One of our friends forwarded us a copy of an Italian magazine article about Italian troops from the Friuli Brigade and TF 45 in Bala Murghab. The cover photo is an Italian Corporal after what is described as three straight days of combat in Bala Murghab.
Bala Murghab is in the Badghis province of NW Afghanistan, near Turkmenistan—apparently a hub for smuggling weapons and drugs in addition to Taliban activity). We looked through the others and thought the different kinds of load-bearing kit and rifles were interesting. A quick check of official ISAF photo releases showed a number of pictures of Italian troops, all of them carrying either AR 70/90s of some kind or good old fashioned M4s.
The photos are by Galimberti Maki, in an article by Fausto Biloslavo.
Our Italian is so rusty you might think we don’t even speak it, but some of the article sounds familiar…numerous rpg attacks, worry about civilians on the battlefield and dust causing problems with a machine gun. None of our handlers ever served with Italians in Afghanistan, though we’ve heard good and bad. We’re wondering about that LBE, and how Beretta assault rifles run in desert conditions (or at all).
The original article was in Panorama magazine.
ISAF photo from FEB 2011, Italian foot patrol near FOB Lavaredo
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
I actually served with a spanish alpini ( mountain soldiers ) unit for two months their very knowledable and great soldiers. From what they told me their roe is worse than americans and break contact if shtf. Not only that they have no support from the italian citizens. Great unit i loved my time with them
I meant italian alpini…
Way to show respect…
Yeah. You're obviously a bit of a tool.
Thomas Lea "The thousand yard stare". for anyone who's bells were ringing.
dont pick on the italians too much guys, they are there.
Eugene Sledge: "With the Old Breed". if you are a regular visitor too this site and havent read it…? thats not good.
Exactly. Practically everyone from 3/5 from With the Old Breed got it due to the prolong combat of the pacific. You can read about it, but seeing pictures puts it into perspective (I can't possibly imagine what it would be like experiencing it).
When I was studying London, I went to 3 museums that had pictures exactly like this one. One was IWM (Churchill), it was a soldier – couldn't have been older than 20- survivor of Dunkirk, and he, with his unit, is just staring at the camera.
The second was at National army, it was of a soldier wounded after heavy fighting in Afghanistan; he's just laying in the stretcher, with the Thousand Yard Stare.
The third was at the Guards museum, another soldier wounded after heavy fighting in Afghanistan; same stare.
That stuff stays with you. I can remember all three picture perfectly. I'll admit, I didn't know the Italians saw that much combat in Afghanistan. I hoped they kicked ass!
Hope that in some future these guys save your f*****g asses, maybe you'll show a little more respect.
Right on!
Too right mate!
Who let all these trolls in? Jesus Christ.
That photo is amazing, in its own disturbing way.
So many posts here are so utterly disrespectful of fellow soldiers. It's a great pity that grunts that would otherwise complain of being left in the lurch by coalition allies are now making light of the combat work that they are doing. Kit up needs to start moderating this stuff before it even gets a response. Otherwise the kitup brand will be associated with racist, disrespectful, uneducated and pogue comments. Absolutely disgusting.
And so often these comments are made by people identifying themselves as Marines. It's a shame on the Corps.
They're just having a little fun. They guys on here, many of which have been through the meat grinder, know exactly the feelings of the guy in the photo, their just putting a little air back in the room.
If soldiers aren't willing to support each other in word and deed, then how can any of the wise ass posters here expect civilians to do the same? I'm sorry, but if I learnt anything in my life, it's that respect has to be earned… and the Italian soldier up top has fully earned my respect. Not a stupid joke about airsofters, gays and computer games. Is that what he's fighting for? How would 0311 Grunt like it if we all went on about Marines being "homos"? Some of history's most famous "1000 yard stare" photos are of Marines after battle. And if someone cracked a joke at me like that, I'd knock his g*d*m head off. You know, just to let some air back in the room.
Takes one to know one…..
Right behind you Morgan…
I’m prior Army, but I worked with all walks of liaisons & civies will never have an understanding of what it takes to be “cut of military cloth”.
Anonymity & internet bravado will have them standing with their johnson stiffened & gleaming, toughting how they’d do ‘this or that’, when in fact – they’ll do nothing. You have to pass the ‘test’ (basic & all) before even being allowed to step forward & test your theory as to whether you’re even capable of doing such.
To these soldiers who go on to be journalists I continue to salute them. To the journalists who hinder the soldiers by attempting to record them, shame. I was a combat photographer & I know how to record these guys making history.
The guy looks pretty good for 3 straight days of combat; most of the other pics I've seen of guys who went through that kind of stuff were even more miserable-looking….
A survey proves Americans consider the corps the most prestigious branch of the forces. If only Marines had the same respect for others, that the rest of us have for them.
WTF happened to the comment section over here. Zero respect for those fake marine trolls. KitUP: You should deal with these punk commenters more swiftly or this will deteriorate to something like 4chan.
Too right.
and the D-bag of the week award goes to….
This has what to do with anything, exactly?
..oh that's right… nothing.
$20 the guy above me is not T1.
It's to bad the Italian citizens did not support the situation. Reply from a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer USN
We have 3.500 men in Afghanistan , 41 of them are dead and hundreds have had serious wounds , the last one died just yesterday fighting in Bala Murgab area , many of the comments here above are just shitty and offensive , you are only poor children writing seated safely in your nice homes , if I could I'd shout you with my naked hands !
KitUP take care of this matter because your nice blog is going in the shit because of them . Period .
Thanks for your support Maurizio and sorry about the disrespectful comments. We got hit over the last couple weeks with some trolls and are working to head them off on future posts. I'll be doing a better job of policing the comments and I appreciate our dedicated readers doing their part to shoulder these guys out of the mix as well.
