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Lol, reminded me how I spent my money on those mods when I was much younger. who were involved? Im sure there are some of you here who did the same to their old cars. Lancer into EVO, Starlet into GTI and Honda ESI into SiR.

The eat of battle – how the world's armies get fedAn army marches on its stomach but what do different countries feed their troops? Who gets smoked sprats or tinned cheddar – and who wants 'three-year pizza'? The Guardian, Tuesday 18 February 2014 18.26 GMT The Danish ration pack – featuring such delights as beans and bacon, and Rowntree's Tooty Fruities. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian The Taliban might be just a few hundred metres away, but in the mess halls of the US bases in southern Afghanistan, there are more pressing dangers lurking: undercooked eggs. Signs placed above the breakfast fry-up station warn against asking for an egg sunny side up: it's available over-easy only. The reason, as explained by patient cooks to bemused visitors, is that diseases might lurk in a runny yolk. Feeding soldiers in a warzone is one of the biggest challenges for any army. Generals want to keep their soldiers healthy, and food done well, both in the "d-facs" (dining faciliites) and MREs ("meals ready to eat", in US army speak – or "ration packs") can be a morale booster, a reminder of home in a hostile, alien place. So for soldiers on the ground, one of the most important recent breakthroughs in military technology may be the "three-year pizza", described by its scientist creators as the "holy grail" of ration-pack food. Pizza is the most asked-for dish when troops are quizzed on what they would like to see in their supplies, but it has taken years of research to come up with a slice that tastes like the real thing, yet can sit on the shelf without the tomato sauce turning the crust soggy or mould growing on the cheese. The US and other militaries have poured billions into these technologically impressive ration packs. Few commanding officers forget Napoleon Bonaparte's apocryphal remark "an army marches on its stomach", so ration packs have already come a long way from the cans of corned beef that one officer confided were so hated by British soldiers, that on training exercises, they threw them over a cliff, preferring hunger. Scientists and chefs have worked for years to produce tasty food that lasts for months in a sealed pouch or tin. We decided to test how palatable the newer ration packs are, and begged a meal from the many countries with soldiers in Kabul for a charity dinner in aid of schools in Afghanistan. The meals were rated by a collection of diplomats, officials, aid workers and security contractors from around the world, each paying for the privilege. The Estonian ambassador returned to Kabul with an overweight suitcase full of smoked sprats, stuffed peppers and halva. Only the Americans declined to contribute. They were legally forbidden from giving away their ration packs, embassy and military officials said apologetically, and no one was willing to risk bending the rules. Fortunately, supplies trucked in through Pakistan often vanish in transit, and US packs are for sale at $2 each in the "Bush bazaar". On the night, diners chose between food from 11 countries, from Denmark to Spain to Singapore. Most popular was the Italian pack: diners were undoubtedly lured in by the country's culinary reputation, and the surprise addition of a splash of grappa – the only alcohol on offer. Second were the French, who once included a carton of red wine, but now serve only dry rations. One surprise was the German pack – the meal people were most reluctant to try, but a runaway success thanks to the liver sausage spread and rye bread. Still, most of the diners weren't moved to renounce conventional cooking. When asked to rate the meal, one wrote, "1 on a scale of 1 to 1,000". The best bit about the meal, he added, was "that I did not have to eat it". Another added, "now I know how it will feel on Mars". But not everyone went home hungry and disappointed. "Tasteful but impractical in wartime," said one woman after polishing off, of course, a French meal. • The Kabul dinner was a charity event to raise funds for two different types of school. School of Leadership, Afghanistan, aims to train a new generation of leaders for a country that lost most of its educated elite to decades of war. The Afghan Schools Trust has built basic schoolhouses in the poorest and often conservative rural areas; some of their graduates, children of illiterate parents, are now studying in India and Italy. Italy The Italian ration pack contains a breakfast shot of 40% alcohol cordiale, a powdered cappuccino, lots of biscotti, and a disposable camping stove for heating parts of the meal, including a pasta and bean soup, canned turkey and a rice salad. Dessert is a power sport bar, canned fruit salad or a muesli chocolate bar. France A streamlined but sophisticated French ration pack offers soldiers deer pâté, cassoulet with duck confit, creole-style pork and a crème chocolate pudding. There is also a disposable heater, some coffee and flavoured drink powder, muesli for breakfast and a little Dupont d'Isigny caramel. Germany The German ration pack contains several sachets of grapefruit and exotic juice powder to add to water, and Italian biscotti, but also more familiar treats such as liver-sausage spread and rye bread, goulash with potatoes, and for breakfast sour cherry and apricot jams. UK The British pack is dotted with familiar brands from Kenco coffee and Typhoo tea to a mini bottle of Tabasco. The main courses include the British favourite, chicken tikka masala, and a vegetarian pasta. There's also pork and beans for breakfast, and lots of sweets and snacks from trail mix to an apple "fruit pocket" that looks like it might not be out of place in a school lunchbox. Plus packets of Polos and, of course, plenty of teabags. Australia The Australian ration pack has more small treats than any of the others. Most of it is packaged by the military, from a serving of love-it-or-hate-it Vegemite to jam sandwich biscuits and a tube of sweetened condensed milk. The bag includes a can-opener-cum-spoon for getting at the Fonterra processed cheddar cheese, and main meals of meatballs and chilli tuna pasta. There are lots of sweets and soft drinks, and two unappetising-looking bars labelled "chocolate ration". Spain The Spanish lunch pack has cans of green beans with ham, squid in vegetable oil, and pate. There is also a sachet of powdered vegetable soup, peach in syrup for dessert and crackers handed out to go with the meal in place of bread (not shown). There is a disposable heater with matches and fuel tabs, as well as lots of tablets: Vitamin C, glucose, water purification, and rehydration. US Almond poppy seed pound cake, cranberries, spiced apple cider (the hot US non-alcoholic drink) and peanut butter and crackers make up this very American meal package. The main – pasta with vegetable "crumbles" in spicy tomato sauce – is less traditional, but the "flameless heater" shows off American tech skills – just add water to the powder in a plastic bag and it heats up enough to warm the plastic meal pouch. Canada While there are Bear Paws snacks in the Canadian ration pack, there's the shocking omission of maple syrup. You have the choice of salmon fillet with Tuscan sauce or vegetarian couscous for the main meal. There is also the makings of a peanut butter and jelly (raspberry jam) sandwich for breakfast. Denmark Following photographs: David Levene for the Guardian The Danish pack has American technology (the flameless heater) but British tastes. There is Earl Grey tea, beans and bacon in tomato sauce, a golden oatie biscuit and Rowntree's Tooty Frooties. Estonia Stuffed peppers, chicken-meat pâté, smoked sprats, and liver sausage with potatoes make an eclectic menu here. Plus, crispbreads on the side, and halva with vanilla for dessert. Breakfast is muesli, a fruit pocket and honey. Singapore The offerings in the Singapore pack were sparse despite its reputation for high-quality cuisine. There were a paltry three dishes, of Szechuan chicken noodles; a mushroom, basil, rice and chicken dish; and soya milk with red-bean dessert.

