Afghanistan

Dougie - of the 70 or so snakes indigenous to Afghanistan 68 of them are poisonous. So we just kill 'em all on sight if they creep into our billets.
Biggest threat is mice and rats eating your kit and scampering over you in the night - we have tent-like individual mosquito nets that clip onto our camp-beds, but these buggers will chew through those in a second.
Wasps and hornets - I got stung by a hornet last Sunday on the third finger of my left hand and my arm went numb halfway to my elbow. Two hours later my hand was itching so bad I had to keep it wrapped in a wet cloth to stop from scratching it... needess to say it was like being stabbed with red-hot poker when it happened.
...and yes, I yelled like a 'fudder-mucker'...

Mosquitos - we're still taking anti-malaria prophylaxis - two a day until next month when the season is deemed to be 'over'...
Feral cats and dogs - all dogs are deemed to be rabid and are shot on sight within the various camp boundaries.
However, cats are cool and get to live as long as they get checked out by the vets that look after the Military Dog sections...

Pretty much everything else bites, scratches and spits...we disinfect, spray and de-louse everything regularly.

That's one hostile country.
 
Another batch of magazines from Dougie - many thanks mate!
The Private Eye(s) and Economist(s) went down a storm in the Task Force HQ - the Ruperts there are starved of input apparently and thier collective brain-cell is in danger of becoming atrophied...lol
 
Another batch of magazines from Dougie - many thanks mate!
The Private Eye(s) and Economist(s) went down a storm in the Task Force HQ - the Ruperts there are starved of input apparently and thier collective brain-cell is in danger of becoming atrophied...lol

I thought the Ruperts would like those.
A few more being sent today.
Photo mags have dried up a bit. I get all mine by subscription and the RM dispute has delayed them.
 
*ahem* - if anyone feels like sending out a packet of Lapsang Souchong leaf tea (not bags), I'd be most grateful...:nuts:
 
*ahem* - if anyone feels like sending out a packet of Lapsang Souchong leaf tea (not bags), I'd be most grateful...:nuts:

Starbucks are sending out tea also ....dont know if its to your taste but its free haha(y)

p.s. Eileen is going into town shopping so do you know where she can buy it and we will get some out to you pronto
 
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Starbucks are sending out tea also ....dont know if its to your taste but its free haha(y)

p.s. Eileen is going into town shopping so do you know where she can buy it and we will get some out to you pronto

Tesco/Sainsbury/Asda/Waitrose etc should - anywhere they do Twinings - not the greatest but perfectly adequate...
Failing that, any speciality tea and coffee shop should do it...
 
Tesco/Sainsbury/Asda/Waitrose etc should - anywhere they do Twinings - not the greatest but perfectly adequate...
Failing that, any speciality tea and coffee shop should do it...


She is calling into asda so that should do it(y)
 
I thought the Ruperts would like those.
A few more being sent today.
Photo mags have dried up a bit. I get all mine by subscription and the RM dispute has delayed them.

Mags posted, Rob.

Postmistress said the Parcelforce are handling BFPO mail during the RM dispute, but Parcelforce don't work weekends therefore the outgoing mail will not be collected until Monday.
 
No dramas, Dougie...fairly inundated by your last despatch...wading through some of these obscure P&P techniques for portraiture...high-bypass doobrey-hickey thingummy-stuff...lol
Nothing I can use for press-release, but they're looking good on the cookhouse notice-board...
 
where the bloody hell can we get leaf lapsang souchong, asda do it but only in bags same as sainsburys......we have tried one of the little specialist shops in town with no luck tesco is our last hope.........got you some more nibbles Rob(y)
 
where the bloody hell can we get leaf lapsang souchong, asda do it but only in bags same as sainsburys......we have tried one of the little specialist shops in town with no luck tesco is our last hope.........got you some more nibbles Rob(y)

is this some kind of fetish thing?



:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
 
Yep...bit close to home that: we were interviewing him for Soldier magazine last week...

Re: Tea: I've found that Whittards of Chelsea do an online service, so I can order it myself...many thanks for trying anyway...
 
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^^ What he said. :-( Stay safe Rob.
 
