The Hurt Locker...it makes me hurt

[Purplehood]

AustinRealtor this is per your request...

In another thread I mentioned that the move "The Hurt Locker" was highly entertaining if you were able to detach yourself from reality. I mentioned that it had a lot of action, but in a nutshell demonstrated a tendency to violate one of the biggest issues addressing anyone that got to go over to Iraq or Afghanistan and enjoy their hospitality: Security.

AustinRealtor asked me to go into detail. I will start the ball rolling, and anyone else that has been over there and ever had to roll outside the wire on a regular-basis (or even those that encountered bad stuff in the wire) are cordially invited to contribute.

Annoying issue #1: When something blows up, you don't get out and start looking at the mess.
Reality: It is pounded into your head over and over, when things go south in any way, shape or form, you either continue to move or you immediately stop and form a security perimeter.
Some of the training videos that we as Soldiers were shown before and during our tours was that of a bunch of jihadists filming a convoy that was hit by an IED. These guys were filming the Soldiers running around like chickens with their heads-cut-off, pointing at things, looking for more bombs and generally milling-around. A couple of snipers or grenades would have made an even more effective attack than the original bomb in the road.
Finding: Security is paramount (awareness).

Annoying issue #2: When the locals move away suddenly and quietly, they have a really good reason for doing it.
Reality: The people in Afghanistan love to hang around. They have no concept of personal space, and that includes your pockets, pouches, backpacks and ammo bags. I always kept my M9 on a lanyard for that reason, and my M4 on a combat sling around my torso. It is hard to scare them by yelling at them to get away. They simply won't do it.
If they suddenly move, they know something is going to happen. So start looking around.
Finding: Security is paramount (awareness).

Annoying issue #3: When outside the wire you do not drive around in a lone vehicle. I couldn't believe it when I saw these guys in the movie driving around in their HUMVEE with no accompanying vehicles. They drove around empty desert. They drove around cities. They drove up to bomb-scenes. They drove up to unfamiliar neighborhoods. If their vehicle had broke down and comms went bad, they would have been in bad shape.
Reality: I don't know what happened in Iraq or outside Paktika province in Afghanistan. But you don't operate alone. You have security with you (minimum of 5 vehicles) and you always carry extra-ammo, food and water for that unexpected overnight trip that you didn't put on the itinerary. You always have a backup on hand.
Finding: Travel with buddies. Always.

Annoying issue #4: I was never sure if Bomb-disposal guys and Sappers cross-trained, and I operated with both. But I do know that I never came across Bomb-disposal guys (2 of them in this flick) that were Sniper qualified. But then again, they obviously weren't because they ignored a cardinal-rule when sniping. Move after you fire! These guys traded shots for what seemed like hours with some clowns in a pseudo-bunker. This all after they miraculously came across a band of "operators" in the desert that got wasted by the jihadist-snipers. (I don't recall how many vehicles these guys had either).
Reality: I already mentioned, you move after you fire. But I couldn't figure out how these guys were supposed to know how to handle a Barrett .50 (it is what it looked like to me) but didn't wear Sniper tabs.

This is all I have to contribute for now. I would have to rewatch the movie to come up with more, and I am sure that my Son and his Mother do not want me arm-chair Quarterbacking it again like I did in the theater.
I look forward to additional reality checks you folks may have noted in the movie.

[The Annoyed Man]

I have no military experience, so I cannot contribute from personal experience. However, as reported by Michael Yon, a highly respected (and apolitical) reporter who covered several years of Iraq & Afghanistan, soldiers in theater who saw the movie were insulted by the portrayals of the two main characters, as they (the characters) were highly unprofessional in their behavior.

I've learned that, when Michael Yon speaks, I listen.

[3dfxMM]

EOD and Sappers are not eligible to attend sniper school. Only Infantry, Cavalry Scouts, and Special Forces are authorized to attend. Also, there is no official sniper tab. There are only four tabs authorized, President's 100, Special Forces, Ranger, and Sapper. Soldiers can only wear three, which isn't a problem for very many Soldiers. Getting all four would be rare.

The Barrett isn't only used by guys who have graduated sniper school. My son was the designated Barrett guy on his team in Iraq.

[A-R]

Purplehood,

Thanks for doing this. I need to watch the movie again keeping all these things in mind. Seems maybe the director didn't do as much homework as the studio claims she did - or she just left out these important points to move the story along.

Again, many thanks for educating the rest of us on such things. And as always a great thanks for your service.





