Looking good so far.  The Brad is coming along well.

One potential issue though.  No M2 Bradleys nor M1 Abrams were used in combat in ODS.  I don't believe any 105mm M1s were even deployed.  Most units had transitioned to 120mm M1A1s by that point.  There were some M2A1s deployed, but they were all swapped for M2A2s before the ground war began.  They could be together on a training exercise prior to ODS, maybe out at the NTC (National Training Center) in California in the mid to late '80s.  They would be better in overall Forest Green though instead of sand.

The Dragon M1A1 is correct for one in ODS, so you would be good there.  An M2A2 would be more appropriate with it though.

For the M2A2, the below one by Tamiya was the type used in ODS.

She's looking good Tiger II! 

And interesting Gino, I'd not have known what version was correct either- thanks! 

Could you do a training scene and use both versions maybe??? 

I guess I'm going to have to agree with you there Gino, regarding the M2 in combat during ODS. So I'm changing my title to 'Operation Desert Shield-Spearheads'. As I found some photos of the M2 Bradley during Operation Desert Shield. The two B&W pics were captioned: Above and below an early U.S. Army M2 Bradley in Saudi Arabia during Operaton Desert Shield. ARMY PHOTO. Also there are some WIP pics. I need to weather the M2 and tracks, add the wheels and tracks and the 782 gear. then tweak whatever needs tweaking then start on the M1 Abrams. BTW I'm hoping to upgrade the 105mm gun with an A/M 120mm. As always all comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.

TigerII

I'm changing my title to 'Operation Desert Shield-Spearheads'.

That will work.  The Brad is looking good.  Decals look right on.

TigerII

...then start on the M1 Abrams. BTW I'm hoping to upgrade the 105mm gun with an A/M 120mm.

I am a little confused on the Abrams though.  If you have the Dragon kit, it is an M1A1 with a 120mm gun already.  As long as it is one of their original Abrams, it is correct for a Desert Shield/Storm Abrams right out of the box.  Which Dragon M1A1 do you have?

If you do have an M1 kit, there is a lot more to change than just the barrel.  The M1A1 had a longer turret, different gun mantlet, 2 as opposed to 3 blow off panels, added cover on turret top front left in anticipation of CITV, different engine cover/rear deck, different BII boxes along the turret sides, rear turret rack, etc., etc., etc...  They were two very different tanks.

Here are some more WIP pics of the M2 Bradley. I started the weathering with an oil wash, I'll weather it some more then add the web gear and figures. Enjoy.

The Bradley is looking good.  A couple pointers on it.  The barrels should be a dark gun-metal color, almost black.  Flat black paint then rubbing graphite from a pencil on them works well.  The spare tracks should be semi-gloss black; when new, they are painted black to keep from rusting.  The metal parts of the tools should be a gunmetal color or have flat black metal parts and OD on the wooden parts.  You will very rarely see shiny chrome parts on any armored vehicle.  Lastly, the angle of the TOW launcher and main barrel should be the same.  They are slaved together when the TOW is in the raised/launch position.

Yeah the Brad looks good! I don't know if she's accurate but nice work on construction and painting. 

Hey Gamera, thanks for the comment. I know someone else missed the 'WIP' part of my post and decided to come out of his lane. For one thing, the gun barrel and spare tracks were given a gunmetal paint job, but Tamiya's paint always comes out silvery. So a thin coat of flat black fixed that, BTW I don't like using graphite for my weapons, never have. I also mixed flat black with gloss black and did the spare tracks, but I added a little pastel for 'rust', Then I did the tools(sledgehammer, shovel, pickaxe, etc.) as the bare metal was too bright and I saw pictures of them in grayish metal. BTW those same pics had the wooden handles in bare wood. Why paint them green when you're in the desert? Oh and I married the 242 chain gun to coincide with the TOW missile launcher, beause you can't leave something half finished and not hear about it. So NOW, she's accurate. I will do a follow-up to make sure I didn't miss anything, then I'll add the web gear, figures and antennas and call it finished. I did take his advice though, on my M1 Abrams idea. 

TigerII

I know someone else missed the 'WIP' part of my post and decided to come out of his lane.

Sorry you feel that way.  I guess you don't want any constructive comments; just "Atta Boys" or "That looks great!!!".  If you don't want constructive comments, don't post pics.  It would have been easier to say, "Yup, I'm still working on them, they will all be fixed," or if you don't care about accuracy, just say so.  By the way, pretending I am not here doesn't work either; quiet childish too.

