This is not that irregular...... in Op Granby in Dec 90 ish - we got into a sticky situation and needed a shovel... asked our American friends if we could borrow one from them.... they didn't have one and we improvised...... 20 hrs later...... Sir, you requested a shovel....
They had only gone and flown a single shovel from the USA tanked a F-16 all the way... As a logistics exercise to test their own abilities..... Bonkers but good training all the same... I think they were more hacked off that we were not that impressed...... took the shovel said thanks and turned away... still makes me chuckle!