Product Reviews

Product Reviews

THE G.I. JOE M.O.P.P. MARINE

As good as 2001 looks to be for G.I.Joe, every so often a G.I.Joe comes along that really stands out from the growing crowd of 12" military figures produced by Hasbro. The M.O.P.P. Marine is one such. He received rave reviews on the Internet newsgroups devoted to G.I.Joe and other 12" military figures before I finally tracked one down at a local Wal-Mart a while back (he's fortunately become somewhat more available, especially at Targets), and he certainly lives up to the hype and praise he's been getting.

I can't really top the overall background information provided on the real-life counterparts of this figure to explain what a M.O.P.P. Marine is, and you really need to understand what a M.O.P.P. Marine is and does before you can appreciate the figure. So quoting from the package itself...

"As modern warfare enters into a new era, new and more powerful weapons of mass destruction pose an even greater threat to America's Marines. One of the greatest dangers on the battlefield of today is the presence of advanced chemical weapons and biological weapons. Such agents are extremely lethal, and must be detected quickly in order to make protective measures effective. Marines need to be able to don their protective gear with incredible swiftness, and their gear must not hinder their combat abilities too greatly. In response to these challenges, a system known as Mission Oriented Protective Posture (M.O.P.P.) has been established. This miraculous protective gear was used by U.S. forces during Operation Desert Storm to protect themselves in case of a chemical or biological weapons attack.

"Five separate M.O.P.P levels exist, and as the threat of chemical agents increases, more Chemical Protective Equipment (C.P.E.) is donned to provide a greater level of protection. At M.O.P.P. Level 0, no protective equipment is worn, but is readily available if an alarm should sound. At M.O.P.P. Level 1, Marines wear the B.D.O., or battledress overgarment, in addition to a butyl-coated nylon helmet cover. The overgarment consists of an outer cotton layer and an inner layer of charcoal-impregnated polyurethane foam. Its permeability traps chemical agents while still allowing some air to pass in and out, which reduces heat buildup. When M.O.P.P. Level 2 is reached, soldiers put on vinyl overboots over their combat footwear. At M.O.P.P. Level 3, Marines traditionally don the M40 Series Protective Mask, which features an updated design that is more comfortable and improves voice transmission. At M.O.P.P. Level 4 - the final level of protection, soldiers wear Chemical Protective Glove Sets, consisting of impermeable butyl rubber gloves and cotton inner gloves that absorb moisture. Outer gloves come in various thicknesses, depending on the type of combat duties a soldier must perform. Regardless of what M.O.P.P. level, each Marine is equipped with special chemical detection strips which are wrapped around the arms and legs. By changing color, these valuable detection strips can warn the M.O.P.P. Marine of the presence of chemical agents in the air. Marines under M.O.P.P. procedures face many difficulties besides the weapons used against them. Problems with communication, speech, hearing and vision increase with each level. Dehydration, stress, fatigue, claustrophobia and impaired judgment also become factors Marines must cope with in battle.

"In the Gulf War, the U.S. was very concerned that Iraq might use chemical weapons. During Iraqi SCUD missile attacks against coalition bases, U.S. forces donned chemical-protective clothing in response to various warnings or sirens. Throughout the ground combat phase, many Marine Corps forces at the front were at some increased M.O.P.P. Level. This G.I.Joe figure is equipped with what would be the equivalent of M.O.P.P. Level 4 protection. The green camo pattern of the B.D.O. is no mistake. During the onset of Desert Storm, the Marines were not prepared for a large-scale desert chemical threat. Hence, many soldiers were initially issued green camouflage B.D.O.'s as seen on this figure."

Certainly brave soldiers here. And Hasbro has done a superb job with this figure. The green camouflage B.D.O. feels heavily padded. It's not just the standard fabric of a G.I.Joe uniform. The gloves are molded hands, but although attached at the wrist to the lower arm, they extend upward like a glove. This is a construction method Hasbro has used on several 12" Star Wars figures who have gloves as part of their uniforms, such as the TIE Fighter Pilot. The specially sculpted boots are designed to show the vinyl overboots as part of their construction. The protective mask is made out of both fabric and plastic, and can be securely tied on around the neck. About the only fallacy in the figure is that it's not easy to get the helmet on over the protective mask.

The figure's uniform also includes three "detection bands", one on each arm and one on the left leg. Accessories include an M16 A2 Rifle, an ammo belt and harness, a canteen, several ammo pouches, a knife, and dog tags. Interestingly, I've seen a couple of head sculpts used on this figure, including the "carded" style head as well as the "World War II" style head. The box bears a gold metallic and red label reading "Desert Storm 10th Anniversary 2001". Nice touch.

Hasbro has done a really outstanding job with this figure. The camo pattern on the uniform is excellent, and the padded look and feel of it is truly superb. Accuracy is excellent, appearance is superb, and certainly the background of the trooper is informative and educational. Even some collectors who are normally more inclined towards 21st Century's Ultimate Soldier -- generally claiming it's a better made and more accurate product -- opinions open to dispute as far as I'm concerned -- have praise for this figure.

And if you're worried about how realistic it looks, it's worth noting that the picture you see accompanying this review fooled the photo developer where I had it processed. They thought it might be an actual guy in a uniform. THAT was a first, and they're certainly used to seeing me bring in pictures of toys! Of course, the fact that the face is obscured helped, I'm sure.
I don't know if the M.O.P.P. Marine will be the best G.I.Joe figure of 2001. The line-up this year is highly impressive-looking. But it's certainly one of the early contenders, and I give the G.I.Joe M.O.P.P. Marine my highest recommendation!