As to the handles being painted green, they are done like this when vehicles are brought back from the field to keep them looking new.  Crews will paint the metal parts black and the wood parts OD before an inspection.  Where the vehicle is located (desert or woods) has nothing to do with it.

Your Brad does look good and is coming along well, I do like it.  Just trying to help out with accuracy.  

TigerII: Looks good, I like where you're going here. 

I just give an 'Atta Boy' because I don't have the specific knowledge of the vehicle Gino does. Personally I like the advice people like him with more knowledge or with personal experience have and can share with me. As I said before if I've done something and someone tells me it's wrong I'm probaly not going to go back and correct it but I do try to remember the information to not make the same mistake again. 

And frankly it is YOUR model so if you don't like what someone else tells you just politely thank Gino or whoever and move on. You don't have to be rude about it. 

Hey Gamera, thanks for the response. I appreciate your candor. My thing is that if someone posts WIP, as modelers, we all understand what that means. And as modelers we all like to get 'atta boys' and I can deal with advice if something is wrong with a project, but as I've posted on previous posts I usually mention if something needs to be 'tweaked'. But as modelers we all have different techniques on how to get the desired effect we want for our models and how we want our models to look. I have told armor modelers that their tracks have been put on backwards. Gino does have more knowledge regarding the more modern vehicles and I appreciate him listing the differences of the M1 & M1A1 Abrams, but just leave it at that. On numerous occasions, he has tried to tell me how to model my projects. If I was rude I'll apologize to him and I apologize to you for putting in you in the middle. Again thank you for your input. Happy modeling. 

First; Gino, I will apologize for coming out the way I did. I am not a novice in this hobby and I like to be accurate with my models and especially dioramas, because they tell a story, unlike a stand alone model. As modelers we ALL like to get "atta boys" and "great job", but as modelers we all know what WIP means. On numerous occasions I've posted when I have to 'tweak' something, so if I don't put it in writing, it doesn't mean its not going to happen. I have over a dozen reference photos of M2, M2A1 & M2A2 Bradleys on my cell, so that I can make an accurate model. I will delete them when the model is done to my satisfaction. I appreciate when something is pointed out that's wrong, because you seem to have more knowledge about modern vehicles, but just leave it at that. On a few occasions you've tried to, not only tell me whats wrong with my model, but what I need to do to correct it. I appreciate that you might want to see my work be accurate, but I know what I need to do to fix the problems that arise in this hobby. I've seen the work you've posted and its very, very good. But I will tell you if something is not correct, but I will never presume to tell you how to fix it. That is for you to decide. Again, I apologize if I was rude and happy modeling. 

No hard feelings.  What I was doing is not telling you how to do your model, just offering suggestions.  You can take them or leave them, it's your model and we all have different techniques.  I do understand what WIP means.  I assumed (we know what happens when we assume), that you were done up to the point of weathering since that is what you said you had left.  That is why I pointed out what I did.  In the end, it came out well, so this is all really mox nix.

And now your see why I prefer to build some goofy esoteric off-the-wall  that no one knows anything about! 

Same reason I like dinosaurs- no one can tell you if you painted them the right colour or not!!!

Gamera

And now your see why I prefer to build some goofy esoteric off-the-wall  that no one knows anything about! 

 

Same reason I like dinosaurs- no one can tell you if you painted them the right colour or not!!!

 

I hear that.

W.I.P.!

      Whut Da Hail IS dat? Oh, dat's where youses is just bilding dis her ting or dat dere ting, Ryte? Work In Progress? Oh! That's what you Mean! LOL! LOL! Many of mine are still in that stage. I went to smaller(1/48) German Armor , because I always got nailed by Rivet Counters on the Modern stuff! They didn't know much about it, so they kept their mouf shut, BUT, I do believe in Constructive Critisicism For the sake of learning something I didn't know.

      I got into that with my Arizona Builds. Step back in time. Think about the Press. How well did Black and white Photos, translate to color? Not well. No one, except those brave men who now rest within her know exactly what color she was painted at 0700 hours that day. So I used faded Sea Blue and or Light haze grey-No one was ever satisfied with what I did. So None of my clients have a "Prize Winner"!

