UK DEFENCE MEMBERS OWN PICTURE THREAD

[CONNAUGHT RANGER]

Gents, this thread for your own pics, remember OPSEC applicable, if the subject matter can be seen as not conforming to your own countries regulations with regards such subject matter, blur, photo-shop faces, insignia, etc.. etc.. if and when applicable.


Just after landing at Beirut Airport, Lebanon on Chalk 3 from Ireland, October 1979, with C. Coy, 46th IRISHBATT,
I am the ginger kid, the Corporal next to me is John Scrumpy O`Neill.

Connaught Ranger.

[CONNAUGHT RANGER]

Bhytoun Vehicle Checkpoint, South Lebanon, Private "16" McManus left and me on the right, "16" is armed with the F.N. 7.62mm SLR I am carrying the Swedish 9mm Gustaf sub-machine gun (as a regimental signaler, the Battalion CO thought this a better choice of a weapon for R.S. operators. Later post Battle of At-Tiri I got the FN.

Connaught Ranger.

[arfah]

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[arfah]

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[The Armchair Soldier]

I can't tell.. are those shades courtesy of Photoshop or are they real?

Love the photos, guys. Please keep 'em coming.

[arfah]

-<>-<>-<>-

[Happyslapper]

Getting on one of the last (of thousands) of Strat flights out of Bastion a few months ago. I think it was less than a week later BSN was off limits to Voyagers and such.

[downsizer]

[attachment=0]GEEZER1.jpg[/attachment]

Southern Iraq 5th September 2003. 04:45HRS

I'm the one slightly to the left of centre as you look at it.

Pockets are not for hands. FFS.

The lack of hero sleeves is also disappointing.

[CONNAUGHT RANGER]

Another picture from my time in South Lebanon with U.N.I.F.I.L.

Writing to a pen-pal in Finland from the Accommodation tent at Bhytoun Checkpoint in 1979.
Snail mail was the main means of contact with home and other locations, no chance of a phone call.

[downsizer]

I had a similar sound system as that once!

[arfah]

-<>-<>-<>-

[desertswo]

Captain Michael M. Eagen, USN. July 1, 2003; the day I retired.

BTW Ranger, I now hold an Irish passport "by descent" (my mother was born in Cork in 1918). I may be dropping in on ya'll as I hope to lease a property in Cork in the next couple of years, so I can meet the many cousins I have there (along with my father's side in Tipperary), as well as travel the EU at my leisure without having to worry about visas and all that crap. See, in 25 years of active duty, I deployed mostly to the Far East and the Gulf, except when I had my own command and deployed to the Caribbean (there are worse sentences to serve in that regard ), so I feel deprived. I plan to make up for lost time.

[desertswo]

Arfah Sep07.jpg

Kabul - September 2007.

You know what's funny is that I only wore web gear and carried weapons (in my case a tactical 12 gauge shotgun and my trusty Colt Model 1911A in .45 cal) when doing visit, board, search, and seizure ops in the Gulf. Now that I'm retired I own more than one assault rifle, handgun, tactical shotgun, sniper rifle and the associated web gear. Why? Because I can.

[arfah]

-<>-<>-<>-

[desertswo]

Desertswo: It's a long way to Tipperary.

So they tell me!

[CONNAUGHT RANGER]

@ desertstwo :- I am located in Transylvania nowadays, last time I went back to Ireland was 2008

to celebrate my 50th birthday with my twin brother and my other 5 brothers, first time we had all been together in years.

My twin served over 21 years in the same battalion as I, one brother was briefly in the Irish Navy, but left because of all the

time on shore, all the others spent time in the Irish Reserve Defence Forces with either Infantry or Cavalry units (now gone in

the reorganization of the Irish Defence Forces in the last 5 years.)

[desertswo]

@ desertstwo :- I am located in Transylvania nowadays, last time I went back to Ireland was 2008

to celebrate my 50th birthday with my twin brother and my other 5 brothers, first time we had all been together in years.

My twin served over 21 years in the same battalion as I, one brother was briefly in the Irish Navy, but left because of all the

time on shore, all the others spent time in the Irish Reserve Defence Forces with either Infantry or Cavalry units (now gone in

the reorganization of the Irish Defence Forces in the last 5 years.)

May I ask what's in Transylvania besides vampires?

All joking aside, there is a very large and vibrant Romanian community here in Phoenix. I had many of their children as students when I was teaching high school so I got to know them and their parents very well. The boys took to American football with reckless abandon!