US Army in Iraq diorama: Improved photos!

Hi David,

That noon sunlight was so bright that I hardly can open my eyes, but it did the trick.

For the base sand, it is really fine sand from the beach. I think  I mixed about 4 parts water and 1 part PVA glue directly onto the wooden base(I learn from gamesworkshop terrain build), before sprinkling sand over it. You need to dry the first layer first and need to repeat the process till you are satisfied with the amount of sand that you want.  After priming it with  grey, I airbrushed the groundwork with desert yellow and pale sand colors rspectively.

The base for the walls are just paper clay direct onto wood. In order for the clay to stick, I coated the base with wood varnish. If I don't do this, the clay would start to fall off when it drys. Anyway that was the conclusion from my crazy experiment.

The  bigger stones and debris are also pieces paper clay. They are cheap and can be shaped to anything that I need. Yep I agree the about the vest being shiny and have added some matt varnish to flat em down.

Thanks

Red1

The link to the photos, man, those photos out in the bright sun! WOW!   That definitely did the trick for me, the bright light and strong shadows with the perspective, that was great!!

Nice work, I love the shoes at the front gate, very nice touch.

What was used for the base sand, did you buidit up on some sort of paper mache or directly on wood.

the only thing I see in some photos is that the flak vests have a slight shine to them. Mine went dead flat as soon as I started getting dirt ground into it, maybe it was the flash highlighting on it, but that's the only thing that seemed off to me.

David

I used a 0.28 mm steel wire wrapped around a fine pin or needle to simulate the cord. Positioning it can be tricky so best to drill a small hole in the radio set and anchor one end first b4 positioning it onto the handset. Hope this helps.

red1 AKA sharkreef.

red1 what did u use for the raidos hand set cord

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1178/527414388_a68459fed0.jpg?v=0 

Thats wats great about the community here. I did learn alot and I definitely want to learn more from the guys here. Awesome response. Can't thank everyone enuff.

Thanks

I understand what you mean, many times things gets distorted in the media nowadays, and I definitely do not want to be part of that. Thanks for highlighting dat DM. I'm grateful that you alerted me and I'll be more careful next time.

I uploaded the photo's on Flickr and that was where the Nowpublic.com saw it. If there is more harm than benefit, to everyone I'll stay away from it. That's for sure.

My apologies  DM1975. Thanks again.

No worries man, on the photo description I state that it is a "miniature diorama representing Operation Iraqi Freedom".

 I do not think that is misleading anyone now. Thanks for your concern.

Peace

Heys guys!

Never thought of this. One of the photos from this diorama is being used for a news story. Ain't dat cool or what. Thanks to Actual News Guy from nowpublic.com.

 Here's the link http://www.nowpublic.com/military_contractors_surviving_familes_being_sued_by_employer

I'm so excited, I feel like headin to the hobby shop later.

Peace.

DM1975 wrote:

the Marine Flat Dark Earth colored one.

Also known as "coyote brown."  Scheduled to be the singular LBE color used (until the next uniform regulation change).  'Sposed to be "suitable" for both the 'woodland" and "desert" MarPats.  Concept is dangerously close to "sensible," though, and ought be taken with cowlick-sized grain of salt.

No problem. I will list some deffinitions here and if you need more just let me know...

M16A4 - Essentialy an M16A2 with a detachable carry handle, (Safe, Semi, Burst), 20" barrel. Most of them in the Army and Marines have a rail system. Specificly the Knights Armament M5 rail system for the most part. Besides for DMR rifles.

M68 CCO - This is the Aimpoint Comp M or the Aimpoint Comp M2. It is a red dot, zero magnafication scope used to aid in speedy target aquisation at close distances. CCO means Close Combat Optics.

ACOG - This is a 4 power scope with tritium sights. Small, lightweight, and durable. Several versions are used the TA31 F and TA01 NSN seem to be the most popular. The first having fiber optics as well to aid in daytime to illuminate the crosshairs.

DMR rifle - An accurized M16A4. Some units scrounge their own in country out of parts but most are produced by the Army Marksmanship Unit. Most have some sort of free float rail system, a Leupold scope, and a stainless or other accurized barrel.

Riflemans Kit - The basic MOLLE layout issued buy the Army. Cosists of a MJOLLE vest and an assortment of pouches. It also includes a camel back, an assault pack, and on the new ones, plastic D rings and such.

