Quote Originally Posted by CINDERS View Post
Why would you advertise your rank nice shiny bars on the collars! If going in to a hot LZ why would you have no helmet and only tray to ward of bullets! The door gunner looks pretty relaxed ......does not pay to advertise
I get the sense that this is a staged photo, not one of real combat, for all the reasons cited by Cinders and others. Staged photos are quite common. Recall the staged photos of Germanicon soldiers carrying M-1 Carbines that were used for propaganda.