Captain Mau Gris

Captain Mau Gris on the road to civilian life

Captain Mau Gris began this blog when he was team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1st Mechanized Brigade on Op Herrick 18. He tells his Afghan story up until 27 September 13.

Mau returned to the UK at the end of September 2013. The rest of his blog will focus on leaving the Army and going back to the life of a civilian. For Mau, this includes going back to university – trading his helmet and combats for a mortar board and gown.

Hello, I’m Captain Mauricio Gris. The son of a Mexican father and Irish mother, I started my career in the Household Cavalry.  I am the team leader and also principle writer/interviewer, so all the spelling mistakes, howling grammar and boring questions are mine!

Captain Mau Gris in Afghanistan

• Returning to civilian life: Back in basic 14 November, 2013 - Captain Mau Gris began this blog when he was team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1st Mechanized Brigade on Op Herrick 18.  Mau returned to the UK at the end of September 2013. The rest of his blog will focus on …
• Bittersweet return: Helmand to home, soldier to student 27 September, 2013 - I had just been crowned Pool champion of the CCT, much to Lloydie's and His Holinesses's annoyance. When I got challenged by the Padre, he kicked my arse with a bit of divine intervention. In the process we got to chatting about the tour. Naturally he wanted to know what I had found tough. So I told him and slowly I realised he was probing to see if I would hold anything back.
• 50 Shades of Green 2 September, 2013 - Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer. You can’t put a price on R&R ‘Absence makes the …
• The all-seeing eye 8 August, 2013 - Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1st Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer. Captain Gris and Longshanks explore the secret world of …
• Chaos and the creative mind 22 July, 2013 - "...having been doing this job for over a year I have worked with numerous Army photographers and not one of them is alike style-wise or work-wise. It is amazing to see the difference in their creative eyes, you could put ten of them in the same room with a photography brief and get ten completely different sets of photos."
• Filming a gun fight at night in 3D 12 July, 2013 - Herrick 18 Stories Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1st Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer. A night time helicopter raid into a place …
• In the midst of the fight 14 June, 2013 - Herrick 18 Stories Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer. This trip was the reason we exist, though …
• The edge of the fight 9 June, 2013 - The BOC as they are called, are there to fight the ‘deep battle.’ By this I mean their sole purpose is to target the enemy where he least suspects it and take his ‘lethal aid,’ the stuff he uses to attack us; bomb-making kit, ammunition, weapons.
• War dances and the nomadic life 28 May, 2013 - Herrick 18 Stories Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18′s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer. Tongan tribal dance Hi, it’s been awhile since …
• Rock ‘n’ Roll 9 May, 2013 - This was the first time that I have seen one of these entertainment shows and, like any typical soldier, I was sceptical about the show’s ability to distract me without the aid of alcohol. I was even a bit nervous for the stand-up comics, as sober soldiers on operations would be a tough audience.
• Filming close quarters combat in the third dimension 3 May, 2013 - On 3D cameras you have an additional elements of ‘convergence’ and ‘depth budget,’ to consider alongside the ordinary considerations such as exposure and framing. Simply put these are controls for whether something pops out at you from the screen and how three dimensional something is.
• Herrick 18 Stories: Military Dogs homeward bound 16 April, 2013 - When you're stumbling around in the dark surrounded by military working dogs, it is a useful fact to know that the dogs you have to be careful of are not the protection dogs, who tend to be bigger and louder than the rest, it's the hyper-focused search dogs that will have a little nibble on you if you get too close.
• Herrick 18 Stories Part 1: Chefs, Cherry Bakewells and the Combat Granny 4 April, 2013 - Captain Mau Gris is team leader for the British Army’s Combat Camera Team (CCT) based in Afghanistan throughout the summer 2013 as part of 1 Mechanized Brigade. Op Herrick 18’s CCT also includes Sergeant Barry Lloyd – video cameraman – and Sergeant Barry Pope – photographer. Meet the team This is the first blog for the …