
Believe it or not, I found this rather amusing – not the picture, as such, but the whole package, including the caption.
The latter, presumably written by USAF Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall, who took this official DoD picture, records "US Army Soldiers from the personal security detachment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team" and they are providing "security for team commander Col. David Sutherland at an Iraqi army compound in Baqubah, Iraq, Jan. 31, 2007."
She does not name the "toy" in the centre of the frame, yet this is more than usually interesting, if only for its novelty value. Our readers will know it to be a Turkish-built Otokar Armored Personnel Carrier, a conversion based on the Land Rover Defender 110 chassis.*

There is another feature of this vehicle which, in comparison with the "Snatch" tells you a great deal about the British Army – this vehicle has side windows and gun ports for the passengers, so that you can observe and fight from the vehicle.


To that effect, British soldiers are taught a limited number of drills, which are repeated again and again until, with all the fidelity of trained seals, they can perform them flawlessly. But the one thing soldiers are not taught to do – and in fact are actively discouraged from doing – is thinking for themselves.

For the future, this is going to become more and more of a problem for the British Army, as equipment of greater sophistication and complexity is introduced into theatre. Not only is the educational attainment of the average solider such that they are going to have difficulties exploiting it fully, but the culture of the British Army is such that, as it stands, it does not want and cannot cope with educated soldiers, who can think for themselves.
Perhaps though, when we see British Army vehicles with windows in the sides, we will know that times are changing.
*edited 18 July 2007 to remove offensive references.
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