Raider Magazine Vol 6 Iss 8 Back Issue

The Future’s Bright, Our Boys Are Coming Home…

The draw down in coalition activity in the country has seen various FOBs and bases being handed over to the Afghan National Army and Police or closed down in preperation for the planned 2014 drawdown in NATO combat operations. With this step down in combat operations, one thing that has become more apparent in the press releases we get is those who aren’t already back in England with their families and friends, are having what fun they can have with their Afghan counterparts; a far cry from a few years back when there was a massive air of distrust with the Taliban finding themselves in the ranks of the Afghan National Police.

One of the stories that really caught my eye this month and stories that have kept popping up over the last few months is the universal power of sport. In the past members of the UK and American Armed Forces have competed against Afghan soldiers in a mixture of sports such as Football, Rugby, American Football and most recently Cricket, and with that in mind this month we took a look at the recent cricket match between 4 RIFLES and the Afghan National Army.

Another story hot on the presses at the moment is the US Army’s Camouflage Improvement Program, a program that has seen the long overdue scrap of the Universal Combat Pattern; a pattern that has already been replaced in theatre by MultiCam. We take a look at whether we think UCP was a colossal waste of money and whether that money could’ve been better spent elsewhere!

On top of that we have the usual mix of features you all love and read including a look at what core strength is and how to improve it in Fighting Fit, we talk to communication gurus Talking Headsets in On Patrol, and our Special Report saw us get boots on the ground at Europe’s biggest military show, DSEI!

To all of you out there, stay healthy, stay happy, but most of all stay safe!