Delta Force Sniper - One-Sixth Scale

1993 Mogadishu, Somalia: The United States has sent the premiere covert special missions operators known as Delta Force into the region to stabilize the country which plunged into civil war as opposing warlords battle for power. These warring factions are starving and killing civilians by intercepting food and medical supplies from the UN. Mohamed Farrah Aidid is among the most powerful and ruthless of the warlords and was the target of Operation Gothic Serpent.

The battle which ensued on October 3rd and 4th is among the more publicized operations of Delta Force as was chronicled in the movie Black Hawk Down. This figure is made from the D-Boy Sniper Set from Toy Soldier. In my opinion this is one of their finest releases. I made a few modifications to the set, most notably swapping the rifle for a custom M-14.

Delta Force Delta Force Sniper Delta Force Sniper
Delta Force Sniper

There are a few photos from this mission however this figure is more representative of what is seen in the film which did a relatively good job with matching the actual gear available.

Sniper Delta Force
The body armor even included plastic plates. The look of this set was one of the best in it's day and has held up very well over time.

The rifle is a convered BBI DMR which was turned into the more common camouflaged m-14. It has some of the best detail around thanks to crisp molding of details like the muzzle brake.

Delta Force Sniper Delta Force Sniper

For further reading about the battle of Mogadishu I recommend reading the books: Black Hawk Down, A Story of Modern War by Mark Bowden, In the Company of Heroes by Michael Durant, a 160th SOAR helicopter pilot who was held as a captive after the battle, and The Battle of Mogadishu by Army Ranger Matthew Eversmann, whose book recalls different accounts and perspectives of the battle. Another great read is Inside Delta Force by Eric Haney which chronicles the formation and early days of America's most elite covert operations unit.

The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.
—Douglas MacArthur