- AR

[gigag04]

I thought the movie was lame.

[Oldgringo]

At one point I asked Mrs. Oldgringo if the "Bomb-disposal guy" didn't remind her of RoboCop? C'mon, justa little bit?

I want to see AVATAR again. Now, that was GREAT cinematography.

[TexDotCom]

I have to add that, even though I spent the majority of my time in southern "camps" in Kuwait, I never saw troops getting totally liqoured up and playing the I-can-punch-you-in-the-gut-harder game. As Purplehood mentioned, my training was safety first, Stay Alert/Stay Alive, and buddy system for everything. I was a "shooter" for other sections besides my own when they were low on manpower and needed to go places. We definitely never rolled solitary like in that film. It's been nearly five years since I left the sandbox, but my memory is still pretty darn good about what did and didn't happen.

[Texas Dan Mosby]

I watched this flick up to where they link up with the dudes in civilian clothing and have there little stand off, than turned it off as I could watch no more.

Absolutely ridiculous...

My time in service has pretty much ruined any hopes of ever again enjoying military related films, as the film makers rarely even get close to achieving any type of realism, and end up turning out films that are more irritating and insulting than anything else...

The sad thing about these flicks is that there are indeed MANY people who actually think this crap is realistic, and will try to make and argue points about the military based on things they have seen coming out of Hollywood.

[psijac]

I watched this flick up to where they link up with the dudes in civilian clothing and have there little stand off, than turned it off as I could watch no more.

Absolutely ridiculous...

My time in service has pretty much ruined any hopes of ever again enjoying military related films, as the film makers rarely even get close to achieving any type of realism, and end up turning out films that are more irritating and insulting than anything else...

The sad thing about these flicks is that there are indeed MANY people who actually think this crap is realistic, and will try to make and argue points about the military based on things they have seen coming out of Hollywood.

I'd say Jarhead was an incredible true to spirit depiction American Soldiers in the Desert

[rm9792]

I cant speak for the current situation but in 90-94 I drove my hummer into town adn across the desert with just a copilot on many occasions. Although I probably wouldnt do that now. As far as the Barrett goes, I have the GF's stored here and we have shot it without any "training". Its just a really really big rifle.

[cheezit]

you know this is person film I would never in my life support. I will not watch, buy, pay for anything even remotely linked to.
google the US Copyright Group and see what they have going on with the hurt locker and Mark Boal. Mark Boal is a sad bit of a man in my book.

[Texas Dan Mosby]

I'd say Jarhead was an incredible true to spirit depiction American Soldiers in the Desert

I wouldn't, and while I'm not a Marine, I give them far more credit than that which was given to them in that particular bit of film.

[Purplehood]

EOD and Sappers are not eligible to attend sniper school. Only Infantry, Cavalry Scouts, and Special Forces are authorized to attend. Also, there is no official sniper tab. There are only four tabs authorized, President's 100, Special Forces, Ranger, and Sapper. Soldiers can only wear three, which isn't a problem for very many Soldiers. Getting all four would be rare.

The Barrett isn't only used by guys who have graduated sniper school. My son was the designated Barrett guy on his team in Iraq.

Okay, you are confusing me. Perhaps it is our definitions since I was only a Reservist when I was Army and only knew what a typical Jarhead knows about the Army as I never went to Army NCO school, only Marine Corps SNCO Academy. I was lucky that the Army was desperate and let me keep my rank after 5-6 years of being a civilian.

You mention 4 tabs. You didn't mention Airborne or Mountain (I mention those two because they are on my dress uniform - but I am guessing they are not Tabs as you define them). I know that I have seen Sniper in Afghanistan and Combat Engineers (I served with them). Please clear it up for me.

Re: the Movie Jarhead. I loved it. I spent 17 years in the Corps and those idiots in the film acted just like many of the Marines that I knew. I would rate that movie as high as FMJ and The Boys in Company C for authenticity.

[G26ster]

When did the Airborne tab become an "individual" tab? In my day the tab was part of a unit shoulder patch for units designated Airborne as an entire unit (i.e. 101st Abn Div., 82 Abn Div., and 173 Abn Brdg.

[Texas Dan Mosby]

When did the Airborne tab become an "individual" tab? In my day the tab was part of a unit shoulder patch for units designated Airborne as an entire unit (i.e. 101st Abn Div., 82 Abn Div., and 173 Abn Brdg.

It didn't.

No change since you left.