Thursday, December 15, 2011

Incoming: ToysCity 1/6 US Navy Corpsman - Joint Operations

A US Navy Hospital Corpsman (HM) is an enlisted medical specialist for the United States Navy who serves with Navy and United States Marine Corps units. The Hospital Corpsman works in a wide variety of capacities and locations, including shore establishments such as naval hospitals and clinics, aboard ships, and as well as the primary medical caregivers for sailors while underway. Hospital Corpsmen are frequently the only medical care-giver available in many fleet or Marine units on extended deployment. [source: wiki]


Qualified hospital corpsmen may be assigned the responsibility of independent duty aboard ships and submarines; Fleet Marine Force, SEAL and Seabee units, and at isolated duty stations where no medical officer is available. The colloquial form of address for a Hospital Corpsman is "Doc." In the U.S. Marine Corps, this term is generally used as a sign of respect.




This is a soon-to-be-released ToysCity 1/6 scale US Navy Corpsman - Joint Operations 12-inch military figure and it will come with Real-like Head Sculpt, T 2.0 Body, Olive Drab CWU-27P Flight Suit, Woodland FSBE (Full Spectrum Battle Equipment) Amphibious Assault Vest, Woodland FSBE Single M4 Mag Pouch x4, Woodland FSBE PRC-148 Radio Pouch, Woodland FSBE Medic Pouch, Woodland FSBE Utility Pouch (Medium Size), Woodland FSBE Single Smoke Grenade Pouch x2, Woodland FSBE Single Pistol Mag Pouch x2, Black Utility Pistol Holster, Black Duty Belt, Tan Modular Assault Pack, Woodland FSBE Leg Drop, M4A1 Assault Rifle, M4 Magazine x4, Tactical Light, Black 3-point Tactical Sling, M9 Pistol, Pistol Magazine x3, OD Zipped Magazine Dump Pouch, OD MICH2000 Helmet, NVG Shroud, OD Balaclava, X500 Goggles, Acadia Combat Boots, CQC Tactical Gloves, HABD (Helicopter Aircrew Breath Device), Woodland FSBE HABD Carrier, SPIE Rescue Harness, Custom LPU Life Preserver, LITE II Headset& TEA PTT, PRC-148 Radio, MS2000 Strobe Light, M-18 Smoke Grenade x2, D-ring x2, Tactical Medic Scissors, Patches, OD Military Tape


This ToysCity 1/6 scale US Navy Corpsman - Joint Operations 12-inch military figure looks seemingly complete as a USMC Force Recon or VBSS Marine BUT for a Corpsman, it is left wanting as he doesn't seem to be equipped with any medical gear at all e.g. NO folding stretcher, med pack, IVs etc. A Corpsman is a medial provider and this 12-inch ToysCity Corpsman has NO 1/6 scale MEDICAL GEAR at all!


The forums are full of criticisms of this Corpsman figure because there is nothing that would make this figure a corpsman. Perhaps a standout as a 1/6 scale USMC Force Recon or VBSS Marine 12-inch figure but EPIC FAIL as a Navy Corpsman :(


Corpsman means "Doc" and "Doc" implies a medical personnel but there is nothing medical about this figure. The trama shears are simply for opening MREs by marines, not enough to qualify this figure as a Corpsman.


Perhaps ToysCity thought that by adding the 1/6 scale headsculpt of Hugh Laurie as Dr Gregory House, seen in the medical drama TV series HOUSE, would make this a "Doc" figure!


The green flight suit also means that this figure is not a modern era warrior but one from the past because the US Navy has not used them for quite some time. Its been more than 10 years since they were issued. Tan flight suits have been in place for a while now.


orpsman doing VBSS might carry a small LBT Medical Buttpack due to the confined spaces and they also had some of web gear packed full of Gauze, IV Therapy Items etc. Backpacks could also be converted into medpacks but there is absolutely nothing that says corpsman about this figure. You could always pick out a Corpsman because they carry an additional pack when no one else does but this supposedly Corpsman 12-inch figure has nothing on him that says "Doc"!


Get this if you like to have a retro 1/6 scale VBSS marine / Force Recon 12-inch figure because that's more or less what this ToysCity figure is BUT it is not a Navy Corpsman, not even by a long shot!


For a look at another VBSS Marine figure dressed in green flight suit, check out my earlier post HERE of the Hot Toys USMC 26th MEU–SOC Marine




2 comments:

Q said...

Nice summary of what a Navy Corpsman is; my knowledge of modern military and especially US Navy infantry is not fab so that's useful to introduce this particular fella. So he would be what the usual outsiders call him the "medic" right?

But then it's pretty ironic that he is labelled a medic with no medical equipments on him. The title of the figure seems a bit misleading unfortunately. Otherwise apart from the lack of medical equipment it looks okay as an ordinary Naval infantry there.

Anonymous said...

What other companies would toys city quality match up to?