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USMC,VBSS training,Spain 2002

2K views 14 replies 14 participants last post by  W@sh 
#1 ·
This is another one that has been through many phases.This gear has been used on probably a half dozen bashes.I wanted to find a use for this BBI/Mastercraft 3 color FSBE body armor.I have only seen one picture of this(but then really didn't look hard enough I guess)

But upon closer inspection.It's just painted tan.You can tell by the side adjustment strap that is green.And when we entered into the Afghanistan conflict and Iraq,there wasn't a glut of tan or desert gear.Alot of real life operators spray painted their gear tan to match the environment.I guess it's a pretty commom proactice from what I hear.But anyways.I went ahead and used the 3 color FSBE anyways.The bash is a combo of all the USMC operators in the pictures.
Ref pics



And here's the bash.I used another DML cover on a TS MICH here.

Thanks to William for the horseshoe life perserver.I still gotta do some adjustments here to this piece.






Hot toys cloth boot,thanks to Azteca for these.

Body/sculpt-BBi G1 with a HT Night Ops Jumper sculpt(the extremly olive skinned George clooney one)
Flightsuit-BBi
Atlama boots-HT
FSBE vest-BBi
pouches-BBi/TS
MOLLE pack-TS
HABD/pouch-BBi
Gasmask carrier-DML
Life preserver-HT
MICH-TS/DML
shades-ACE
Balacava-BBi
Stinger headset/pouch-BBi
M4-ACE
Sledgehammer-BBi
Dumppouch-TS
Kneepads-TS
 
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#8 ·
Thanks for the words guys.

The bashes I have done in the last 6 months have made the hobby fun for me again.It's more fun for me to do a picture based bash and try to get it right,and little things like the little details have rejuvenated me against what was getting to be a stale hobby for me.
 
#11 ·
Fsbe

Well, let's see if I can help out with the 3col FSBE issue. Quick background first; I was a reserve Marine with Detatchment 4th Force Recon in Reno, NV...the company mobilized in Jan 2003, was attached to 1st Force Recon, and deployed to Iraq. I went, filling the armorer's billlet, and was rotated into a team halfway through the deployment due to vacancies.

When we deployed to Iraq, all of 4th Force (Reno and Hawaii platoons) deployed with woodland interceptors...FSBEs hadn't made it to the reserves yet. The majority of our guys did spray-paint the gear tan, or a tan/loam camo, including the pouches.

The vast majority of the active duty guys had woodland FSBEs, about 95%. The 3col FSBE came about from an after-action report by the Force platoons returning from Afghanistan, where they identified the need for desert camo equipment. There were a few 3col FSBEs out there in the beginning of OIF, but not many. This piece of gear was actually pretty rare (from my experience) as it was shortly replaced by gear in the coyote color. I would venture a guess that the majority of them went to Det 1 for their initial gear issue, and were quickly replaced by the CIRAS or something else.

I still have my BBI 3col FSBE that I haven't found a use for.

On a side note, FR platoons were each provided with a budget for private purchase items (weapon accessories, goggles, boots, etc.), so you may see whole platoons equipped with non-standard gear that other platoons may not have access to.

I got out after that deployment (one was enough for me), so I have no clue about what happened after Nov 2003.

Hope it helps.

Joe
 
#13 ·
That's pretty darn spot on...

I was in the MSPF (Maritime Special Purposes Force) with the 11th MEU out of 1stMARDIV from March 01 - Sept 01 (we arrived back stateside the week after 9/11). I was a machinegunner attached to the security plt for the MSPF and we did security for 1st Force and SEAL team 5 - a lot of training and little execution... :( :(

Anyhow - the SEALs did two VBSS while we were in the Gulf that summer, but Force and our security element didn't do much but work out and train :( - this was right before they started issuing the new armor, so we were able to actually use our own gear as our command (2d Battalion, 1st Marines) wasn't really tight about everyone having the same load bearing equipment - most guys in fact carried a lot of custom stuff - as long as all of the basics were in the right places (Firstaid above right ass cheek, water over left ass cheek, gas mask on left leg or on left side, ammo on chest or right leg drop) -

anyhow - great work!
 
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