Introduction:

US Special Forces units were the first Coalition military units that went into Afghanistan after the 11 September 2001 attacks. These units operated in secret, often behind enemy lines with little direct support or supervision: calling in airstrikes, conducting reconnaissance, and when necessary engaging Taliban insurgents. During the process US Special Forces operatives kept a low profile, wearing beards and growing their hair longer to better blend in with the local population.

Evolution Miniatures recently released four figures which capture the look of US Special Forces of that time perfectly, showing them in action. US Special Forces Operators in Fight, Afghanistan 2001-2003 figures have been released individually and this review covers the fourth and last figure in the series (EM-35090).

Review:

The kit is packed in a well-designed hard cardboard box which features painted box art picture and lists the sculptor (Sergey Traviansky) and the painter (also Sergey Traviansky). Inside the box, two zip-lock bags contain 8 resin figure pieces:

- full body with legs and head,
- left arm,
- right arm,
- weapon and weapon accessories (2x),
- equipment pieces (2x),
- secondary weapon.

The kit parts are molded in grey resin and the cast is absolutely flawless: there are no air-bubbles, seam lines or flash residue. The main body part broke off in transport, however it was a clean break and an easy fix using superglue. Casting blocks are big but well placed, allowing part removal without damaging the detail and, even more importantly, ensuring the fit of the pieces is not compromised after cleaning them. The parts fit perfectly and minimal putty work is required during figure assembly.

The figure represents US Special Forces operative in Afghanistan, in a well balanced action posture, turning slightly to shout commands to his team members. The figure wears a T-shirt and Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) trousers cut at knee length. Over his SPEAR/BALCS armor carrier, the figure is sporting Chicom Chest Rig which can accommodate 6 M4 magazines and 4 hand grenades. Additional equipment on SPEAR/BALCS includes hydration pack on the back, while the AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) pouch is provided separately in the kit. The MBITR pouch should be fixed to the heavy duty belt since all of the PALS loops of the body armor have been covered by other equipment and shemagh scarf wrapped around the figure’s neck. The holster is also provided separately in the kit and should be attached to the drop leg platform on the figure's right thigh.

The figure is equipped with a M24 Sniper Weapon System fitted with Leupold Mk4 LR/T scope (the tiny scope cover is provided as a separate piece in the kit). Both hands in Nomex flight gloves are cast with the sniper rifle, ensuring a tight grip. The secondary weapon included in this kit is M4A1 SOPMOD featuring M203 grenade launcher, ACOG sight, AN/PEQ illuminator/laser device and Guarder M203 Flip-Up Leaf Sight. The weapon could be slung around the figure’s shoulder with the rifle sling modeled using some lead foil.

The sculptor did a great job on this figure: the aggressive posture is really well executed with all the details on the uniform and equipment beautifully delivered in scale. Some particular fine-points that I would emphasize in this review are definitely facial features (long beard and bald head), shemagh scarf with decorative tassels realistically draped around the figure’s neck, peculiar shortened BDU trousers and muscular body composition. Well done, Sergey!

Conclusion:

This is the fourth and final figure in “US Special Forces in Afghanistan” theme from Evolution Miniatures. Sculpted to perfection with numerous fin-points all around, superbly delivered in resin and easy to assemble, this figure is another masterpiece from Evolution and definitely a must for all Special Forces figures fans.

After reviewing all the figures in the series, I have to say each of the four figures depict the look of Special Forces operatives perfectly: beards and long hair, baseball caps, shemagh scarves, muscular anatomy and mishmash of equipment. Each figure has its unique features, but they definitely work really well as a team and could make a very interesting “in action” Special Forces in Afghanistan vignette.

References:

The US Navy SEALs (Grange Books), David Jordan
Special Forces (Salamander Books), David Miller
Battle Rattle (Zennith Press), Hans Halberstadt
Special Forces in Afghanistan (Historie&Collections), Eric Micheletti
Special Forces in Iraq (Historie&Collections), Eric Micheletti
SF in Afghanistan pictures