I hear young troops of every branch complain about the quality of their issued kit, which is par for the course and perfectly acceptable.
Kit Up: AMISOM Troops settling into Mogadishu
Bitching is an integral part of being in the military, particularly in the true sharp end billets. I'd say you should have seen it back me and my brother's day, but that just makes you sound like the crotchety old guy who walked uphill in the snow both ways to the chow hall from SOI or USAMPS or wherever. (I'm not that old, but I was among the first SP classes issued those new-fangled woodland camo BDUs.) Anyway, I prefer to show them something like this short film and say, How'd you like to go to war like that?
Other than putting things in perspective, it's good to see how some of our less well equipped and more poorly funded Coalition (and other allied) militaries operate...especially compared to the way the vast majority of our folks live (on the FOBs).
Al-Shabaab has (happily) been having a hard time of it over the last free months in Somalia, in no small part to AFRISOM and US FID efforts on the part of different US SOF units. It really started last year when it lost some of its leadership at the Bakara Market, and recent news from the AMISOM sponsored troops remains (relatively, as any ‘good’ news from that region must be viewed) optimistic. (One interesting thing I read lately was the perspective of a wife left behind by an expelled Irhabist.)
It's sobering to think, as you read news from the Horn of Africa, that some of the troops in this video may have already been KIA, as a large number of African Union peacekeepers have been reported killed over the last few months, some after being captured and tortured first.
Edit: Try the link again, my apologies.
It's worth your time.
