506th BCT, 101st Airborne, Afghanistan ~ 2009 mannequin display

The basement is slowly coming together and I'm finding more and more gear/uniforms so I put this trooper together.

A little description... 506th BCT SPC in Afghanistan from about 2009.  As this is late ACU, before intro of multicam in Afghanistan, this trooper was issued a set of test ACU combat pants.  Also the trooper wears a set of Vic3 headsets as if he just exited his MRAP.  A load bearing vest with ammo pouches/IFAK/ etc. is worn over an ACU IOTV.  He also wears a pair of Asolo mountain boots, a private purchase item as the issue boots were not up to his standard. (forgive me on the use of the PEQ2, at this time the trooper should have a PEQ15 on the field painted (airsoft) M4).

Let me know what you think...thanks!       

Kit includes IOTV with load bearing vest, Combat Shirt, Vic3 headset, ACU combat pants, Asolo Fugitive boots, Magpul Pmag, dump pouch...

Wow; hard to to that display. Very nice indeed! Sure looks complete to me.

Looks great!

Nice display!

Thanks for the comments guys, now I just need to finish the rest of the mancave...

WOW, nice display.A+

Very well done display!

Very nice display sir.

May I ask a question? You can many times see a water bottle sticking out from the leg cargo pocket on Afghanistan troop photos and like in your display here. What kind of water is it? Label?
A photo maybe?
Thanks

Regards
Martin

Martin thanks for the question, collecting water bottles was a little something I did on my deployment to Kandahar.  Being on a big base there was a lot of different water suppliers, so I got quite a few different bottles. Here are just some of the ones I brought back. It was a little funny trying to explain to the customs inspectors why I was sending home used water bottles.

Since most Soldiers don't carry canteens anymore it is easier to stick a water bottle somewhere in your gear.  Along with the water bottles I also attached a photo of pull tab Mountain Dew and Pepsi, and of course I added the all present AAFES Pogs.  



So from left to right...Nestle pure life, Kinley light blue cap, Kinley dark blue cap, Dibba, Emirites, and Al Ain water

Great collection of items that get overlooked. I was just saying to a friend I wish id bought back a couple of the Kinley or dibba bottles!

Plunket75, thank you very much for the info and the great photos. Again great display. OK if I save the water bottle photos for future ref?

Best regards
Martin

great display, quite the attention to detail was paid, down to the water bottle and all.. i see that quite a bit in recent videos of deployments to Afghan. light blue sticks out quite a bit against multicam

johnnyk yeah blue topped water bottles seem to be an ever present thing.  But as you say it's the little details that make the display.  Also how many of these "small details" will be around in 20 years?    

Here are acouple photos from www.army.mil from 2010 and 2013 showing Soldiers carrying the water bottles...


KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - 25 AUG 2010 U.S. Army Spc. Cory B. Petrosky of Grapevine, Texas, a radio operator with 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Bulldog, greets a youth outside the village of Shamir Kowt in eastern Afghanistan.



Photo Credit: Sgt. 1st Class Abram J Pinnington (101st Airborne)

KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan " Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Crabtree, the senior enlisted Soldier of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Rakkasans," 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), awards a coin of excellence to an Afghan National Army soldier for being named the honor graduate from two-week mortarmen course at the Fires Center of Excellence, Camp Parsa, Afghanistan, Jan. 3, 2013. The FCOE, a school developed and mentored by Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Rakkasans," 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), is designed to teach sustainable practices and methods that will allow the ANA to engage the enemy effectively with improved capabilities. Once they have completed the required training, the trainees must exhibit their abilities to successfully employ and utilize their weapon system with a live-fire demonstration. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Abram Pinnington, TF 3/101 Public Affairs)