Starting on the figures for my soon-to-be-finshed M2A0 Bradley, to be depicted in the field for a mid-1980’s REFORGER exercise. I have figure kit Tamiya 89772, US Modern Elite Infantry, which I was going to paint in woodland camo. Question: Would one find body armor on an M60 man in this time period? Mid-80’s in the Seabees I wore Vietnam-era body armor, but that was as an 81mm mortar gunner. I don’t know when the Army started fielding body armor for regular 11Bravos. If not, any suggestions for a figure kit that would be better?
Thanks, George
The body armor of the mid 80s was basically the same as the VN body armor…heavy, hot and [cnsod]. Most times for field exercises the body armor was not worn, especially for track vehicle crews but that would vary by unit SOP.
Rounds Complete!!
I was a grunt during the time period. We had the body armor in our supply rooms, but it was rarely worn. My particular unit had the older Vietnam era body armor (which they wore in combat in Panama), not the new PASGT Kevlar stuff as on those figures. But other units did have it. Units of the 82nd Airborne wore those PASGT vests in Grenada in 1983. Units in Europe such as 3rd ID, being higher priority, would have gotten the new vests first.
Maybe I can get away with using this guy then, as I think this vehicle’s bumper codes are marked for 3rd ID. I did look at my reference pix, and in the few I have with grunts around, nobody is wearing a flack vest. But at least it was possible, if not probable.
Yes, it is 3rd ID, 1st btn 15th Infanttry, C Co, 3rd Plt Veh 2.
actually the so called body armor of the Vietnam era was a “flak jacket”, and not a real good thing to have one when doing a re-enaction the Hatfield & McCoy fued! It never was designed to stop bullets, and if a bullet got thru the Kevlar plates from an angle you were in deep trouble (in otherwords you were better off without it). But on the otherhand I wore it many times just to help stay warm on a mountain top, and it didn’t make a bad pillow. Lastly if worn by fat boys in the 120 degree heat; he was bound to loose some inches off his torso.
gary