Soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom

[NovYank]

This topic is mostly for Coen who is currently working on a M113 placed in Iraq during the initial push to Baghdad.

Some context: The war in Iraq is plagued with the US's suspicions that Saddam Insane would use his chemical weapons on Coalition forces. So EVERY soldier wore a Nuclear Biological Chemical suit that would protect themselves from any chemical attacks. Bad news was all of the US's suits were made in woodland camouflage for fighting the Russians. Being as the US had no available source of desert camouflage so they issued most of the troops with woodland camoflage

This means that Coen's soldiers should be in complete woodland camouflage except their helmets!!!!!!! These have desert camouflage covers.

Some reference pictures:

This is the 3rd Infantry Division in a firing line. You can tell by the square with diagonal lines on their helmets.







Here's a soldier giving food to some Iraqis. You can see the woodland NBC suit and his desert camouflage helmet.




More pictures of the men in Iraq with the woodland camouflage suits and vests with desert camouflage covers.











Now here's a picture of the type of desert camo that was used. DON'T USE ANY OTHER CAMO!!!!!!!!!! No other camo was used by the US forces.Use this camo for the helmets and the helmets only








In case you didn't get enough reference from the other pictures, here's one more of woodland camouflage.







-Nate

[NovYank]

PS: Coen, I would highly recommend using the 3rd Infantry Division as your unit. For both the M113 and the M1 Abrams. The Marines didn't use M113's but the Army did. And the 3ID was a major part in the push to Baghdad.

[longlance67]

can be a scene based loosely on thunder run

[Coen]

Thanks Nate!!! These are fantastic!!!
Reminds me of the series Generation Kill.
Those suit must have been terrible to wear in the heat.
These are appropriate for 2003 Iraq then?

I have a question... is this a water bag? Armoured camel pack?

[NovYank]

I believe that there is no bag there. Instead I think that is his flak vest deforming a little bit because his web belt. The best must be too big or his web gear is too tight.

[Coen]

Or he's smuggling budgies.
Maybe he's a hunchback.
Now that you've said that, it's completely changed what I see.... that's weird.
I could have sworn that it looked like he had a Kevlar plate attached to his back.
Now all I see is a bent vest.
That's a little creepy

[Paul]

Or he's smuggling budgies.
Maybe he's a hunchback.
Now that you've said that, it's completely changed what I see.... that's weird.
I could have sworn that it looked like he had a Kevlar plate attached to his back.
Now all I see is a bent vest.
That's a little creepy

Ha ha budgie smuggler lol

[Coen]

I knew you'd like that Paul

[chief5437]

He's probably got his camelbak under his body armour. Just to get it a little bit warmer! Lol! Having said that, I used to keep my boil in the bag rations inside my jacket so they'd pre warm before tea time, lol.

[Coen]

So wearing the camelbak that way isn't weird or uncomfortable Chief?

[chief5437]

I imagine it is, I never did it. But sometimes you're in a rush, or this guy could just be effing stupid?! Lol

[NovYank]

I imagine it is, I never did it. But sometimes you're in a rush, or this guy could just be effing stupid?! Lol

Or maybe he used someone else's vest....I did that with my football pads once. But I was in a rush.

[chief5437]

Wtf? You had a camelbak under football pads?! Lol! It's bad enough that you wear pads in the first place!!! Ha ha

[NovYank]

Wtf? You had a camelbak under football pads?! Lol! It's bad enough that you wear pads in the first place!!! Ha ha

Oh not that, I grabbed someone else's pads. She you're in a rush its easy to get confused like that.