Your doing a great job….we cant expect you all to be watching every post all the time…i was amazed on how fast the "trolls" came out on this one. thanks for the clean up = )
Christian, you know I love this blog. But you and I both know that the comments have been way off tempo lately. I'm glad to see you are doing something about it. Just another reason why I stop by so often. Keep up the good work, and thanks for cleaning house on the trolls.
By the way, I think some more weapons specific stories would bring back some of our loyal "comment contributors". New US Military weapons contracts or even accessories contracts (lights, lasers, etc.) usually get the ball rolling pretty good. Anyway just my thoughts. Your going a GREAT job! Thank you for your service!
Christian, I'm battling to visit the site at a certain wifi location I've never had a problem at before. Is this possibly a consequence of your clean up? It happens using that one connection all the time, but everywhere else I'm a go.
Oh yeah, I'm being told by an "H-Sphere admin error message" that settings have changed. And thanks for the clean up.
Thanks for clearing the BS out of here Kitup! The lack of respect shown by some was unbelieveable
Those who make such foul comments, usually do so without thinking. It shows they are of the 10%, who screw it up for the rest of us. Not all Marines are like that, but one can find knuckleheads like that anywhere and everywhere. Unfortunately, we cannot escape them, because natural selection is far behind schedule. As a Marine Rifleman, I know there those of us who are far better than that. We outnumber the 10%.
Much better. Kit up retains its dignity and I don’t have to have a hissy fit again.
Good Bless the Infantry soldier, whether he's an American Marine or Army, Brit, Canadian, French, German, Pole, Italian, or whoever is in the sandbox standing in the fight with us.
To Fabio Garrafa, Italy
Difficult to remain calm this post. Someone can 'believe that the only fighter is made in the USA and that only one weapon that works is the M4. The Italians are deployed with the U.S. at very high economic costs for Italy, have made a contribution in proportion of blood is very high. Every day our soldiers are engaged with IED attacks and traps. But maybe someone we laugh. Truly we are tired of paying a lot and do not even have a little respect. NB the Beretta 70/90 is a rifle that never leaves, unlike a clunker of M4 after 30 years still has not been thrown away by the mere fact of being U.S..
Our instructors do wonders for police training the Afghan police in contrast to paunchy ex-soldiers hours of some deputies who go to the remote town just to get a little more money.
I'm sorry, but if this is the prevailing thought is an honor to fight together
e.c. __is NOT
an honor to fight together.
By the way, but how about that to find Bin Laden took years and you were under the noses of your friends in Pakistan?
It's nice to finally see some moderation in here.
Man, I'm kind of curious to see what those comments were.
Someone just took a photo of an Italian soldier, that's it. If you're a photographer and have an eye for things the guys eye color and general look said a lot. I'm certain the soldier didn't go running around looking for a photographer to take his picture. All of this who's weapons are better than the others, and who saw more combat, etc., is really nauseating. You're there fighting together. You're going to look for moronic things to alienate each other? It's akin to me, a Viet Nam vet, where there were 56,000 KNOWN KIA'S, saying that there's ONLY been x amount of KIA"s in the ongoing present war so therefore………… what? There's new technology now. The further back you go in time the more barbaric warfare was. I'm glad we have new technology. I'm indebted to Italy and it's military, and any other country that is standing with us.
KitUP , thank you for clearing up the offensive comments , appreciated !
I can't believe a Vietnam Vet would talk about numbers of casualties–in 8 years in Vietnam we had 58,000 KIA. If you want to do number comparions–how does that compare to 6 WEEKS on Iwo Jima where 26,000 Marines were killed or wounded. Or 3 days at Gettysburg in the Civil war–3 Days that resulted in 52,000 casualties. The counts don't matter–the stress is the same whether you get killed, wounded, or survive with only mental scrars–but, mark my words, there are ALWAYS scars.
My hat's off to the Italians–thank you for doing this–and at our request. They didn't have to send troops, yet, these men (and I suppose women, too) are fighting part of our battle. Thank you, enormously…from a former Captain of Marines. (Active duty 1990-1994)
Thanks for getting rid of the trolls, and to our Italian and other nationality brothers out here in the sand with us, I at least truly appreciate it.
As SFMedic said, getting back to more equipment related posts. Posts about the kit on our allies are pretty good too, I can pretty well visualize what a US 11B or 0311 carries, but not so much on their Italian, or British or French or whoever counterparts. Would be interesting to see more stuff on that.
The stare, there is somthing about that , somtimes I get that way. The scares of PTSD are every where, if you just look for them. While my time in the Corps, only 4 yrs, during 1975-1979, I was part of a unit that I am glad to say that I am proud of. We need to work together to accomplish the mission. I did serve overseas, and I enjoyed it., some one had to be there. I do have PTSD, and am being treated @ the V.A. GOD has a plan for us all!
who ever stands with the U.S. is OK in my book. Viva Italia.
I'm half South African/Italian with british ancestry and proud of how the italian army looks! They have quite good equipment compared to World War 2. Hope the war in A-stan ends so all our allied forces can go home.
This is part of the firefight I believe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EISkgitAJg
Folks, Thats what you look like after a ( LONG) talk with GOD ! ! HE SEEN HIM but couldn't hear over the gun fire ! Nam 68-69 Army Rangers,Ambush Batt. 1st. Inf. 2/16th.B Co.
I don’t think that photos of soldiers showing fear or trauma in heir eyes is a bad thing. They’re human after all, doing amazing and difficult things. But such disrespect from men (or boys) purporting to be part of that fraternity? That’s off base.