Thursday, October 13, 2011

Soldier Story U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 PREVIEW

This will be another upcoming release by Soldier Story: it is supposed to be a 1/6 scale U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 personnel. As with all of Soldier Story's releases, their 12-inch figures come with a ton of stuff and all the stuff don't come on the figure. You have to be patient in putting all the items together to make the figure complete. It's pretty much how you would have to put on all the gear yourself as if you are the one going into battle, except everything is much smaller i.e. 1/6 scale and you should have fun doing it.


The problem I have with this figure is that they call it the U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 or EODMU-11 for short but he looks nothing like a guy about to dismantle a bomb. If you have watched the 2009 American war film "The Hurt Locker" about a three-man United States Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team during the Iraq War, you'll realize that bombsuits are part and parcel of the job! That's what they do, disarm IEDs (improvised explosive device) etc. So where is this guy's bombsuit?



By just slapping on an EOD patch on a SEAL (or Green Beret, Delta, Special Forces) figure and calling it EOD doesn't make him one, even if the the box says so? Take it out of the box and he's jsut another shooter. If he's a BOMB Disposal Expert, where's his gear to diffuse the BOMB! Or is he just going to shoot da bomb to defuse it?


Inspiration for this Soldier Story 1/6 scale U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 (EODMU-11) 12-inch figure must have come from pictures like these and I'm glad that they used actual pictures as a reference but I certainly would have preferred a bombsuit instead.


The Soldier Story 1/6 scale U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 11 will come with MICH 2002 helmet with side-cuts, NVG mount, M frame 2.0 glasses, SORDIN headset, Waterproof PTT, MBITR radio, M40A1 gas mask, C420 PAPR kit, Filter canister x 2, MS2000 strobe light, Combat super shears EMT sheers, Cable tie (white) x 2, Cable tie (black) x2, Carabiner, P226 rail pistol, P226 mag x 3+1 with X200 light, MK18 Mod0 rifle with LMT rear sight and 552 red dot sight, Grip, AN/PEQ-15, M3 tactical rail gun light, Dual button remote, M600 light, M4 mag x 8+1, Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Device, Multi-plier flik, CRKT's knife, Watch, MK141 Mod0 flashbang x 4, S-2 body, "M" gloves, Leg kit, CWU 27/P flight suit, CIRAS mar vest, Admin pouch, Pistol mag pouch, Pistol dual mag pouch, Triple M4 mag pouch, Single M4 mag pouch, Medic pouch, 100-round 7.62 pouch, Removable assaulter's panel, MBITR radio pouch, C420 PAPR kit panel, Duty belt, HABD sea survival air egress pouch, 1 pair of tactical flotation support system, Combat casualty response kit, 6004 holster, 1 pair knee pads, 26000 assault boots, G.I. rappelling gloves, Gun sling, Patches





Can't make out who the 1/6 head sculpt is supposed to be. Lots of 1/6 companies like to put a certain famous person's likeness on their headsculpts (usually resembling that of an actor). I'm seeing a bit of Ray Stevenson in the HS plus a possibly ugly version of Leonardo DiCaprio. He certainly looks like a grumpy fella.


I'm certainly digging the 1/6 scale M40A1 gas mask


with C420 PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) kit, Filter canister x 2 and C420 PAPR kit panel


The MK18 Mod0 rifle with LMT rear sight and 552 red dot sight, Grip, AN/PEQ-15, M3 tactical rail gun light, Dual button remote, M600 light is equally impressive!





Related posts i.e. other EOD 12-inch figures (including those that come with bombsuits):
August 9, 2009 – Conrad "Duke" Hauser in Soldier Story EOD outfit
People may knock Dragon Models Limited (DML) but they are the only ones so far that has ever released the bomb suit!
December 2, 2010 – Dragon EOD Squad Leader Sergeant First Class "William" REVIEW 1
December 4, 2010 – Suiting up Dragon EOD "William" with the SRS-5 REVIEW II
December 5, 2010 – Dragon EOD "William" in full bomb suit REVIEW III
February 10, 2011 – Dragon HK Police EOD Bureau "Jimmy" Figure with SRS-5 Suit REVIEW
February 11, 2011 – Dragon HK Police EOD Bureau "Simon" Figure with EOD Suit REVIEW

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7 comments:

  1. WL a.k.a Wee LoongOctober 13, 2011 at 8:38 AM

    Hi Alex,

    I was also puzzled by the lack of protection on this "EOD" guy.

    Did some digging and it turns out that their mission is defined as such:

    "On order, EODMU 11 deploys as CTG RASAR (Respond, Assess and Render Safe) to a Forward Operating Station (FOS) to establish and lead Counter-IED (CIED) organizations, by assuming Operational control (OPCON) of Coalition Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Mobile Diving and Salvage (EOD/MDS) forces."

    Source: http://eodmu-11.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/

    Yup they have an offical website. Turns out they do not actually do the disposal themselves. I guess B4 you actually commit valuable EOD resources these guys are suppose to assess the threat..

    Of cuz from the toy collector POV, we would have liked to see the standard of SS's bomb suit..

    Juz for sharing,
    cheers

    WL

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  2. alex teoOctober 13, 2011 at 9:39 AM

    thanks for sharing WL :) that certainly explains a whole lot CHEERS brother-in-arms

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  3. AnonymousOctober 15, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    Guys that is not what that mission statement means. That is just fancy military talk for all their various duties they actually do disposal themselves. As far as the bomb suit goes there are figures that have them however; EOD does not run around in the big green suit all the time. The figure is a decent/ok representation of a Navy Tech, and not too far off in the gear dept to pass for the other services as well. I also would not use the Hurt Locker as an EOD reference it is what Rambo is to Special Forces it is just entertainment and kind of cheesy. Hope that helps explain the figures appearance though...

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  4. alex teoOctober 15, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    Thanks for that :) but as collectors, we just want a decent EOD bombsuit. There are already a lot of the other services running around with the same type of gear.

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  5. AnonymousOctober 17, 2011 at 9:50 AM

    I know what you mean I have been looking for one as well. I saw a couple figures on your page and it takes two to even get close. The helmet is basically spot on, and the visor perfect, on the Dragon HK Police EOD Bureau "Simon" Figure. It's just not green. As for the suit the HK "Jimmy" guy is closest but his helmet is off. If you could get a green version of the HK simon helmet and visor to use with the other suit that would be a decent 1:6 replica of a EOD bombsuit.

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  6. alex teoOctober 17, 2011 at 10:43 AM

    That's why I was hoping Soldier Story would produce a decent and complete bombsuit. They did such a great job with 160 SOAR and other military figures, including the USMC Marines :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. JamesClarkJanuary 24, 2016 at 12:25 PM

    This is a very good representation of Navy EOD. Ninety-nine percent of the time operators do not wear the bomb suit. For one it weighs 90 pounds and two it requires forced air to breath. The suit is only put on after all other options have been attempted. I.e. The packbot. This is of a photo of my roommate when we were deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. He is a EOD Master Technician Chief Petty Officer with EODMU 2. We were assigned to CJTF Paladin. https://flic.kr/p/fxnGeP

    ReplyDelete