Black Rifles

Friday, May 6th, 2011

Spencer Ackerman reports that Maj. Gen. Richard Mills believes the bin Laden death will spook Afghan insurgents, because captured data may point to them.

What caught my eye though was the accompanying photo:

I understand that ordinary riflemen aren’t snipers, but those black rifles, black night-vision goggles, and black sunglasses really stand out against the tan background and their tan camouflage.

Couldn’t the military switch away from tacticool black to a lower-contrast gray, khaki, or OD green for most equipment? Or break out the spray paint at the base and really camouflage equipment for the local environment?

And wouldn’t a keffiyeh- or shemagh-style scarf come in handy?

Comments

  1. A keffiyeh would overburden soldiers already struggling under the weight of 70 pounds of gear. Keffiyehs are heavy. Look what Arafat’s did to his posture.

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