French soldier wearing MW2-style skull mask during Mali operation is under investigation
73 replies, posted
[URL]http://www.lalibre.be/actu/international/article/791833/mali-la-photo-d-un-soldat-a-tete-de-mort-cree-la-polemique.html[/URL]
[IMG]http://referentiel.nouvelobs.com/file/5109481.jpg[/IMG]
[quote]L'état-major des armées a estimé lundi inacceptable le comportement d'un soldat français déployé au Mali dont la photo, le visage recouvert d'un foulard représentant une tête de mort, fait le tour du Web. "C'est un comportement qui n'est pas acceptable", a déclaré le colonel Thierry Burkhard, porte-parole de l'état-major, lors d'un point de presse. "Cette image n'est pas représentative de l'action que conduit la France au Mali à la demande de l'Etat malien" et de celle que mènent ses soldats souvent "au péril de leur vie", a souligné le porte-parole.
Interrogé sur d'éventuelles sanctions à l'encontre du militaire concerné, il a répondu qu'il était "en cours d'identification".[/quote]
[quote]The staff of the armed forces said Monday unacceptable behavior of a French soldier deployed to Mali photo, face covered with a scarf representing a skull, toured the Web. "This is a behavior that is not acceptable," said Colonel Thierry Burkhard, spokesman for the General Staff, during a press briefing. "This picture is not representative of the action that led France to Mali at the request of the Malian state" and one that often lead soldiers "at the risk of their lives," said the spokesman.Asked about possible sanctions against the military question, he replied that he was "being identified".[/quote]
well... france is srs.
I don't see the point. It looks cool.
Balaclavas are cool, but it suddenly becomes unacceptable if there's a skull on it?
How lame. I saw this on reddit (r/MilitaryPorn) and little to no shit was talked about this.
he's foreign legion, but I'm not sure
(you can read legion etrang...)
[QUOTE=JDER14;39317813]I don't see the point. It looks cool.[/QUOTE]
They are sent there to help the locals, and show up with a skull mask on, kind of sends the wrong message
Like seriously. It's war. Are they worried about them scaring the locals or something?
[editline]22nd January 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=creative;39317856]They are sent there to help the locals, and show up with a skull mask on, kind of sends the wrong message[/QUOTE]
One odd guy out.
why is he not wearing a helmet?
[QUOTE=Piciul;39317880]why is he not wearing a helmet?[/QUOTE]
could be a tanker and has it off.
Obviously he didn't get the standard issued balaclava,
[img]http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/ProductImages/accessories/cold_weather/othrbrand/WhiteScarf.jpg[/img]
It comes with a free stick for waving purposes.
[QUOTE=Piciul;39317880]why is he not wearing a helmet?[/QUOTE]
Maybe because he isn't in any combat at that moment and wanted to take it off?
[QUOTE=Piciul;39317880]why is he not wearing a helmet?[/QUOTE]
In places like that, it's extremely hot and most soldiers would prefer to wear a field cap or nothing at all.
Wasn't it Ghost from the Modern Warfare games who wore that facemask?
Also, I guess the reason they don't like him wearing the facemask is because it would intimidate civilians. I dunno whether wearing a skull facemask would be particularly intimidating towards the enemy militants, but I think they wouldn't be all that impressed, and it'd be so ineffective from a psychological warfare standpoint that he might as well be wearing a fruit hat or a horse mask and it'd have the same negligible effect. Then again horsemasks are kinda creepy, even if they hamper the wearer's perception.
What's the problem? It has a legit use. Hey we're sending you to a dusty dirty place where you'll wear EyePro a lot and want to cover your mouth, either because of the dust, or because it'll get fucking cold during the winters. Not only that we want you to kick the ass of our enemies so our citizens at home won't have to live in fear of being bombed on the subway. We've spent over $100 grand on each of you in just your equipment and even more if you include the training. We're taking you away from your families for over a year at a time and putting you in harm's way every single hour of that time.
But you better not fucking wear an article of clothing that has a SKULL DESIGN on it or we'll launch an investigation to see if your behavior is fitting of our traditions!
