Marines Masquerade (Hey, Saddam, We're Coming for You!)

www.sky.com ^ | 2/4/03

[SeenTheLight]

Macabre fashion statement

US Marines on exercise in Kuwait have been seen wearing some unusual accessories - skull masks.

US soldiers have been wearing a range of designer ski masks to protect their eyes from the desert sand.

The Grim Reaper skull mask was spotted alongside more trendy designs from the likes of Scott and Oakley.

Face masks are sometimes supplied as part of a soldier's kit, but many prefer to buy their own.

Civilian clothing, purchased privately, is often better made and more comfortable.

Soldiers in the British Army and Royal Marines also like to supplement their issued kit with other gear such as hiking boots.

In the Falklands, British military boots could not cope with the wet, marshy ground.

And in the Gulf, they fell apart in the desert heat.

[CARepubGal]

No but an R Lee Ermy mask would be so cool! :-)

[RummyChick]

I can get a camo foam mask for 4.55 but I want one of these wicked looking masks. Going to have to do some research because I want to put on a get up for the rally.

[CARepubGal]

Let me know what you find out. That might be a cool present for the troops!

[RummyChick]

i am not finding anything so far. I think scott and oakley is a UK outfit. Another idea for rallies is go to a military surplus store and buy a cheap gas mask and decorate it with some slogan and have a sign

[m1-lightning]

Navy Seals

[G-Bear]

"WHY CAN'T WE GIVE OUR GUYS THE BEST, TOP QUALITY STUFF
THAT (OUR) MONEY CAN BUY?"

Because it's purchased from the lowest bidder....

[Cvengr]

Our guys do have alot of the best stuff money can buy.

One problem has arisen from the Clinton years where Al Gore, gored the procurement system. Inspection of contract deliverables and specifications to a large extent are things of the past.

Specifications are no longer being maintained or even placed in many contracts based primarily on budget cutting measures and loss of personnel billets to review contract performance.

The gear that was falling apart was UK troop gear.

[dd5339]

OOOrahh Poohbah!

Remember the Pugil sticks?

Still can't believe the Marines paid me to run around and blow stuff up!

Semper Fi

[luv2ndamend]

Marines in Teletubby masks coming at them...

Nearly wet myself, LOL

[dd5339]

When I was on leave after boot camp the local radio station started every morning playing Reville. As I had the radio on all night I woke up to Reveille halfway through the tune. I thought I was in deep sh*t!. The cat went flying across the room as I was diving to the end of my bunk in a frantic search for my cammies and boots. As I was wondering who hid my footlocker, I started wondering who had carpeted the barracks floor in the middle of the night. My mother who happened to be wondering by thought it was one of the funniest things she had ever saw.

Semper Fi

[Vic3O3]

Have you seen the way cool new USMC-only camouflage uniforms?

Yeah, saw pics of it during its testing phase. Looks like digital Flecktar with less rusty brown in it to me. Can't wait until it hits the surplus market!

[steve-b]

The Hillary Clinton mask strikes terror into the hearts of evildoers.

[MudPuppy]

don't hold your breath waiting fo the new USMC cammies to hit the open market....they're patented.

Semper Fi!

[Joe Brower]

Hey, Trav -- where'd ya get the "'spray and pray' special"? $;-)

[cavtrooper21]

I've known vic3o3 for a long time! If there is a way, she'll find it. And if you ask reeeaaal nice she might even share!
A-hem... SCOUTS OUT!!!!!

[Travis McGee]

On a typical Friday hit the main gate any time after 0800, there is plenty to see and do, I think the graduating companies' Pass in Review happens at 1000.

[Travis McGee]

My uncle used to let me play with it, but he wouldn't let me keep it.

Perfect for a firefight in a phone booth.

[ErnBatavia]

If it gets down to hand-to-hand, this little switcheroo might be kind of fun...

[Travis McGee]

I haven't seen any of the new pattern USMC cammies on the shelves in base exchanges yet, I assume that for now full production is going through internal supply channels.

The only bit I have seen for sale are the little name tag patches.

[ErnBatavia]

Dukakis still scared me more....