback appeal for the Kosovo Force, or KFOR, Bundeswehr mission in Neubrandenburg, Germany, 20 February 2008. Three days after the declaration of independence of the Kosovo, the battalion was honoured with the campaign streamer, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's highest military honour. Serbia, Russia and China refuse to accept Kosovo's independency, while the US, France and Germany accept it

Portuguese KFOR soldiers secure the area around the Faculty of Economy following a bomb threat in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo, 20 February 2008. Kosovo Serbs from the northern part of Mitrovica started protests after Kosovo's parliament declared independence from Serbia on 17 February

Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, Otmar Hasler passes the guard of honour at the Chancellery in Berlin, where he was due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 20 February 2008. Hasler arrived for a two-day visit to Germany. The bilateral talks will focus on the the recent tax evasion affair. Germany wants to put pressure on Liechtenstein amid the growing tax-fraud investigation in Germany, as German tax German tax authorities chase hundreds of wealthy Germans in one of Germany's largest tax investigations

Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, 20 February 2008. Atlantis completed a thirteen-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) where it delivered European Space Agency's (ESA) Columbus laboratory module to the ISS

[orange]

Maybe "anti-riot" protection

Yep!

Really nice pics today gents. Love seeing pics from Swedish and, for some reason, French forces.

Cheers mates.

[He219]

What do you make of these sweet goggles, Lancero?
Did you have something to do with procurement here?

Nice pix btw!
Thanks also to Jocker_89, Yoram777 and all posters.


Some images of Bundeswehr 'Buffalo/Bison' Tank Recovery vehicle to the rescue of a Leopard:

Augustdorf, 15.02.2008.
In einer Senke auf dem Übungsplatz in Augustdorf steht ein Leopard 2 A6 M . Der Motor ist abgestellt. Das schlammige Wasser reicht fast bis zur Oberkannte der Wanne des Giganten. Die angenommene Lage: Der Kampfpanzer hat sich festgefahren.

Hier ist Fingerspitzengefühl gefordert (Quelle: Heer/Volker Jung)

Nur der Bergepanzer 3 kann die schweren Leos ziehen (Quelle: Heer/Volker Jung)

Also; "Workhorse of the Luftwaffe", the Bell UH-1D, to be taken out of service:

Holzdorf, 18.02.2008.
Gewandt wie eine Libelle, im Volksmund auch „Teppichklopfer“ genannt – er wurde in den letzten 40 Jahren viel gepriesen: Der Transporthubschrauber des Typs Bell UH-1D. Ursprünglich als „Billighubschrauber“ entwickelt und gedacht, der sich als Arbeitspferd mit seinem unvergleichlichen Sound einen Namen gemacht hat und der in die Luftrettungsgeschichte einging, geht in den Ruhestand.

Zehn Bell UH-1D im Formationsflug (Quelle: Luftwaffe/Toni Dahmen) Story

Indienststellung Bell UH-1D vor 40 Jahren: Auf dem Fliegerhorst in Holzdorf wurde in der vergangenen Woche an den legendären Hubschrauber erinnert. Von links: Oberstleutnant Ralf Jürgens, Oberst a.D. Jörg Rappke, Generalleutnant Aarne Kreuzinger-Janik und Generalmajor Hans-Werner Ahrens (Quelle: Torsten Schöne)

[Rebel Yell]

Also, what is a "Division Special Troop Battalion"?

This link should help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Troops_Battalion

Several U.S. Army Divisions and Brigades have a STB.

[flanker7]

Thank you Rebel.
So it's some sort of "support" battalion with nothing "special" about it

[Lancero]

What do you make of these sweet goggles, Lancero?
Did you have something to do with procurement here?

Nice for snowboarding . Nay on the second question - his girlfriend probably chose those .

A skier jumps over a heap of snow as he practices on 3000 meter high Kongdoori slope in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg, some 55 kms from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 19 February 2008. Gulmarg, considered one of the best skiing resorts in South Asia, attracts every year thousands of travellers from India as well as foreign countries.