Military Photographer of the Year

[johnmcl]

Hi all,

There's some great photos on the following site:
http://events.dinfos.osd.mil/viap/

Select the 'Milphog' link and see what TSgt Lock did to make the MPY. His work is great, but I *love* that 120mm mortar photo, the first under the 'Combat Documentary' link.

I hope you all enjoy them as much as I.

John

 

[BerettaNut92]

Great link, thanks.

 

[Brian Williams]

120mm

 

[Offwhite]

Great pics, thanks for the link.

 

[Creeping Incrementalism]

Is a mortar supposed to throw that much debris around every time it fires? It almost looks as if the mortar tube doesn't have a breech.

 

[Roadkill]

Mortars don't have a breech. The round is unsafed, then dropped fins first down the tube. When it hits the bottom the propellant charge (measured befor firing according to range) explodes and sends the round out. The debris is from the slamming of the base plate into the hard dry ground by the round exiting. That looks like a 120mm mortar, lots of impact. I've seen base plates completely sunk in soft ground in Vietnam. Had to dig them out with a shovel.

rk

 

[hso]

Thanks!

 

[JoseM]

The picture brian linked ROCKS! Awesome link. Thanks.

 

[RTFM]

I liked this one also:

 

[SilentStalker]

For some reason I cannot bring up his pic of the mortar shell. I have no idea why but I can only bring up and view like 5 photos of his work. What is up with that?

Justin

 

[fredcwdoc]

I don't know if this will link or not. You may have cut and paste but here is a series done on a Marine killed in Iraq. It is one of the most touching I have ever seen. It is not anti-war and the photographer won a Pulitzer. I was very impressed with the Marine Major and the lengths they went to taking care of the widow. I'm not trying to steal the post but since it was on military photography thought it would fit in here.

By the way the photos are awesome. Thanks for posting the link.

www.pulitzer.org/year/2006/feature-photography/works/