Effing newspapers!

[nudemetalz]

Good post, Dougie

[2_SL0]

Completely agree with Dougie.

[Ronin]

Yup, I'm with Dougie.

Also

Chuck Noris VS Apiata?

Hmmmm

[Swoop]

The first batch of steyr were from Austria, they were perfectly fine. Steyrs, like other Bullpups have the firing mechanism closer to the ear therefore will give the appearance of being louder from a firing point of view.

I was told that the first batch from Austria had plastic issues. The harsh UV we have here, was breaking down the plastic in the stocks.
"Louder". I was referring to the amount of noise the stock makes when patrolling. Get a twig scraping along the stock and it is quite loud.

The SLR would be shit in a modern firefight.

Well, you had better inform the squadron about that then...

[Hans]

Just thought I'd add my 0.2 worth.
The beard helps blend in with the locals (who are not Arabs, as someone here has said), it also gives them a measure of respect from the locals, as you simply cannot have a REAL MAN without a beard in Afghanistan.
The AUG is a decent enough weapon when being used in the the setting it was designed for, i.e. a NATO-USSR war in Europe. It is completely fucking useless in an urban setting, as it is too fucking long, too fucking unwieldy, can't be silenced without seriously affecting reliability etc... I remember one very unhappy diplomatic protection squad of a European country that shall remain nameless. They were simply issued with AUGs with no prior consultation. Just watching the poor cunts try to get in a car with the things was hilarious.

And yes, getting your photos published like this is potentially career ending for any member of a military special forces unit.
The Herald are piss weak cunts for doing this.

[Dave Lobster]

.......as you simply cannot have a REAL MAN without a beard in Afghanistan.

It's not just Afganistan. That's the law everywhere

[Ixion]

6. Why aren't they packing Steyrs, that's what I want to know.

What, Steyr-Puch. Like, these. Several mate shad them, good little scrotahs. Too right, why aren't the SAS issued with scrotahs. John Key ahs a lot to answer for.

[James Deuce]

It would be unfair for the NZ Army to continue to consider Corporal Apiata an active asset any longer.

[doc]

It would be unfair for the NZ Army to continue to consider Corporal Apiata an active asset any longer.

Realistically I can't understand all this tut tut etc. Cpl Apiata accepted the award which required him to be named n shamed so to speak . A Brit 22 bloke was recommended for the same award at the Tora Bora caves, but turned it down because of the publicity required, so that he could stay active in the Regt.

Cpl Apiata acepted the award and is still active. I cant see why he has been compromised. After all once he is on the ground carrying out SAS duties the job is to avoid contact. The SAS role is basically "The eyes and ears of the Commander" When the "Shit hits the fan"your compromised anyway.....

[James Deuce]

I thought it unfair to leave him active after accepting the award quite frankly.

The rest of your post displays your lack of understanding quite graphically, though I don't think you will be convinced of that ever.

[doc]

I thought it unfair to leave him active after accepting the award quite frankly.

The rest of your post displays your lack of understanding quite graphically, though I don't think you will be convinced of that ever.

Ignorance is bliss. Aye

[Elysium]

Cpl Apiata acepted the award and is still active. I cant see why he has been compromised. After all once he is on the ground carrying out SAS duties the job is to avoid contact. The SAS role is basically "The eyes and ears of the Commander" When the "Shit hits the fan"your compromised anyway.....

You're forgetting the other guy that has been photgraphed.

[Hans]

Realistically I can't understand all this tut tut etc. Cpl Apiata accepted the award which required him to be named n shamed so to speak . A Brit 22 bloke was recommended for the same award at the Tora Bora caves, but turned it down because of the publicity required, so that he could stay active in the Regt.

Cpl Apiata acepted the award and is still active. I cant see why he has been compromised. After all once he is on the ground carrying out SAS duties the job is to avoid contact. The SAS role is basically "The eyes and ears of the Commander" When the "Shit hits the fan"your compromised anyway.....

It goes like this:

Everyone knows Apiata. Everyone knows the SAS is in the Stan. But not everyone has to know that Apiata is in over there right now.
The Afghans are known for putting bounties on heads (this may not be in the public domain). I personally know people who are worth us$15000 and which is a lot of money for the average afghani peasant. I can guarantee Apiata's head would fetch more. This means that even the average civilian might have a go. And an amateur will kill you just as dead as a pro. Imagine being somewhere, where everyone, literally, wants to kill you.

The army can:

Send him home - lose face.

Leave him whre he is - add more danger for Apiata.

If he dies - Well, do I have to say how much of a propaganda coup that would be for the rag'eads?

[Winston001]

Willy Apiata was given the choice of coming home but has elected to stay on deployment. I don't think the photo of a heavily bearded soldier would have been linked to his name if the damned press hadn't published it. For the insurgents, capturing/killing a Victoria Cross winner would be an enormous coup. They'll be looking for him.

As for being awarded the VC, that's a contentious issue. The rule used to be that no gongs were awarded to serving members of the Regiment. Rather unfair I've always thought but that was the rule. Willy Apiata won this military medal during an attack on a Taliban fortress in south-west Afghanistan in 2002(?). This was a major SAS operation - very daring do. A sergeant rushed a building and was hit in the hip, leaving him in the open exposed to enemy fire. Corporal Apiata ran forward at some very upset Taliban and picked his mate up and carried him back to cover while dodging hundreds of 7.62 rounds.

[Hans]

You're forgetting the other guy that has been photgraphed.

Yeah, he's now forever fucked. The SAS will at times deploy as civilians. This means travel on civilian airplanes as a regular passenger etc...
They can't let him do anything covert anymore. If he's lucky, he'll end up being an instructor. And that sucks bigtime.