Anyone caught this docu on National Geographic recently? Very intense and interesting to see how the US PJ works in the war zone...

Will this happen here? Well if our falling birth rate persists, no one can be certain about this. But to serve in Spec Ops units will be a long shot no matter how you look at it. Women in combat: Good to go if they meet standards By LOLITA C. BALDOR | Associated Press

Problems many many this F-35 programme... Cost overruns & delivery delays are actually very common for new weapon systems especially for the US but for the JSF, it is particularly bad with so many nations co-sponsoring the development of this extremely expensive stealth jet with a eye-popping [shocked] price tag of US$150million per plane based on some estimates. And now the Brits have to retract on their original intent of getting the more costly but loner-ranged C-models with the STOVL B-models and the Aussies are having to delay the delivery of their 12 jets by two years. So where do we stand as a interested party? From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1201080/1/.html F-35 to replace most US combat aircraft by 2020 Posted: 14 May 2012 0937 hrs

Hey guys...I was just wondering. Is it possible to still get SAF's combat rations after leaving the army? I really miss the pasta rations we used to get...*yum yum* The apricot snack bars were bloody damn good too...hahaha

Saw this on another forum, Sibei power, this SQ steward is well trained in ns. News just out from flyertalk forum with video in Spanish included by passenger who witnessed the incident on board the SQ flight from Barcelona to Spore. Passenger was arrested when SQ plane landed in Spore. Watch how SQ stewards fought with ang moh passenger, gots lots of pow wow, man! Fist fights and kung fu on board! Our pride - NSman ******************************************************************************** "Translation by Headshok's friend" #post136 "in summary it says, the guy was drunk, starts confronting the camera. tries to open the emergency exist. someone tries to calm him down. drunk guy tells the passengers they are all gonna die. passenger subdue him, and try to put plastic cuffs on him, when the plane lands he is taken off by police."

From http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../373403/1/.html --- Singapore Armed Forces to introduce new combat uniform in 2009 By Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 03 September 2008 0238 hrs Photos 1 of 1 SAF new combat uniform SINGAPORE: Singapore's men in green will be seeing a new combat uniform from next year. Some 300,000 servicemen will eventually be wearing the new SAF combat uniform with high-tech pixelised patterns on it. The patterns replace the large green patches on the old outfit. The new material maintains the camouflage effect even when viewed through night vision devices. It is also designed to be used in war zones that extend beyond the jungle. Colonel Tan Chor Kiat, Chief of Staff, HQ 9 Division, Infantry, Singapore Armed Forces, said: "When you talk about urban terrain, you are really looking at a very unique characteristic where the opposing forces can co-exist within the same urban terrain in a very volatile system. "Consequently, the soldiers are going to get shot at a lot more often, and at a much shorter distance." According to the SAF, the new uniform increases detection time by 30 to 50 percent in the urban environment, making it harder for enemies to find their targets. It is also made from better quality fabric, which helps dissipate sweat and heat away from the body quicker, and comes with ergonomic features such as extra padding and pockets. It will be introduced to all servicemen over a three-year period starting from 2009. The first to receive the new uniforms will be recruits from the January Basic Military Training intake, as well as active personnel and NSmen in their sixth and seventh In-Camp Training years, while the rest will get theirs in 2010 and 2011. NSmen currently in their seventh to ninth years, however, will not receive the new uniform. SAF said this phased approach takes into consideration the wear and tear of servicemen's existing uniforms. - CNA/de --- Heng my unit completed 7th year liao. For me, I left one more before ROD! IMO, the uniform looks