1:35 PMC in Iraq 2005 Fire Movement Team

1:35 PMC in Iraq 2005 Fire Movement Team – Trumpeter

A figure set in 1:35 scale with a present-day theme: the abbreviation PMC stands for a private military and security company, and the name of the item places it in Iraq in 2005. It is not a model of a vehicle but an accessory for dioramas and vignettes of present-day conflicts. The same manufacturer has also released a second set with the same setting, so a scene can be extended without mixing different styles of figures.

The real subject

Private security teams in Iraq in the middle of the first decade of the century mainly provided convoy escort and close protection. At first glance their mixed appearance set them apart from the regular army: civilian pants and T-shirts, load-bearing vests with a ballistic insert over them, a peaked or baseball cap instead of a helmet, glasses and headsets. The armament was based on the ordinary carbines and pistols of the day. The term fire and movement refers to the basic drill in which part of a group moves while the other covers – and the dynamics of the poses in sets like this follow from it.

Tips for painting and placing in the scene

With present-day figures the difference in materials is the most interesting part: the matte textile of the load-bearing vest, the glossier glasses, the metal of the weapon and the light skin of the face. It therefore pays to paint in layers and to even the surface out at the end with a matte clear coat so that the sheen does not distract. Place the figures so that a relationship arises between them – one pointing out a direction, another watching the opposite side. A dusty base and an armored civilian car or a cross-country vehicle suit the scene.

Who the set is for

• Modelers interested in present-day conflicts and post-2000 equipment
• Authors of dioramas with convoys and urban scenes in 1:35 scale
• Those who want to add a crew and an escort to a present-day vehicle
• Figure painters who enjoy modern gear and a mixed civilian look