IBA - Interceptor Body Armor. Modern body armor used by US forces today. They consist of a vest/carrier with ballistic panels. It holds armor plates in the front and back called SAPI plates (ESAPI are the newer plates) It also consists of a detachable collar, throat protector, groin protector, shoulder pieces, flank pads, nape pad, and flank SAPI plates.  

MICH Helmet/ACH Helmet - New style Kevelar helmet used by the Army. It has a shorter profile and no ridge running along the outside as the previous kevelar did. It is also suspended on the head with a series of pads and the chin strap is a four point strap with a plastic buckle. This also has two straps in the back to hold goggles on and most have an adapter plate in the front for NOD's (Night Observation Devices), or NVG's (Night Vision Goggles)

Semper Fi...

The actual Mosque raid I went on we found about 20 to 25 insurgents inside along with weapons. They did not even fight back. We rammed the gate with a Paladin ammo carrier and hit it pretty quick.

As for the rest. New equipment is all over the place now days. Several different laser sights are available, along with optics, new buttstocks, silencers, MOLLE gear, MICH helmets... As for MOLLE gear I started seeing the first sets RFI'd around OIF2-2.5 They were BDU colored riflemans kits. Then came the DCU riflemans kits, which is what I got for my return trip in OIF III and now I have a bran new set of ACU rifleman kit MOLLE gear. Also bodyn armor is changing. Most people only wore the main body part to the interceptor in OIF I. In OIF III you started seeing collars being worn and some shoulder panels. Now you can nnot leave the FOB without the collar, throat guard, all four armor plates, nut guard, shoulder piecces, and nape piece.

Back before the ACU you also saw lots of different mixmatched camo IBA's. I started with a woodland and ended up with a DCU one. Some guys had the Marine Flat Dark Earth colored one. Everyone was mixmatched till the ACU hit the street, and some still are. As far as weapons, most infantry units have M4's now. In OIF I we had M16A4's, some A2's, and a few M4's Only optics we had then was the M68 CCO. In OIF III we had some A4's and lots of M4's with ACOGS, M68's, EoTechs, several different lasers, you name it.

BY THE AMOUNT OF SOLDIERS IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE TWO TEAMS, SO 2EA M203 WILL DO FINE.  1975 IS RIGHT NOT ALL MOSQUES ARE WELL IDENTIFIED AND MISTAKES ARE MADE SOMETIMES.  THE INPUT ON THE M2 GUNNER IS ALSO CORRECT YOU DONT HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO HIDE OR DROP IN A ROLL OVER SITUATION SO THE GUNNER IS BETTER TO BE CLEAR OF EQUIPMENT.  I WAS AN MP DURING OUR TOUR AND MANY INSURGENTS TENDED TO HIDE IN MOSQUES, AND TOOK POT SHOTS AT US.  THATS WHY I PUT OFF LIMITS WITH "QUOTATION MARKS" ONCE AGAIN NICE JOB ON YOUR DIO. HOPE TO SEE SOME MORE OF YOUR WORK SINCE YOU STATED THAT YOU ARE GETTING BACK IN THE SADDLE WITH MODELING. 

SANDMAN

Hey did you find any insurgents hiding inside? All the info I get is from CNN.

Not a problem man, I'll just replace the guy's M203 with an M16 on the left doorway and remove the gear from the MG gunner. About dat guy pointing, he's held down by bluetack so I'll just rotate him anti clockwise towards the door.

I was an M203 gunner for 2 years but dat was a decade back. I already forgot how many M203's were in a squad. Doh!

Then again armies around the world have changed their SOPs and equipment a long way since then. Molle system have replaced the SBO. Standard weapons are laser sighted.  I'm just being reintroduced like a new recruit man.

 Thanks DM1975 for the update.

I thot of building  this OIF dio to brush up my skills for "more daunting dios'' but somehow now I'm enjoying this subject since it turned up better than I expected, my salutations to the guys in this forum.

Regards, 

Red1 AKA sharkreef

I can tell you that I have entered a Mosqe in Iraq before twice. Once officially on a raid and once because I did not realize what it was and like a fool I started to walk in. I got in the doorway before one member of my team informed me of what I was doing. I backed out rather quickly. But Mosques have been raided in the past so this is not too far fetched, it is just not a normal occurance.

