I think the pic looks cool. Death and war DO go hand in hand don't they?

I see motorcyclists wear those same masks, even under a helmet. This is totally a non-issue, unless the French can't wear facial gear. But then that begs the question, why not? Are they really that worried that they may hurt someone's feelings, such as the enemy's? Boo hoo. Get over it already. It is war, not a pansy wansy fashion show.

I am an American soldier and and have the same mask. Its war Am not the fairy their to bring them candy canes and sunshine rainbows. I am their to bring them something else. plus i use my mask to keep dust out my mouth when am gunning or in a helio. What is the world coming to when a soldier is told please be political correct to your enemies ? wtf

No problem with a bandanna at all. Its stupid the french and media is hyping this soldier. War is hell. You dont like war!!!!! Bring them back home and defend your homeland. The troops was sent to kill so why not. They wasnt sent to sit down and drink a cold beer or drink wine over dinner and sing cum by ya at a campfie

Is Col. Thierry Burkhard for real, Sometimes it takes 1 Soldier to make a difference "Should he have been carrying a Chainsaw instead".

Zees ees an outrage! For French soljairs to be loookeeng like common Breetish Soccer Hoolieegans! I ave personnalee ordaired the replacement of all current scarfware issued to hourare troops with more, how you say,... appropriate facial garb. From now on all French soljairs weel go eento guerre weareeng chef hats, and carrying vino and baugettes eenstead of nastee guns. Vive la France!

Jean Claude van Doh

Director of the Department

of French Cultural Protection and Advancement

Call of Duty isnt that violent. Theres no gore at all. Not even blood really. Its about as violent as paintball. Yes it uses guns, but theres no carnage. The media should be more responsible in what they say.

I can see why the command wouldnt like the pic, the enemy could use it as propaganda. Being religious, they will push the message their enemy is evil and works for Satan. They already do. And wearing a mask like that, only validates that thinking to a believer.

Good for the French...SCARE the f***k out of them stupid fanatical islamist who desire a war with free people from the west. Loved seeing them scatter when the french rolled in!!!!

I really am sick of the politically correct media worrying about the image of western soldiers. Its about kill or be killed and I am sick to death of Muslims killing each other then expecting the west to help them all the while criticizing the west because we did not do it right. In the end they turn on non Muslims sodomizing kidnapping torturing or murdering their victims all the while talking about how great their God is. Their expression of worship is a disgusting display of arrogance ignorance and death worship that seeks to pull the entire world in their blood bath. They will lose in the end and wail with the misery they have brought upon themselves and their children.

I think it sums it completely the French are their to kill militants why else are they carrying weapons. I think it is a great photo and I'm going to turn it into my screen saver. This image should be printed as propaganda leaflets and dropped everywhere the militants are so that they know that death will catch up with them at some point.

It'll make a great cover for the next CoD game.

What the Top Brass really mean is "NOT SCARE THEM JUST KILL THEM"

Are you serious? were gonna assume that a guy wears a skull mask (which is commercially available en masse) he somehow plays videogames therefore this is the videogame industries fault? these soldiers are also in the business of killing the enemy plain and simple... bringing fear to a mindset of islamic hatred through the use of a mask is the least they can do in a kind of warfare where we are the only ones that play by a set of rules while these savages cut the heads off the innocent.

So that's where the stereotype comes from (that the French are cowards). It's isn't the French soldiers or average citizens that are cowards, it's the higher ups in command and politicians. Hmmmmm.....pretty much just like every other country. So eager to send our kids to war and then criticize the manner in which they fight.

The one time the French military has EVER looked badass and they have a problem with it???

He is dressed in military clothing and holding a gun in a foreign land, JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE FROM THE GAME!@@@

what a crock

The most unusual aspect of this photo is that the rifle hasn't been dropped yet.

Throughout our actions in Iraq and Afganistan, the US military has been tolerant of far, far worse behavior than this, including urinating on corpses, gunning down innocent civilians, breaking into zoos and "hunting" the animals there, desecrating religious objects/places of worship, etc.

