The Green Army Men were Andy's 200 miniature green plastic soldiers, led by Sarge in the Toy Story. They are set in particular positions and stuck to bases (however, this does not slow them down) and are stored in a bucket labeled Bucket O' Soldiers. The soldiers are quite disciplined with a "leave-no-man-behind" policy and are masters of reconnaissance. Woody describes them as "professionals".
In Toy Story, the Green Army Men are sent on a mission to spy on Andy's birthday presents so that the other toys can be prepared for any new arrivals. At the beginning of the film, the soldiers, by Sarge's Recon Plan Charlie, venture out of Andy's room and hide in an indoor plant to report Andy's birthday presents to the toys in Andy's room. They, at least for this mission, use baby monitors as communication devices for Woody and the toys to analyze anything related to toys. At one point, they are knocked away by Mrs. Davis after she accidentally steps on one of them. However, all are unharmed, except for the soldier that had been stepped on; he is helped by Sarge who tells him "[a] good soldier never leaves a man behind" to an indoor plant that the soldiers are hiding in, where he is fixed up by a medic (the soldier with a green medical cross on his helmet).
After Woody knocks Buzz out the window, the Green Army Men, under Sarge's orders, jump up on Woody's body and "frag" him. They are not shown again, until the end of the film when they hide in a Christmas tree to report to the toys what Andy and Molly are getting for their Christmas presents.
In Toy Story 2, the Green Army Men’s role is very minor. First, the soldiers dig and sort through the toy chest to find Woody's hat. When the toys hear Andy's dog Buster approaching the room, the soldiers, under Sarge's orders, hold back the door (with help from Rocky Gibraltar). Buster bursts into the room, scattering the soldiers in all directions.
In Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins, three of the men, along with Sarge, hold the copy of the movie and then watch it with the other toys.
In Toy Story 3, the Green Army Men are seen during old home videos and a photo with Andy playing with them like he normally did. Now, only three are left, Sarge and the two paratroopers. They try to help the rest of Andy's remaining toys get played with in Operation Playtime by taking a phone into Andy's toy box so Andy will have to face his old toys again. After this fails, the Green Army Men realize that Andy has finally grown up, and since he's cleaning up his room before going to college, they parachute out the window. This scares Andy's toys, even more, bringing up the possibility of being thrown out. After the toys have a final "staff meeting", one of the paratroopers reveals that the other Green Army Men have been thrown away over the years.
A Bucket O' Soldiers tub can be seen at Sunnyside Daycare as Lotso and Ken show the other toys around. It is unknown if any of the soldiers from this tub are present at Sunnyside, but if so, it is possible they are reunited.
In the end of the movie, Sarge and the two paratroopers finally land in a playground at Sunnyside Daycare, where they are greeted by Barbie and Ken, now leaders of Sunnyside, who invite them to join the party. It is likely that the three remaining Green Army Men have settled in the daycare under Barbie and Ken's leadership. That night, they stand on the ceiling lights in the Butterfly Room from which they lower a disco ball for Bookworm to illuminate with his flashlight so the Sunnyside toys can enjoy a disco party that is held in the room.
According to the Toy Story 2 DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, some of Sarge's fellow soldiers' names are "Private Benjamin", a reference to a comedy with the same name, "Captain Shields", "Mr. Plastic Explosives", Private F.C. "Mojo", "Corporal Thomas" who was lost in the unfortunate "Lawnmower incident", "Thorpe", "Gordon" the paratrooper, and "Private Jensen".
In Toy Story 3, another (or possibly Andy's) Bucket O' Soldiers is seen in the Butterfly Room of Sunnyside Daycare.
In the movie, it's been said that the Bucket O' Soldiers has 200 troops (including two paratroopers). However, all of the real-life replicas only contain 72 troops (also includes two paratroopers).
They appear in Toy Story 3: The Video Game, with the player playing as them while flying in their parachutes and landing on special areas.
Pixar stated that they strapped wooden planks to their feet to see how to best animate the army's walking sequence.
Since Sarge and the two paratroopers were the only troops left in Toy Story 3, that would mean the other 197 soldiers were either thrown away or sold along with the bucket.
Some of the soldiers appear to be equipped with M16A1s with a bayonet.
Hasbro denied Pixar the use of the name G.I. Joe when it was informed that a G.I. Joe doll was going to be blown up by Sid. Pixar used a generic Army Men action figure (Combat Carl) instead.
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