As for the 203's I did not ever recognize that. Only one person per fire team should have on of these, so about 1 in every 4 to 5 soldiers depending on the size of the fire teams, which can varry depending on platoon strength. In some platoons the team leaders are the ones with the 203's and in some it is a Jr enlisted mans job, depending on SOP.

I would deffinately take the gear off the guy in the gunners hatch tho. No one wears it in the hatch. It was the first thing I noticed without even realy looking. As for the guy pointing to the door, sandman is right, but that would be up to you.

Just my $.02... It is still very nice, as stated before.

SANDMAN wrote:

ALTHOUGH IT LOOKS AWESOME, I SHOULD ADD A FEW THINGS FOR ACCURACY, I WOULDN'T HAVE SET YOUR M2 MG LOOKING INTO THE DOOR.  BECAUSE YOUR SQUAD IS AT THE DOOR.  I WOULD HAVE FACE YOUR M2 OUTWARD TO COVER THE BACK OF THE SQUAD (FIRE POWER), ALSO NOT EVERYONE IN THE SQUAD CARRIES M203 G/L.  ALSO REMEMBER THAT MOSQUES ARE "OFF LIMITS" TO "COALLITION FORCES" ALSO I WOULD NOT WORRY TO MUCH ABOUT EQUIPMENT USED DURING OIF, CAUSE OVERTHERE THERE IS A LOT OF MIX AND MATCH EQUIPMENT RIGHT NOW ACU'S AND MOLLE GEAR WAS A "LATE-COMMER" AND NOT EVERYONE WAS OUTFITTED WITH THIS EQUIPMENT REGARDLESS OF SERVICE I.E. NTL GUARD, ACTIVE OR RESERVE. EXCELLENT WORK.

I agree on ur suggestion about the direction of the M2 MG, actually that was the idea I initially had, but due to composition and focal point purposes, I chose to point it towards the doorway like someone suggested. It just supports the idea that the soldiers are about to enter the mosque. Probably if I had a bigger diorama with other buildings around I would have done like what you suggested.

As for the storyline, I chose it because it is controversial(to stirs emotions abit I guess), it may have happened but to what degree I'm not really sure. A bit more minor correction and it should b ok I guess.

As for now, my mind is starting to drift away to the next project.

 Thanks SANDMAN.

SprueOne wrote:

Great work! and I can't add to the above comments that weren't already stated. back to the shoes, did you sculpt those? Nice touch, great forgoten idea in dioramas, and really sets the story line. I'm impressed. thank you.

Hi SprueOne, the shoes were an idea I was toying with at the start of the project. Didnt seem unique to me till  many pointed it out to me. Thanks.

 Yup, I sculpted those using clay bits from the mosque construction and some using strips of waste foamboard. All those  leftovers headed for the waste bin really works. Lol.

DM1975 wrote:

One thing, other than this it looks great. The gunner would not be wearing his gear other than helmet and IBA while in the hatch. It keeps you from being able to duck inside in the event of a roll over.

Initially I did not plan to fix the pouches but decided to fix it later at the last minute. Should have stuck with the first idea. Thanks for the tip.

Great dio. I love the scratchbuilt arms, really nice work. I agree that the outdoor shots add a lot to the realism. A piece of work to be proud of.

Steve 

Hi everyone,

Due to great  input from guys here, I made certain improvements to the diorama I posted last month. I added a soldier to man the .50 caliber  on the Humvee( I'm not sure if the MG can swivel like that but I've got not much choice since I can't reposition my Humvee). Also made some changes the desert camo scheme colour of the overall troops from light brown to light khaki. Also I added a NVG mounts on some of the soldiers to have them have an updated look . The arms of the gunner on the humvee was scratched build from epoxy putty /green stuff.

I did a bit more research and added a little more colour and weathering on the Humvee especially the tyres and boots of the soldiers. I experimented with transparent googles for two of the soldiers using transparent resin for the gunner on Humvee and the African American soldier on the right. Hope to perfect those googles on the next project.  Also I read an article on taking better photos for dioramas, and the sunny outdoors was perfect for my project.

Thanks to the  everyone who gave great input this past month especially on the equipment that US soldiers are currently using and how to further improve my dio. Comments r welcomed my miniature bros in arms. New photos below guys.

 Peace.