This is a circumstance where it's fitting for the French government to walk away. And it isn't even a Balaclava
Not sure why you would wear it if it stands out, but if you are part of some 4-man CIA NAVY SEAL CLUB SQUAD then your comrades probably don't give a shit if you wear a balaclava with a skull on it, maybe joke about it.
MW2 didn't invent wearing skull face masks guys. Soldiers had such things [url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/us_raid_nails_terror_chief_in_pakistan_aX518khtvJL0bjyLSGPriM]before[/url]
[QUOTE=creative;39317856]They are sent there to help the locals, and show up with a skull mask on, kind of sends the wrong message[/QUOTE]
If a foreign military rolls up into your village, they're probably going to scare the piss out of you, whether or not they're wearing a mask.
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;39318163]If a foreign military rolls up into your village, they're probably going to scare the piss out of you, whether or not they're wearing a mask.[/QUOTE]
Exactly, I'd find the guns they carry to be more scary than some clothes.
[QUOTE=PaChIrA;39318128]MW2 didn't invent wearing skull face masks guys. Soldiers had such things [url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/us_raid_nails_terror_chief_in_pakistan_aX518khtvJL0bjyLSGPriM]before[/url][/QUOTE]
to be fair, MW2 was released in 2009 and that photo is from 2010
This is stupid, I honestly doubt this is harmful to their efforts when the opposite side forcefully enacts a strict interpretation of sharia law on uninvolved civilians. I think it looks retarded though, it would have been a lot more badass if he had a plain black one.
All right hold up first things first.
It's not mw2 style. These kind of coverings have been around before a video game, it's not in the style of mw2 it's just a style to begin with.
Secondly, how is this uncouth at all? You see soldiers from all over the world wearing hats and bandana's with worse stuff than a generic skull. It's not a bad representation of why they're in Mali, it's just one individual soldier wearing a scarf.
[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;39317834]Balaclavas are cool, but it suddenly becomes unacceptable if there's a skull on it?[/QUOTE]
You're forgetting that the skull is intimidating and the French want to keep their "peaceful" representation.
[QUOTE=AllegiantFS;39318317]You're forgetting that the skull is intimidating and the French want to keep their "peaceful" representation.[/QUOTE]
You're also forgetting that they're soldiers walking around a now controlled area with guns, apcs, and tanks.
I don't know about you but i think a tank is more intimidating and harder to explain it's presence than a balaclava with a skull graphic.
[QUOTE=mysteryman;39318364]You're also forgetting that they're soldiers walking around a now controlled area with guns, apcs, and tanks.
I don't know about you but i think a tank is more intimidating and harder to explain it's presence than a balaclava with a skull graphic.[/QUOTE]
A soldier with his face uncovered, or covered in a simple colored cloth, is less intimidating than a soldier that has his face covered by a skull.
The skull often represents mortality and death in various cultures.
If you ask me I'd be more intimidated by a group of skull wearing soldiers than a group that show their faces. But now it only was one dude, so maybe that comparison doesn't work.
[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;39317834]Balaclavas are cool, but it suddenly becomes unacceptable if there's a skull on it?[/QUOTE][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEle_DLDg9Y[/media]
from what I understand he's there specifically to help the people of Mali?
if he wasn't stationed there to protect specifically it wouldn't be a problem. I still don't really see the problem with wearing it but it was kinda a poor choice.
If they just told him "Hey take that off you're scaring the locals", there wouldn't be this hullabaloo.
Why an "investigation"?
I've only ever seen one person with a skull design and it was some guy from the crew of a Chinook that picked us up from our outpost(but that was painted on I think). Honestly I think it makes everyone who wears it look like an idiot who's trying to hard.
It's up there with gear whores to me.
Although it looks kinda cool, but it deffinately sends the wrong message.
it also looks unprofessional and mildly immature, soldiers are supposed to be disciplined- this just screams playing badass.
I really don't see the problem here.
Its a photo of a man wearing a balaclava.
Is this REALLY court martial material?
REALLY?
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