Tweet of the Day: What is Wrong With This Picture of Airman at Kunsan AB?
What's wrong with this picture? https://t.co/Mtem0fQMrc pic.twitter.com/mD6nP0XNjW
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) October 24, 2017
What's wrong with this picture? https://t.co/Mtem0fQMrc pic.twitter.com/mD6nP0XNjW
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) October 24, 2017
After all the lesson learned in Iraq/Stan you think they might but at least a ballistic shield on the machine gun. Also, have long have we been at Kunsan? Think they would at the least have some hull down fighting positions for the vehicles.
The sun is essentially down and the cap is still on his bottle of Crown Royal?
The author of that tweet might be assuming that vehicle is intended for all purpose convoy patrols. It may be more likely only intended for base defense; to get a heavy firepower gun from point to point quickly.
In 2012 on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, 15 Taliban infiltrated the base. It took hours to take them all out. Some of the infiltrators had RPGs. Much of the initial American and British defense was with small arms weapons. A U.S. Marine Corps LtCol. died leading a counter attack with his side arm.
That is probably likely what can be expected in an airbase attack. Base defenders have the advantage of knowing where the best fighting positions are in each sector. Getting 50 cals there mounted on standard Humvees can still make a difference.
Since I’m at work t.co is a no-go so I was assuming the same as CH that it looked like the dude was enjoying some evening spirits. Based on the comments below I guess the author’s pointing out the lack of a ballistic shield though.
JoeC covered it well enough although I don’t know why he felt the need to point out an officer died in the counter attack. Was he the only one who died?
I think he was pointing out the gallantry involved.
From Wikipedia: “During the early portion of the fighting, the Marine Attack Squadron 211 (VMA-211) squadron commander, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Raible, 40, was killed while personally leading an attack on the infiltrators, armed only with his pistol. Killed nearby was USMC mechanic Sergeant Bradley Atwell, 27, while taking cover behind Ground Support Equipment on the Flight Line. Atwell and Raible were killed by a single RPG round which exploded in the air above them.”
A friend of mine said what was wrong with the pic is that it is not in Kunsan. Too flat.
Haven’t been to Kunsan in quite some time, so I’m not sure what hills are silhouetted in the background.
How about ‘He has a blank firing adapter on his .50 cal?’
All I remember is it cannot be Marine. There’s no place to mount a bayonet.
Look at the size of that nose!
This isn’t an airman at mudflats Kunsan.
This is IDF in the Golan Heights.