Modern US Military costuming?

Greetings,

I'm a film student, and for my next project there is a quick scene in the mountains of Afghanistan in 2010 involving a solitary United States army troop standing watch on a cliff on a cold, lonely night.

Sorry if this is a newbie question, but I know very little about the military...what would such a soldier be wearing? He'll probably only be visible from the waist up. I have no sewing ability, but I do have friends who can sew. Would it be cheaper to get the outfit made, or to buy it at a surplus store? What all would I need?

Thanks!

 

Surplus would definately be the way to go. Always cheaper&faster to buy than to make from scratch (well almost). Plus, someone at the surplus store will know exactly what you need (or what to substitue). Mind you, you probablly don't want to buy all the actual gear.

Or better yet, get a recently released soldier for the part. Heck, get one about to rotate in/out. Chances are that they'd have all the gear. Or at least be able to tell you what you need/or are missing.

 

Google Images is your friend.

They wear different colored camo, depending on the terrain they are in.

[image=http://www.debateitout.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/us-soldiers-afghanistan.jpg]

[image=http://sheikyermami.com/wp-content/uploads/us_afghanistan_1480489c.jpg]

[image=http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/00679/us-soldiers-404_679058c.jpg]

[image=http://www.haylur.net/hl/images/2008/12/hlafghanistanusafpgi.jpg]

[image=http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/homepagephoto/2009-03/hires_090325-A-4576B-167%5B1%5D.jpg]

 

A couple of things you should keep in mind, when searching for images, remember that the Army, MArines and Air force now have Different uniforms in the field. So just searching Military will yeild different results.

 

I would recommend using Military.com's Frontline photos and the Army's media page for photos of the gear in action.

Also note, the Army recently made a change to Multicam, from the standard ACU camo for Afghanistan operations. Not all units have it yet, but it is an option.

For weapons, I would recommend airsoft. They are far cheaper than buying a real AR-15, and won't get you in as much trouble for the photoshoot. BTW, speaking from personal experience... I highly recommend you call the local non-emergency police number, and talk to dispatch. Let them know that you will be filming/photographing and that you will have prop replica weapons. It might save you from having to look at the business end of real firearms. I've had the cops show on me 3 different times when doing photo work in public or doing stuff with costumes. Once was with weapons drawn... and it got tense for a few seconds. And I was wearing Boba Fett armor at the time. LOL

For other gear, surplus stores are great. Other choices are www.rangerjoe.com, www.uscav.com and www.sportsmansguide.com. I like www.sportsmansguide.com because they have a lot fo surplus gear for cheap. The other two are for modern high speed gear.

Good luck!