    I now agree more than ever, Build what YOU want, in the color you want! It's YOUR Model!!! So Far no one has shot down one of my liners in Paper or the old Revell kits. Plus, That way I can weather a client's model heavily and have paint peeling off etc. That what happens at sea, Besides "Oilcanning"

Hey Gamera!

 Betta watch Yerself Buddy! There are now Paleontologists that will to try to tell you just exactly color those scudders were. I guess besides digging in the dirt and making castings they can now go back and see with their own eyes what color they were. Ain't that crazy. If they have time machines, Gosh! Send me back to the day I got out of the Military! I wouldn't sign that paper and take the check, I would just stick out the last 2-1/2 yrs.

Tanker-Builder

Hey Gamera!

 Betta watch Yerself Buddy! There are now Paleontologists that will to try to tell you just exactly color those scudders were. I guess besides digging in the dirt and making castings they can now go back and see with their own eyes what color they were. Ain't that crazy. If they have time machines, Gosh! Send me back to the day I got out of the Military! I wouldn't sign that paper and take the check, I would just stick out the last 2-1/2 yrs.

 

Yeah there is quite a bit of debate on just how much they were feathered or not. As to colour I just generally try to go with the same colours on modern animals. But then again lots of birds and reptiles have bright colours for mating displays though.

Well I've weathered as much as I can do. So I've added the 782 gear, a folded tent, MRE boxes and a water can. I will be adding some figures (1/2) into the hatches and call it done.

It is looking really good.  There are a couple of things off, you can take them or leave them, up to you.  The sleeping bag stuff sacks (black bags) and MREs are both post-ODS.

The older (ODS-era) MREs were more flat and rectangular boxes, on the bottom below.

They are available in the older Tamiya Modern U.S. Accessory Set (35141), and by different AM producers (Verlinden, Hudson and Allen, etc.).

The newer Modern U.S. Military Equipment Set (35266) that has the sleeping bag stuff sacks and newer MREs is from/for OIF.  The sleeping bag stuff sacks, MREs, and Combat Identifier Panels (CIPs) are all post-ODS features.  The rest of the set is fine for ODS.

She looks great Tiger! Love the storage, not only does it give more of a 'lived in' look but it breaks up the desert sand for a little contrast.

Gino: Thanks! I had no idea on the different eras in those sets. Then again I'm the guy who stuck some '90s ration boxes on a WW II tank till someone pointed it out to me and I ripped them off...

Well this project is done; and not without some ministrations, but its all in the name of accuracy when it comes to this hobby. BTW Gino, I want to thank you for pointing out my faux pas regarding the MRE boxes. I forgot that I have that early ODS accessory kit and made the appropriate changes. As for the sleeping bags, they stay put. I added the half figures and antennas and that's it. On to my next project; wherever it takes me. Enjoy the pictures.

Looks cool!!! Love the photo with the M1!

Turned out great.  I like the pic

I came out looking great.  The two of them look perfect together.

I(t)

Nice build. I enjoyed following.

Death to the rivet counters.

As a former Bradley company commander, I can vouch for Gino's comments on vehicle equipment and tools, as well as the appearance of the 25mm chain gun being a dark gunmetal color.  When we would come back from the field or gunnery exercises at Grafenwohr, we would be in the motor pool, cleaning up our tracks, accounting for all of our equipment, including the BII (Basic Issue Items).  Part of recovery operations was returning all issued gear to "like new" condition (or close to it.)  That would mean cleaning everything and sanding/repainting tools with OD (Over Dirt) paint and putting them back on the vehicle (inside the vehicle under lock and key to keep other companies from stealing your gear!)  If you couldn't get the rust off your BII, spray painting it was an option.  Every Bradley crew wanted to have a sharp looking vehicle during layout inspections and inventories.  If your gear looked sharp and well-organized, and the crew appeared to take pride in their track, inspections went a lot quicker and painless.  Just my two cents.

Your Bradley and Abrams look good, especially in front of your picture.  Both vehicles look the part in their natural environment, ready to put in some work!!

Thanks for sharing,

Dave

Hey Dave, thank you for your comments. I appreciate them. As a former military man myself, I understand what you mean regarding the gear. In my battery, Motor T, Guns Platoon, Comm, and HQ Platoon all did the same thing once we got back from the field. We always made sure that our gear not only passed the layout inspections by our CO, but that it was ready for any form of inspection. Thank you for your service and welcome home.