I saw several squaddies purchasing bits of uniforms and kit to take out with them to Iraq on a visit to my local surplus store. I also made sure that my mate that was being deployed had body armour, I told him if he got out there and there was none for him let me know as I will send him some as a another friend had a set with the plates in and he is a civvy.
It seems that private purchases is a common place thing, but I do not hear of the MOD reimbursing the squaddies.
Actually my friend commented that we as civies have more military kit and are better equipped than the average squaddie albeit they have real guns.
Jon
