Peacekeapers

[Dave Homewood]

On ANZAC Day I taped about 6 hours of documentaries from Maori Television, and I've just started to catch up by watching it.

The first doco I'm watching is about NZ peacekeepers in Afghanistan. What an excellent programme. It does not make specific which force the peacekeepers are from but it's probably all three, Army, Navy and RNZAF.

Our servicemen and women are doing a wonderful job over there. And the documentary was really good indeed.

One thing I noticed was how some of the male peacekeepers have longer than regulation hair length and some have full beards, others unshaven and stubbly. It is very interesting to see this. Obviously they're working so hard to rebuild that ravaged country that some of the military regulations have been relaxed a little so they can just bloody well get on with it. Excellent to see.

Even the commander hadn't shaved before being interviewed in his office, which I think shows just how the documentary is showung these people as they really are, just doing their job, rather than putting on a PR front with short hair and smooth face. It's good to see.

[Bruce]

In Afghanistan longer hair and beards actually gain respect, so its probably got a bit to do with fitting in with the locals as well. yes certainly they work pretty hard over there

[Dave Homewood]

That is probably a very good point, thanks Bruce. A lot of locals are interviewed in the doco and they all say the Kiwis respect their culture and religion really well, so this is probably part of it I guess.

It loks like a very interesting country.

[phil]

Some of the guys you see with beards are navy, who are of course allowed beards, it is very much a tri-service operation.

I would be really interested in seeing that documentary if you were able to make a copy?

Cheers

Phil

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, I thought some of the more well established beards may be navy, but in any service, the haircuts seen are non-regulation. Except SAS of course...