Combat, for the individual is personal. There are myriad reasons for the Individual to voluntarily engage in violence; ranging from blood-lust to blind-faith idealism (both extremes potentially qualifying as madness by a preponderance of the human experience).
Somewhere between these extremes lays the function of managed violence in civil society (and should be constrained by concepts ranging from self-preservation to the defense of virtue). The local, county, state and national law enforcement officer, armed with tools ranging from non-lethal to lethal, are instruments of that sanctioned use of violence. However, due to their integration in civil society and their "blended" function, the use of violence is not, and should not be, their primary purpose.
The citizen soldier in a democratically sanctioned militia is an extension of that same fundamental concept; albeit with an elevated specialization in the sanctioned use of violence. The primary definition of a commissioned officer of the United States military (subservient to the democratically elected President of the United States) is a Manager of Violence. Concurrently, a non-commissioned officer of the United States military (subservient to the democratically elected Congress of the United States) is a Technician of Violence.
It is the Citizenry of the United States that periodically re-affirms, among other things, the authority of its government to establish and maintain a military force whose primary function is the use of violence; and it is that same Citizenry that sanctions the authority to use that instrument of violence. To wit: it is the authority sanctioned by the Citizenry of the United States, and not the pleadings of the international community, that permitted the declaration of war against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Likewise, it was ultimately the Citizenry of the United States, and not the condemnation of the international community, that withdrew the authority to use violence in Vietnam. It is not only the right but responsibility of the Citizenry of this sovereign nation to continue to define the use of its instruments of violence (from the local police officer to the soldier). However, it is also the responsibility of the Citizenry to accept, even embrace, those individuals willing to expose themselves to and engage in that violence, in their name, that they themselves are unwilling or unable to engage in; this responsibility is presumed both de facto and de jure by continued participation in the civil society of this sovereign nation.
These concepts are not unique to the United States and form the foundations of alliances between nations; in particular, alliances between democratic nations and civil societies not dissimilar to the United States. The unique position and necessary characteristics of managers and technicians of violence in societies ranging from France, Germany or Poland to South Korea, Japan, etc. are not dissimilar; these are individuals that are, and must be, willing to adopt a unique attitude toward violence designed for combat.
If the Citizenry desires "heroes in white hats", they must cultivate that in their civil society.
If the Citizenry simply sanctions violence by default (i.e. divests themselves of personally resisting aggression or are unwilling to engage personally in preventing the causes of aggression), they must accept and tolerate the unique characteristics of those who execute that sanctioned violence.
Among those characteristics are symbols and images.
Birds of prey, with lightning bolts and arrows, rearing lions and the like are common among national symbols.
Symbols of physical strength, force, even death become increasingly aggressive with their increasing association with the use of violence; to include the sanctioned use of violence.
Symbols and images are instruments of both identity and identification (uniforms and flags being among them). While some symbols and images of violence are contradictory, (i.e. an American military unit displaying the double lighting bolt of the utterly vanquished Nazi SS… makes about as much sense as a Polish nationalist brandishing a swastika) symbols and images of violence will only become unnecessary when the necessities of violence itself no longer exist.
Aversion to violence and symbols of violence in civil society is a desirable characteristic.
However, in an environment of necessary, sanctioned violence, it is not uncommon for those symbols and images to necessary, even useful.
Remember, laws are established by society for society and law enforcement officers are societies' sanctioned agents of enforcement of those laws; the threat of punishment is one of societies' methods of dissuading violation of those laws. (Also, there is a reason that the local police officer on the corner does not wear military-style camouflage.)
Likewise, the primary purpose of an effective, armed military is the threat of killing people and breaking things… in order to dissuade others from killing people and breaking things.
If a "death mask" scarf (as opposed to heroes in white hats) inspires an aggressor to reconsider, even for a day, it has served its purpose.

Its WAR!!Psychological warfare is part of it. Jeez!!

I like it.............

Looks really cool! Maybe a mask with The Joker's face on it will be next.

Such a sweet mask.

What utter nonsense! Behind this fake mask fakery, everyone is missing the bigger story - France (or West) and neo-colonialism in Africa. It's right there, stated in the article ".... the goal is the "total reconquest of Mali,"" Same pretext, different tyrant!

This photo is amazing, if I could print it into a poster I would.