Stars and Stripes recently ran a story about an embed with Afghan National Army troops operating in a number of provinces. One of the photos taken by the author, J.P. Lawrence, immediately caught my eye for obvious reasons. It features a young ANA soldier, on guard in Logar Province, armed with an M16A2, with some aesthetic improvements. It’s not uncommon for Afghan soldiers and security forces to decorate their rifles colourfully but I wouldn’t want to take point with this soldier’s rifle.

The ANA soldier’s rifle is covered in brightly coloured, and slightly reflective tape. On the buttstock, the tape holds a ring of cartridges in place (artistic license or improved cheek weld? who knows). The red and green tape matches Afghan national colours but does clash slightly with the soldier’s nail varnish. Check out the article and some other photos here.