# Canadians on patrol near kandahar



## 40below (15 May 2010)

I just love this pic. ;D







Our friends over at Strike Hold had an interesting post on the conflict between strategies of concealment based on Cold War — or just-past-Cold-War — doctrine and today’s combat environments.

But little did they know what sort of treasure they had in this photo they posted to illustrate the argument (Canadian troops wearing desert camo hiding in deep green foliage)…

Ummm, why did the LT decide to rest the patrol here? I mean, I’ve heard of foreign militaries — especially European ones — allowing a few swigs of the hops and barley or vino, but a puff of the peace pipe? Maybe this is a reserve unit from Vancouver.

The funny thing is the grunts don’t seem to notice much, but you can see one of the (probable) NCOs chuckling in the upper right of the photo seems to get it…

[I think Military.com might have to change its plans and embed with the Canucks for a few "pot-rols"...]

Read more: http://kitup.military.com/2010/04/caption-contest-canadians-on-potrol-in-afghanistan.html#ixzz0o2OdImHL


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## SeanNewman (15 May 2010)

1.  They were probably halted there because any foot patrol gets short halts all over the place and it may not have been advantageous to halt 50m forward or 50m rearward.

2.  Soldiers don't seem to notice because they're more than likely used to it (it's not super rare there).


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## MP 811 (15 May 2010)

Personally, I'd be focused on the reason why I'm on patrol and doing everything in my power to make sure my buddies and I get back to base safe and sound.


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## GAP (15 May 2010)

Waiting for their chameleon suits to kick in......it takes a few minutes.....


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## SeanNewman (15 May 2010)

You can't win, really:


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## SeanNewman (15 May 2010)

Although that being said, this is how good Arid CadPat really is.  These guys aren't even trying to hide here; imagine if they were.


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## Michael OLeary (15 May 2010)

40below said:
			
		

> But little did they know what sort of treasure they had in this photo they posted to illustrate the argument (Canadian troops wearing desert camo hiding in deep green foliage)…



Why things are seen .....

How about the big fucking armoured vehicles 50 metres away?  I'm sure the visibility of this combat team isn't solely resting on the fact that these soldiers are wearing brown and paused in a patch of green foliage.     :

Not to mention the fact that victory is being completely undermined by that blue ear-plug case.

And that yellow earplug tucked into the helmet band - no self-respecting paint-baller would ever do that, fucking amateurs, right?    :

Keep looking, I'm sure there's some even smaller and more insignificant point we can use in this photo to criticize the men in it.


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## SeanNewman (15 May 2010)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> ...Not to mention the fact that victory is being completely undermined by that blue ear-plug case...



Haha, I thought the same thing when I saw the colour criticized.

Obviously the PM should hold a press conference over the blue ear plug case to apologize for strategic failure in Afghanistan.


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## Ex-Dragoon (15 May 2010)

GAP said:
			
		

> Waiting for their chameleon suits to kick in......it takes a few minutes.....



Someone else reads the STARFIST series as well I see.


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## GAP (15 May 2010)

Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> Someone else reads the STARFIST series as well I see.



Just about anything and everything SF.....although, some sure does seem like it been written in one of those temporary evaluation places.....either that or they are higher than a kite, or both.....


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## brihard (15 May 2010)

"Five minute break lads. Smoke 'em if you got 'em."

"...Sgt..?"

"No. f*** off."

 ;D


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## SeanNewman (15 May 2010)

Whoever the grammar nazi was who changed the name of this thread, I don't think you got the joke.   

Canadians on *pot*rol was not a mistype for *pat*rol.

The original article was quite intentionally spelled "pot".


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## dogger1936 (15 May 2010)

Looks a whole lot like they hauled the vehicles over in a fairly safe spot for a break.The in bedded media guy who was stuck down in the vehicle all day needed to get a photo before he was jammed back in the vehicle.Being amazed by marijuana he got the young guys to pose there for a pic.


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## SeanNewman (15 May 2010)

A lot of speculation here on this being a one-in-a-million photo opportunity.

I can't stress enough how relatively common marijuana fields are over there.

I know of hundreds of soldiers who have photos of themselves walking through the fields, so this really isn't the big issue it's being made out to be.

If you want to create a story out of nothing, say that soldiers were using the plants to cam up the LAVs, especially the (very hot) exhaust.


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## the 48th regulator (15 May 2010)

Petamocto said:
			
		

> Whoever the grammar nazi was who changed the name of this thread, I don't think you got the joke.
> 
> Canadians on *pot*rol was not a mistype for *pat*rol.
> 
> The original article was quite intentionally spelled "pot".



I was the Nazi, but being the douche that you are,  >   it was originally _Potrole_.

Did I miss something?

 :-*

dileas

tess


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## dangerboy (15 May 2010)

dogger1936 said:
			
		

> Looks a whole lot like they hauled the vehicles over in a fairly safe spot for a break.The in bedded media guy who was stuck down in the vehicle all day needed to get a photo before he was jammed back in the vehicle.Being amazed by marijuana he got the young guys to pose there for a pic.



Actually this picture was taken during OP MEDUSA and the troops were dismounted with the LAV providing intimate support for the entire trace.


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## 40below (15 May 2010)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> Why things are seen .....
> 
> How about the big ******* armoured vehicles 50 metres away?  I'm sure the visibility of this combat team isn't solely resting on the fact that these soldiers are wearing brown and paused in a patch of green foliage.     :
> 
> ...



Sorry for posting this, Mike. I saw it on a US milblog and thought people here would be amused by it, not realising it would be topic for patrol technique or dress regs, which as a civilian I know fuck all about. Plus, I've never been to Afghanstan and didn't know marijuana grows there. Or something. Anyway, you guys carry on. I'm sure one of those soldiers doesn't have his laces tucked into the top of his boots, which should keep you all outraged for months.


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## Michael OLeary (15 May 2010)

Sorry, did I forget the tags?

[sarcasm]    my post     [/sarcasm]

The inherent stupidity of anyone thinking that those soldiers pausing where they did is a critical camouflage issue is the point of the responses this thread received. It is obvious the people you picked it up from have no idea what they are talking about.


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## Infanteer (16 May 2010)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Actually this picture was taken during OP MEDUSA and the troops were dismounted with the LAV providing intimate support for the entire trace.



I knew I recognized one of the guys as ex-A/2VP.

On camo - as soon as you hit the green space, you can't see the ANA with their green camo anywhere; Arid is good winter wear though - 6 of one, half-dozen of the other.  The incoming US units have the best of both worlds with Multicam.


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## Greymatters (16 May 2010)

Michael O'Leary said:
			
		

> The inherent stupidity of anyone thinking that those soldiers pausing where they did is a critical camouflage issue is the point of the responses this thread received. It is obvious the people you picked it up from have no idea what they are talking about.



If someone has time to take the picture (from the point no less), and the troops have time to pose for it, it should be pretty obvious that camouflage and concealment isnt the number one priority in the photo...


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