1:50pm UK, Tuesday February 04, 2003

US Marines on exercise in Kuwait have been seen wearing some unusual accessories - skull masks.

180 skull mask us marine soldier sandstorm kuwait

Macabre fashion statement

US soldiers have been wearing a range of designer ski masks to protect their eyes from the desert sand.

The Grim Reaper skull mask was spotted alongside more trendy designs from the likes of Scott and Oakley.

Face masks are sometimes supplied as part of a soldier's kit, but many prefer to buy their own.

Civilian clothing, purchased privately, is often better made and more comfortable.

Soldiers in the British Army and Royal Marines also like to supplement their issued kit with other gear such as hiking boots.

In the Falklands, British military boots could not cope with the wet, marshy ground.

And in the Gulf, they fell apart in the desert heat.