Afghanistan - Combat Cameraman...lol

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Arkady

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Rob
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Slag this one off all you like: taken by Corporal Albert Hunt USMC on a Canon EOS-something-or-other-D...

Good chap, but handicapped by poor equipment...lol

As you can see, I get to carry all the good bits: Pistol, rifle, cameras and the kitchen-sink...

4221873805_349c3da714.jpg
 
Distracting foreground, probably not a bad thing in this case;)
 
Good subject. Poor picture. ;) :D Too much clutter if you get my drift.Bad crop on the right too(your left). But then again, maybe not. He could be an ugly bugger:LOL:


Kev.
 
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Someone really should tidy up all that rubble, someone could trip and graze there knee.:D
 
sbowler579 said:
Someone really should tidy up all that rubble, someone could trip and graze there knee.:D
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Yes, and possibly damage the kitchen sink. :bonk:

Besides, that little mouse gun under your arm; it's not it's a great big Lee Enfield or anything:naughty:

(And let me be the first to admit that I only have to carry my rifle from the car to the firing point or into the woods, and that nobody ever shoots back at me.)
 
Arkady, can you explain what you do? Are you a cameraman with a rifle for protection, or a soldier with a camera to document everything? I see all your thread but don't actually have any idea what you do :thinking:
 
This was just before you bared all for the calendar?
 
Fuuudge said:
Arkady, can you explain what you do? Are you a cameraman with a rifle for protection, or a soldier with a camera to document everything? I see all your thread but don't actually have any idea what you do :thinking:
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I'm an Army photographer - ex-infantry.
So we go armed the same as everyone else. The pistol is more useful than the rifle in emergencies, as I can actually get to that in a hurry. The issue webbing holster you see here has now been replaced with a Blackhawk Special-Ops holster which is far more convenient.

The 'Army' view is that we're soldiers first and foremost - as demonstrated about 15 minutes before this photo was taken when I had to use that bloody rifle as the Marines I was with hadn't spotted the two Taleban shooting bursts of AK-fire at us as we de-bussed form the armoured truck that took us to the drop-off point. Annoying, as I then had to clean it...lol

My primary role as I see it is to record everything, but I am a soldier - I take a keen interest in what's going on and if it isn't going the way I think it should I'd have no qulams about taking over if I think a junior commander isn't up to the job - luckily I actually have the experience to back that up.

Hinting usually does the trick though...less invasive that way...
 
I thought you said that if you ever had to actually use that rifle you were really in the sh**?

Keep your head down! We'd all rather you made it back in one piece.
 
Bill Roberts said:
I thought you said that if you ever had to actually use that rifle you were really in the sh**?
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I was - the Marines had told us to bring "all our kit" - so we did - bergens, daysacks and peli-cases full of camera spares, laptops and transmission kit.
We were dropped straight into a contact from both sides of the vehicle - only the Marine Photographer who took this photo and myself were in a postition to engage - so we did.
The Marines all then buggered off and left us behind - with all the kit...
After I'd dragged mine about 50m - still with sporadic AK fire cracking overhead, I managed to attract the attention of the MRAP driver (armoured wagon) and we secured mine and the journalists' (BBC's Mark Urban and cameraman Mark McCauley and Independent writer Kim Sengupta) kit in there.
Then we had to make our way along the slightly sunken track to the first (demolished) compound where we took cover just as mortar rounds from FOB Cafaretto impacted the enemy firing positions about 300m from us - that's when Al took this photo of me.

I was less than impressed with the USMC that day, I can tell you... no-one knew where we were supposed to go, or where the friendly call-signs were relative to us, so I didn't feel too happy engaging enemy positions without knowing how far forward friendlies were, but we were under effective fire so I had no choice.
 
Arkady said:
I was less than impressed with the USMC that day, I can tell you... no-one knew where we were supposed to go, or where the friendly call-signs were relative to us.
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Why does that not surprise me. I was glad to see you back from that one to be honest!

Stay safe.
Ali
 
Arkady said:
I'm an Army photographer - ex-infantry.
So we go armed the same as everyone else. The pistol is more useful than the rifle in emergencies, as I can actually get to that in a hurry. The issue webbing holster you see here has now been replaced with a Blackhawk Special-Ops holster which is far more convenient.

The 'Army' view is that we're soldiers first and foremost - as demonstrated about 15 minutes before this photo was taken when I had to use that bloody rifle as the Marines I was with hadn't spotted the two Taleban shooting bursts of AK-fire at us as we de-bussed form the armoured truck that took us to the drop-off point. Annoying, as I then had to clean it...lol

My primary role as I see it is to record everything, but I am a soldier - I take a keen interest in what's going on and if it isn't going the way I think it should I'd have no qulams about taking over if I think a junior commander isn't up to the job - luckily I actually have the experience to back that up.

Hinting usually does the trick though...less invasive that way...
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A man after my own heart, out of interest, what rank are you? As a tog do you get extra as an acting up thing or are you limited to to a certain rank to be a tog befroe that role no longer is attainable. Its a long time since I was in 17 years! and lots have changed.
 
hiddybiddy said:
A man after my own heart, out of interest, what rank are you? As a tog do you get extra as an acting up thing or are you limited to to a certain rank to be a tog befroe that role no longer is attainable. Its a long time since I was in 17 years! and lots have changed.
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Sergeant - again, finally. And no extra money: we're on the lower pay-band - chefs in equivalent rank get paid more than I do.
You have to be Corporal to be eligable for the Course, so I dropped a tape to get in back in '01.
Once here, it's dead-man's shoes for promotion and as always the idiots and lick-spittles are the ones that get ahead. Which is why we have such cretins running the branch - the ones that don't actually do any Operational photography but play politics at home.
 
So when the boss says "shoot" them buggers you grab your camera or gun. :thinking:

Oh and tidy up a bit and stay safe.
 
Rob, it's nice to see you from the business end of a camera for a change.

It's an interesting shot as it shows us how much kit you have slung around you, and I like the fingerless glove on the right hand, a diy jobbie perhaps.....

Stay safe.
 
Something wrong with the photo - your heads too high :D Keep the bloody thing down like your colleagues.
 
I know this may make me sound like a madman but I really envy you being out there, in the thick of it. Just something I've always had a longing to do!
 
Some great pictures from that far-away land. Keep safe & keep posting !
 
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