I thought that since there was a post about Cold War Soviet Infantry (and other) figures that there should also be one about figures of the US soldiers who served in Europe on the OTHER side of the Iron Curtain for all those years. And I’m NOT talking about tank crews, I’m talking about just regular dismounted soldiers.
Here are the NON-Vietnam war sets I’m aware of:
That’s really not much, Tom 
Here’s the one that usually comes to mind
H.P.
One of the sets I think is very useful is the Tamiya U.S. Infantry Scout set (35379).
With changes to boots and weapons (M14s), they can be 1950’s troopers wearing field jackets.
If you change the web gear (h-style) and helmets (camo covers) as well, they are 1960s troops wearing field jackets.
Changing weapons to M16A1s and doing the above, and they can be 1970-80s troopers.
The same can be done for generic troops in ponchos using the MiniArt U.S. Soldiers Rainwear set (35245). The three wearing ponchos can become any era US soldier by changing boots, helmets, and weapons. The two in the rain jackets (at least the closed one) could too, but I am not sure how long the jackets were used.
Disregard. The M1938 Dismounted Raincoat was discontinued in 1945 at the end of WWII.
The old Tamiya U.S. 107mm Mortar & Crew set (35119) is useful for conversion as well.
The one figure in the wet weather top from MiniArt’s Middle East Tank Crew 1960-70s could also be a US soldier as well, especially if you change his headgear for earlier periods. I guess the rest could have changed heads and be soldiers in G-107 fatigues as well, doing various things.
In ICM’s US Helicopter Pilots (1960s-1970s) set (35101) the two in flight suits could be from any era with a change to headgear as well.
The standing MP in Tamiya’s U.S. Military Police Set (35084) can be any era just by painting him in the '70-2010 darker green green pickle suit.
I have three of the above mentioned mortar crews, thinking they’d be useful. They’re really not. They’re anemic, especially the one wearing the flak vest. Those vests were bulky, not a form fitting garment. What was disappointing for me was the fact that the flak vest wearer, had I chosen to use him, had no LCE. Fixable, but the figure wasn’t worth the effort.
And of course if you’re as talented as BootsDM you can make nice Cold War figures out of just about anything. I myself am not that talented, but I can do some passable ones that are slightly past your 1980 timeline from modern figures.
A couple other non-US intended sets.
The Black Dog British Royal Marine and Argentine Soldier Falklands set (F35087) can be used by just sanding off the leg pockets and you have US soldiers in winter gear.
The Tamiya British Stretcher Party set (35106) can also be used with different heads/hats/helmets and add some US ammo poches and gear for US soldiers in field jackets.
I have that set as well. As I said above, anything is usable given the right skill set. These figures have a few problems.
Yes, every figure set I listed will need some level of modification to become US Cold War figures. Some require more than others.
Tamiya’s set with four 1980s infantry is still pretty good, IMHO, if you want figures in action poses.
Also the expanded Gulf War set, which is this with two extra figures.
If you replace the helmets by M1s with camouflage covers, they’ll also work for late 1970s.
ISTR during the transition to BDUs, the Jungle Uniform was still being issued (or approved) as a hot weather uniform, since there was a lag before a HWBDU uniform was approved…
However, I agree that the paucity of ‘60s - ‘70s era is an underserved market. It’s one of my favorites, especially because I grew up with this “look” as my dad was in the Army.
Damon.
Tamiya’s set with four 1980s infantry…If you replace the helmets by M1s with camouflage covers, they’ll also work for late 1970s.
Not really. These figures are post-1983 as they are wearing BDUs. Prior to that, OG-107 uniforms were worn from the '50s until BDUs replaced them. The jungle fatigues were worn in Vietnam and by a few stateside units until the '80s, but most units wore the OG-107s for field and garrison wear. The issue is a lack of figures in OG-107s.
Even Elvis wore the OG-107.
I have to ask. Have you guys used these sets or are you just trying to be helpful by doing internet searches? I have had several of these sets as well over the years. They’re good for equipment. That’s about it.
And 1/35 flashlights 
I have to ask. Have you guys used these sets…
I have; I don’t know about the others though. I agree the best parts of the Tamiya U.S. Modern Army Infantry set are the weapons and gear. The figures are still usable though. Not all soldiers are 6’4" 220. I had plenty of young soldiers who the figures represent well; 18-year-old kids at 150 lbs.
Oh, yeah, I forgot those only came in in the 1980s. Off the top of my head I thought they were in use in the late ’70s as well.
They’re a bit on the small side, sure, but that’s par for the course with Tamiya. The sculpting is quite good, IMHO, certainly for their age and better (sharper) than Dragon’s sets of ten years later, which were the main other source for American figures of this era.
No, they were first fielded in fall of 1983. The first unit to get them was 82d ABN who wore them during Operation Urgent Fury, Grenada, Oct '83.
You may be thinking of ERDL. In spite of what’s been said here in the past, it was used well into the 80’s. The woodland pattern found on the newer BDU was essentially the ERDL pattern scaled up 60%. While there were significant changes in the uniforms themselves, many were not readily apparent, and those that were can be easily changed. You can take most modern era (post 1982) figures and backdate with a little effort. I do it fairly regularly, and my feeling is that BootsDM does as well. Sometimes it’s simple things like changing pockets, which honestly, most people wouldn’t even notice, even if like myself, they actually wore them. I cannot tell you all the details about the slant pocket jungles I used to wear, but I’d certainly look them up if I were modeling them, much like most people do who never even saw them. Thank God for the interweb.
Oops. Just saw that. Where’s that nugget coming from? They were already being issued in May of '82, and were pretty much fully integrated by '83. It was the standard uniform on Fort Devens when I got to 10th Group. The post commander hated that we still wore whatever we liked. In fact, that last time I ever saw the pickle suit in person (regardless of its actual wear date) was in Airborne School in August of '82.
I guess the interweb isn’t always our friend after all.
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When I went to basic at Ft. Leanord Wood in August of 83, we were issued BDU’s and one solid green field jacket. When I got to Ft. Bliss not long after, there was a mix of BDU’s, pickle suits and for the 3d ACR, Vietnam style all green jungle fatigues with the slanted pockets. We had those until I left in 1988, no idea when they lost them for good
I didn’t know the 82nd had a detachment there.
'82 or '83, the point was that they were not around in the late '70s. I guess 82d was the first unit to be wear them in combat.
Wear-out date for all the OG-107 uniforms was '89.
Actually, Jakko was correct on this. although I didn’t feel it necessary to pile on. The BDU’s were first trialed in the mid 70’s, and issued to test unit in the late 70’s. They began to be issued Army wide in '81. Of course I was not in then, which is why I stated they were being issued in May of '82, which was not an incorrect statement. Even though they were being tested does not invalidate their use. We tested first generation Gore-Tex by wearing it everywhere, including to Denmark in '84. Fielded is fielded, whether or not it’s in the test phase.
And as Mr. Johnson has noted, because they were new, we were issued OD field jackets as well.
Not quite true either. Maybe that people were aware of. However, 10th Group wore them to Lebanon in May of '83, and indeed saw combat operations. I missed going by a week as my classmates and I had just graduated and arrived while they were in isolation.
