"Need Help in Deciding a Paint Scheme, '80s US Infantry" Topic

I decided to try something a touch different.
I took some 28mm Eureka US troops in MOPP gear.
I then decapitated them, drilled out the neck and put in PASGT helmet headss and added on Assault Group butt pack to the back of their web gear. Surprisingly,,,they look pretty good.

So, Fritz helmets, M16A1s, M60s and a good spread of M72 rockets in each squad.
Time period would be, what 1980-81 for the helmet and up to about 1989-90 for the M16A1 and a bit longer for the M60.

So the big question is how do I paint them?
Typical eighties woodland or solid OD green?
Something else?

I am thinking either would do for WW3 reinforcements to europe. What do you think?

I can tell you my personal experience. When I reported for basic training in the summer of 1983 (inprocessing in SC, enroute to Ft Benning GA), I was issued all BDUs except one field jacket in OD. However, at Ft Benning that summer I would guess the cadre wore BDUs about 2/3 of the time and ODs about 1/3. As I think is always the case in all armies, veterans wear older styles as long as regulations permit, to stand out from the newbies. Interestingly enough, we trainees were issued M1 steel pots and not kevlars. I think I may be among the last GIs to wear the steel pot – perhaps inferior as ballistic protection but I can confirm it is a very useful shaving bowl.

By the time I went to OCS the following year, uniforms at Benning were entirely BDUs EXCEPT widespread use of OD jungle fatigues in hot weather. I don't believe even the National Guard were still wearing OD fatigues by that point. So unless you're representing very early 80s (as in the movie "Stripes"), I'd keep to BDUs only.

In the 80's the MOPP suits were still all OD. Black rubber gloves and boots (when we could we would wear the rubber overshoe boots instead of the MOPP boots). Protective mask was black rubber. The Kelvar helmet cover was always in the woodland pattern in the early 80's.

Not worried about the MOPP suits.
I'll just paint as regular combat clothing.

Given my exacto knife surgery skills they actually turned ut well and look pretty good.

Thansk Eumelus, kind of what I figured.
The M16A1s, M60s and LAW rockets should make a nice variety for my WW3 scenarios. (or zombie)

I already have a complete infantry company for late eighties in woodland. M16A2s, M249s and M240s.

My experience is similar to Eumelus'. I was issued white t shirts and BDUs in '82. I think OD t shirts in 83. Guys wore their OD greens as long as they could (85?).

Same experience as Eumelus and 79th. I joined in 84. We're we're issued forest camo BDUs but we're allowed to purchase and wear OD uniforms until about 1985. Then we're informed that the OD uniforms were to be phased out and we were no longer allowed to wear them.

Yes, my experience was similar to the other Vets, when on active duty,'79-'90. Just go with the Woodland BDUs.

I don't see any M203s listed with your Squads, there should be 1 per Fire Tm.

We still had our M60 MMGs in the Mech Hvy Bde I was assigned to at Benning, '86-'90. Had never saw an M240 while on active duty …

By the mid-80s our Mech Inf Squads were armed with these weapons:

SL – M16

1st Fire Tm –

1 M60 MG
1 M249 SAW
1 M203 GL
2 M16s

2d Fire Tm -

1 M47 Dragon MAW
1 M249 SAW
1 M203 GL
2 M16s

Plus M2 .50 Cal on the Track – M113 … Usually stayed mounted unless in a Deliberate Defense. The Damn thing weights around 128lbs, plus ammo.

M72s were issued like hand grenades, anyone in the Squad could be issued them. But generally if your primary weapon was an M16 you may get 1-2 M72s.

Also extra ammo for the M60 MG and M47 MAW would be carried by the anyone with just an M16.

So in some cases a trooper would be packing along with his M16, extra ammo for the M60 + an M72

Or an extra M47 round/missile. The M47 Rd is big long and heavy, + your M16. That is a load …

Plus the Squad PRC-77 back pack radio, sometimes one per Fire Tm. So if you were not packing ammo for the M60 or M47, you may be humping a radio too … Plus maybe an M72 …

Thanks everyone.
Woodland it is. Now I just have to remember what I used to paint the first company? Those guys are fritz helmets, M16A2 some 203s and M249s and M240s.

These guys I stuck with the old ten man squad organization.
I kept it pretty simple.
One M60
Two M16A1/203s
Seven M16A1s

Didn't realize that the M249 came in that early.
I just use them as reinforcements/REFORGER/reservists/National Guard type of troops brought over in a panic. Don't expect those poor guys would have had any Dragons left over to have by that time.

M113s not a problem you couldn't run through a bush without tripping over one of those in Germany.

Before I forget, comliments to Eureka for those MOPP troops.
Like I said, I decapitated them, put fritz helmets on and added a butt pack. They look really good. The M16A1s, 203s and M60s are really good and crisp. Figures come with some firing LAW rocket poses too.
I think there is even a Stinger figure.

I was with 3rd Armored Division in Germany from June 1981 until May 1985.

When I got there, we were wearing the standard OD uniforms and steel pot helmets.
It was in 1982 that BDUs started to make their appearance in the Division. There was a shortage of BDU uniforms for a while so they were hard to get. I think I got my first one in the latter half of 1982.

The Fritz helmet replaced the steel pot sometime in 1984 as I recall.

I was in a tank battalion, 2/33 Armor. We had M-60A3s during the time I was with the battalion in late 1982 to May 1985. As I was leaving to go back stateside, the battalion was going to Graf. for transition to M-1s.

Didn't realize that the M249 came in that early.

We got M249s about '84, when I was with an M113 Mech Bn of the 2ID.

M113s not a problem you couldn't run through a bush without tripping over one of those in Germany.

You can still find M113s still being used all over the world.