Mogadishu's fight was three-dimensional. Somali militia fought from rooftops and upper stories of the low buildings that lined the streets — the highest ground in a flat, narrow-alleyed city. Fire came down on Rangers from above at angles they had to look almost straight up to engage. Rifling a shot at forty-five degrees was uncomfortable — muzzle unstable, arms exposed, body arched back, iron sights not designed for high-angle shooting. But the alternative was letting the rooftop gunner have another burst without answer. Rangers spent much of October 3 and 4, 1993, firing upward at silhouettes that appeared, took a shot, and disappeared back behind the parapet.

The figure catches a Ranger with M16A2 raised nearly to vertical, elbow tucked in tight for stability, torso arched back to align the sights, mouth set. Three-color desert combat uniform, tactical vest with magazine pouches and radio, Kevlar helmet with cover and ballistic goggles on the helmet, American flag patch on the shoulder. Pair the figure with Ranger Covering the Rear as the man behind him watching the opposite arc, with the Ranger Fire Team as the four-man element engaging multiple threats at once, or with the Rangers M249 SAW Team laying suppressing fire on the rooftop.

King & Country model BHD005. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single foot figure firing upwards with M16A2 rifle, on sculpted groundwork base. Boxed.