Has anyone else seen the movie Stop Loss. My wife and I watched it lastnight and I was wonderring if anyone here who has been in the Army thinks it gives an accurate portrail of the Army or how it is in Iraq? The movie has my wife kinda freaked out now.

I haven't seen that one yet, but this is the list I'm working through.

http://cinema-documentaries.blogspot.com/2007/09/top-10...r-documentaries.html

Here's the basic issue, you are dealing with propaganda on both sides, so to see the absolute truth, one can not know until they experience it. A military life is particularly hard on a couple and that's not adding in that the soldier/sailor might go to a war zone. The more different points of view you watch the better of an idea you'll have. You Tube also has a myriad of videos, but mind you, many of them are nasty and only show the hell. It's a difficult, if not impossible thing for a spouse to really grasp when it comes to understanding the sacrifice one is willing to make for whatever reason. Your's might be patriotism, or money, or security, or a feeling of self-worth. It doesn't matter what it means to other's why you serve...only to yourself. Unfortunately, of course, there is a better half to your life that is also affected by your decision. Trust and Love is all that remains....good luck.

My $.02:


As far as accuracy goes, it's not Blackhawk Down... but I thought they did enough research to not make a crap heap of a movie. I think every Soldier who has been downrange has seen people who come back like the characters portrayed in the movie. To have them all in one place like that is just the magic of Hollywood though. Just like in every other major American conflict, some people see a lot of action, but most see much less. The sort of combat stress portrayed in the movie is not the norm IMHO. The door kickers obviously have a lot to deal with, but for most of the ground pounders over there, nightly mortar barrages and very tense flights/convoys are about the worst of it anymore. The real issue is that combat stress is incredibly subjective and what causes life-long issues for one person will not phase another. I only dove for cover once after I got back... lol.

One thing I liked a lot about the movie Stop Loss was the way they portrayed the Army NCO. The lead character, try as me might, could not avoid being who he was, an NCO over troops returning to Iraq. These were his troops, that he lead before. The last scene in the movie was this SSG sitting next to his battle buddy on a bus, clad in ACU's, headed back to Iraq. He simply could not change who he was deep down.

quote:

Originally posted by Oldervet:
These were his troops, that he lead before.

And every great NCO should know that the past tense of lead is led. Helps out when they regale the FNGs with their war stories.

Maybe I actually meant lead, as in a heavy mineral that deposits itself in the rear end of us older-than-the-hills NCO's...

i have never seen such drivel in my entire life.

So I've just seen this movie. My feeling is that it is an overly dramatic, extremely hollywoodized take on a few key issues. I think it isn't really a true account when you cram an hour and a half with only the bad stuff that might happen. After being slammed by emotional turmoil for that long a period, how could you not come away with a sickening feeling. In the end though, everyone "falls in".