"Looking for 28mm Vietnam USAF Security Police" Topic

I have a buddy that wants to run a Vietnam airfield game and use USAF Security Police. Any recommendations on what minis to use – he wants that beret and air force tunic look. Also would like some military working dogs. And while we are on the topic – does anyone make a USAF V-100 (open top instead of turret variant)?

Thanks!

I believe at the time they were still called "Air Police"

The Air Force has (or had – don't know if they still do) both Air Police (APs) and Security Police (SPs). The first were for law enforcement, the second acted as tactical base security and were armed more like infantry. We had a number of the SPs in IOBC.

Other than Safeside troops who had blue berets and I think, disbanded by 69 or 70, I don't recall anyone in a beret until 1972 when they went to that unfortunate black thing.

Everyone called us AP's but that wasn't an official designation after the career field split in 71.

Everyone was Security Police but you had a Law Enforcement AF code (81250 as I recall) and a Security one, 81150. Both got that stupid black beret for whatever reason. Most everyone I knew ditched it whenever possible because it looked dumb and was miserably hot. Guys on the perimeter would have helmets with them but would wear soft caps or bush hats (or nothing if nobody was looking) unless something bad was happening. Sometime long after I got out in 74 the whole thing switched to Security Forces. I don't know if that is two specialties or all one.

Our jungle cammies and regular green jungle fatigues, boots and web gear were all the same as the Army and the headgear would be a mix of cap, bush hat, and helmets with a rare beret tossed in. Only the main gate, any law enforcement patrols and the dog guys (who were a bit different) would be in berets. The SAT and QRT teams all had full gear in the vehicle with, at least at NKP, the SAT teams used V-100's but the QRT teams had M-113's.

I kind of doubt Safeside would have gone into combat in berets as well since they were in theory, your better trained manouver element and thus were probably more in a Quick Reaction Team role.

McKinstry,

Sounds like he can just use some Army guys and with a couple of beret modifications

Thanks for the info. How about the Brassard – did folks where that?

Thanks.

No brassard that I ever saw but everybody had the QC (crossed pistols) patch.

Early war 64-66 I would expect everyone in regular stateside fatigues with black on green tapes instead of white on blue and Ton Son Nhut you might have the fancy helmut liners and brassard although we never had them even stateside.

Tet changed everything for the SP's. Getting part of the perimeter overrun and having to dig the VC out of an old French bunker caused improvements in training and equipment. There is a wealth of data on that battle under 377th SPS. There was an oft passed around tape of a guy calling in for help while firing slap flares from a tower.

Thanks for the tip – I found a great SPS site – lots of good info and pictures: 377sps.org

The Testors UFO (the big one) comes with a 1/48 SP.

I know, not much help.