BBC "Our War" Afghanistan

**Team Python** · Posted On: 6/20/2011 12:55pm

In the Gulf War we got to train with the British Army for a week. I think it was the 4th Armoured Brigade. We had a blast training with them and found out that they cuss as much as us Marines. Their field food (Kit) was better than our MRE's that is for sure.

**Gezere** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 6:21am

Originally Posted by Cullion

The British service people I know don't have any complaints about the Americans they've worked with in real life, beyond basically friendly ribbing with stereotypes about them being gung ho and noisy.

Ironically, they also all seemed to agree that American military food was foul and unhealthy. I know you're going to laugh hearing a British person say that.

British rations are the ****! I traded several boxes of MREs for some. The Brits hated the meals but liked the candy, cakes, etc that came with them.

Russian rations are terrible. An MRE is a gourmet meal in comparison..

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 3:21pm

Originally Posted by Team Python

In the Gulf War we got to train with the British Army for a week. I think it was the 4th Armoured Brigade. We had a blast training with them and found out that they cuss as much as us Marines. Their field food (Kit) was better than our MRE's that is for sure.

7th Armoured Brigade.

4th Mechanised Brigade.

It would have one of 'em. If you saw a Jerboa patch on the upper arm, that would have been the 7th Armoured (Desert Rats).

Hope it helps.

**Team Python** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 4:51pm

Originally Posted by Eddie Hardon

7th Armoured Brigade.

4th Mechanised Brigade.

It would have one of 'em. If you saw a Jerboa patch on the upper arm, that would have been the 7th Armoured (Desert Rats).

Hope it helps.

I don't recall the patches but they did say they were trained for the desert and they had desert camouflage uniforms.

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 4:54pm

When I was in the Cadets we had a day with an armoured regiment, forget which now. Anyway they said the only bit of kit that the British have that the Americans are jealous of is the water boiler inside most of our vehicles for making tea and heating up ration packs with.

Apart from that they said the Americans had all the best kit.

**Gezere** · Posted On: 6/21/2011 8:35pm

Originally Posted by judoka_uk

When I was in the Cadets we had a day with an armoured regiment, forget which now. Anyway they said the only bit of kit that the British have that the Americans are jealous of is the water boiler inside most of our vehicles for making tea and heating up ration packs with.

Apart from that they said the Americans had all the best kit.

Yep we got the best ****. Sure some people bitch and more of little things but overall we have the best equiped military in the world. However some of my British friends like to quip, "You have all the gear but no idear." To which I usually threaten to invade them.

Originally Posted by Eddie Hardon

7th Armoured Brigade.

4th Mechanised Brigade.

It would have one of 'em. If you saw a Jerboa patch on the upper arm, that would have been the 7th Armoured (Desert Rats).

Hope it helps.

I remember the 4th from Kosovo. I was on several liason missions with them when I was in 1AD.

**scottishsoldier** · Posted On: 9/10/2011 6:31am

This series was excellent I thought. I had the priveledge to be on the same tour (H11) and have since been back to Now Zad and Nad Ali South recently (H13) and the difference in the area from that shown on the documentary makes it all seem more worthwile. Many more schools have opened, and the locals are mostly on side these days, where as before the elders in Now Zad had been upto their eyeballs in TB association. A must watch for those with no military connection as its a no BS account of what goes down on a daily basis on a patrol.

**Rock Ape** · Posted On: 9/11/2011 2:30pm

Ref Chris Grey.

A member of my family a Colour Sergeant in the Royal Anglian Regiment was one of Pvt Grey's good mates had he not been in Pakistan during the tour which saw Grey fall, he'd have been his Platoon Sergeant out on patrol that day.

I run with this guy every weekend and each time I go to his house I'm reminded how much he wishes he'd been there that day, there's a small memorial to Chris in the house which includes the funeral service booklet and a couple of photos.

A poignant reminder.

Dave