Good day guys, I'm planning to build my second Abrams. Before I built the M1A2. Now, I'm planning to build the M1A2 SEP. My only question is, what year did the M1A2 SEP entered service? And what campaign as well? Is it safe to say that the M1A2 SEP participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom (20 March 2003 – 18 December 2011)? Thanks guys!

Isaac,

According to the M1A1/A2 page of the The Armor Site, the first batch og M1A2 SEPs were ordered in 2001 for deilvery in 2004. You should read that entire page.

Also you may want to look at the FAS M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank page
for additional info.

And of course, you cam look General Dynamics Land Systems Abrams Family page.

I know that the M1A2s of the 4ID were supposed to invaded via Turkey for OIF, but were denied access. They deployed later via Kuwait, and M1A2 SEPs were in later rotations, too. But I'm 50 now and the memory banks are not as reliable. I also keep contracting mild cases of CRS, so I may be mistaken.

IHTH

I see. Thanks a lot for the reference. I'd better check 'em now.

My unit assisted some M1A2's of the 1st Cavalry Division in early 2004 in Baghdad. There are pictures of them on www.primeportal.net

Yes, in April of '04, the 1st Cavalry Division was the frist uint to deply M1A2 SEPs to Iraq. They rotated in and out as units did from then until about 2009 when most tanks were pulled out of Iraq in favor of MRAPs to patrol the cities and towns.

Great! Thanks for the info guys! I want my second Abrams build to be accurate specially on the era it entered service. I still need to do some research on what markings did the M1A2 SEP's used during the timeline of 2004. I know Dragon kit provides a guide for the markings or decals but I'm still skeptical about it and want to research more. If it's not too much, any help will do. Do M1A2 SEP's bear the chevron markings? Do they carry it on the combat identification panels? Numbers they bear and other special markings if any. Thanks!

The Dragon markings are from the frist batch of 1 CAV M1A2 SEPs that deployed in '04 and are accurate. By that time, the CIPs were no longer used since there was not an issue identifying them at night.

Nice! But unfortunately, the Dragon M1A2 SEP that I was planning to buy was already bought by another customer. I guess this project may need to wait for a while...