Yep...bit close to home that: we were interviewing him for Soldier magazine last week...

Re: Tea: I've found that Whittards of Chelsea do an online service, so I can order it myself...many thanks for trying anyway...

Just read on the news that it was his last day of the current tour and he was attempting to defuse a bomb.
What a raw deal - how dreadfully sad.
Hope his family copes.
 
Can you cope with ebooks rob? I have a fair few .lit files that'd fit your bill and I can put them on the next dvd mailout?
 
Just read on the news that it was his last day of the current tour and he was attempting to defuse a bomb.
What a raw deal - how dreadfully sad.
Hope his family copes.

This story is all over the place - it was NOT the last day of his Tour - he was doing a six-month tour same as everyone else - he was due to go on R&R next week is all... somehow something that was said in error by his wife has been picked up by the media and because it sounds like good copy it's become gospel...

Of course even though we have countered it, it may as well be true becuae it's being repeated everywhere...:shrug:
 
thanks Keith, what a strange coincidence, I have just written a reply to a photographer called Rob who is serving in Afghanistan and he is an Army Photographer. After finding this thread I might post it here and not in the talk section.
 
This story is all over the place - it was NOT the last day of his Tour - he was doing a six-month tour same as everyone else - he was due to go on R&R next week is all... somehow something that was said in error by his wife has been picked up by the media and because it sounds like good copy it's become gospel...

Of course even though we have countered it, it may as well be true becuae it's being repeated everywhere...:shrug:

That's press inaccuracy for you.
Ch4 had quite a bit on him last night including video of him training etc.

Ch4 said he has disarmed 64 IED's prior to being killed. Presumably there are other guys who have/are doing similar.
That sure brings home the size of the problem.
 
thanks Keith, what a strange coincidence, I have just written a reply to a photographer called Rob who is serving in Afghanistan and he is an Army Photographer. After finding this thread I might post it here and not in the talk section.

We also have 'Stu' and 'Keith' up in Bastion with the Army Combat Camera team.

I'm the only 'Rob-Phot' out here at the mo...
 
Hi Rob, how strange, this guy is WO2, I could pm his full name to you if you like, this is what he wrote: By the time you read this, I will be deployed to Afghanistan for six months. If I end up coming back through Wootton Bassett I will expect those Army photographers and media cameramen to show the same professionalism and respect to my family as they have shown to those that have come before me, and, sadly, those that come after me.
Thanks to Keith on here, I now have an address for you, would you like me to send the mag out to you when I have finished with it?....bri
 
Hi Rob, how strange, this guy is WO2, I could pm his full name to you if you like, this is what he wrote: By the time you read this, I will be deployed to Afghanistan for six months. If I end up coming back through Wootton Bassett I will expect those Army photographers and media cameramen to show the same professionalism and respect to my family as they have shown to those that have come before me, and, sadly, those that come after me.
Thanks to Keith on here, I now have an address for you, would you like me to send the mag out to you when I have finished with it?....bri


Cheers Bri, you've piqued my interest...
 
do you have an ipod touch rob? if so I have around 60-70 ebooks already formatted for use with ereader. mainly tom clancy/ clive cussler type stuff
 
Just been looking at the BBC website.
5 Brit soldiers shot dead by a rogue Afghan policeman .......... how sickening.
 
We've been sitting on that one all night...grim stuff - poor sods were just sitting down to scoff after a patrol when the guy hosed the whole room...
 
and there to help them as well :bang: :bang: :bang:
 
i can't say what i really want to. But my thoughts go out to those familes affected. stay safe Rob.
 
We've been sitting on that one all night...grim stuff - poor sods were just sitting down to scoff after a patrol when the guy hosed the whole room...

I thought it would be a scenario like that.
What is worrying is what the Afghan gov are saying, in response, about corruption within the police.
 
Terrible news Rob, my heart goes out to their families and friends.

My partner Phil would like to say;

"As an ex Sargent in the RAF, ex UAE airforce and ex Saudi airforce, I'd just like to say "You grunts (;)) take care out there!"
" Every time I hear of the loss of British Servicemen it hits me to the heart, I lost so many comrades"
 
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