Yes I know that, it's why I chucked in the comment about 81s. I read the initial beard growing report on the MOD News site. What a joke!
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/D...sAreTheWayForwardForAfghanboundRafGunners.htm
Talk the job up, why don't you! Even the CO says "It is essential that we win the hearts and minds of the local people, the majority of whom are friendly towards the NATO forces."
In short, the target of my sarcasm was 51 Sqdn's hyperbole i.e. epsecially when tying the issue (literally, methinks, lol) of beards with talk of 51 Sqdn "punching above it's weight", etc.
Of course defence of the airfield is important but in this context the whole beard growing shite is just that, shite. As moondog and others have suggested, guarding Khandahar is hardly dirty fighting out in the sticks. Anyway, I doubt the baddies will be overly impressed with Flt Lt Simon Hamilton's tidily cut little beard! It's got 'westerner' written all over it.
Finally, just to finish my rant, I'm always wary of this attempt at cross-cultural understanding. Royal did it in the early days by taking pressies to village meetings. It has always had the whiff of what the Edward Said called "orientalism" and reminds me of giving beads and mirrors to 'the natives'. Such patronsing actions have often blown up in our faces. (On a lighter note, I remember when the Guatemalans were about to invade Belize in the 70s. 40 cdo were to board Hermes or Bulwark, prior to which several of us from the unit were sent on basic med training for assisting births just in case whilst on Fighting or Recce patrols we came across "some Indian women in the uhluh who were pregnant". Ha Ha! What a joke. What a condescending and patronising attitude!).
Rant over. Am I still on thread?
