Generation Kill

[CSAR]

I'm pretty sure people are watching it, but if you've missed any episodes you can download and watch them here:

http://isohunt.com/torrents/?ihq=generation+kill
(You need Vuze to download and I recommend VLC player to watch)

For those of you who don't know what I'm referring to, this is an HBO mini-series developed from the book of the same name by Evan Wright, a reporter for Rolling Stone who was embedded with a platoon of Marines from 1st Recon during OIFI. So far, I am very impressed with how close they've kept it to the book.

[southmadejd]

Bro I have been watching it and I am so impressed with the show. I understand that once Hollywood gets a hold of something they usually completely embellish the story line because normally it is neccessary for success. But their portrayal of the Marine Corps is about as spot on as you can be. It makes me crack up and really miss being in....of course I know if I were to go back in I would stop missing it real quick once I had to put up with another SgtMaj's bs like the one in the show...lol.

CSAR tell me Capt. America doesn't crack you up with every scene he is in.

My only problem with the show....and it is a small one....is if you weren't in the military I think it would be kind of hard for you to follow it because they do keep it so realistic that a lot of the Marine Corps jargon and military jargon in general is not simplified down for the normal viewer.

[southmadejd]

Oh yeah one more problem is the way they are portraying all of the officers....even though it cracks me up as being enlisted....but I honestly would have to say that there are more good officers then sh-tty ones...even though it is by a slight margin.

[B.E.N.]

Good looking out CSAR. Just saw an it for the first time last night.

Did not know it was a book. I'll have to pick that up.

[Skully44420]

also saw it for the first time last night...great show for sure

[TranscriptionFactor]

Yeah, this is excellent. Just downloaded ep. 4 and gonna watch it. I was a Seabee and our battalion was attached to the 1 MEF, and we came in just behind the front guys at the beginning of the invasion. (When are they gonna have a wicked sandstorm?)
Although not a Marine, the Seabee culture is similar and it's been spot on to me so far, except I agree the officers I knew were better than Capt. America and Encino man. But its hilarious.
I do wonder how much other people get the jargon and stuff.

[CSAR]

CSAR tell me Capt. America doesn't crack you up with every scene he is in.

You know it! Yeah, I agree - there are some knucklehead junior officers, but the good ones tend to outweigh the bad ones by a cvnthair.

It seems like up to Maj/Lt. Cmdr (O-4) there can be quite a few dumbasses, but at the O-5 paygrade, things get sorted out. Same with enlisted NCOs, up to Staff SGT/PO1 (E-6) you see some real morons, but usually the E-7 process weeds the bad ones out.

Interesting Note: Staff SGT Eric Kocher was the main advisor to the director and he portrays Alpha's (call sign Assassin) senior NCO in the series. SGT Rudy Reyes is himself.

I'm kind of bummed - only 3 more episodes and it's over.

Here's some links to the story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/10/bo...rtner=USERLAND
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...d.php?t=137312

[Stock]

I have been watching as well, awesome show. From a non-military viewer, although some of the jargon is a little hard, the format that it is used in makes it not too difficult to know what they are discussing. Plus, I have HBO and I can watch them all on demand and rewind when it gets bad, which has only been twice. Overall, I rank it right u there with all the HBO shows, much better than the crap on reg. TV.

[southmadejd]

^^Damn good for you Stock....only twice....because I have DVR and being a former Marine I have had to pause and rewind that bitch a few times to get it all. There is so much damn dialog that if you aren't concentrating for even a second, you miss something.

I am glad you posted though. I would like to hear from more non military and how they enjoy the show.

My Mom is watching it and I keep telling her to stop because she is really angry that I had to go over there, the Bush Administration, blah blah blah....

It is just really realistic so it is hard to lie to my Mom and tell her things like that didn't really happen because every unit has their own littler story of FUBAR that just kind of stays within the unit.

[brewerpi]

I have been enjoying the mini series, but I am not surprised by the quality or attention to detail as it is the work of the same team that produced HBO's The Wire.
As a career Army NCO and CWO, I am somewhat surprised at the portrayal of the officers, my personal experience with USMC officers has been overwhelmingly positive, and I don't ever recall encountering any douche-nozzles in the Recon Marines I worked or trained with.

[test_cyp]

I think it's a great show. The guy that keeps talking about grooming standards gets under my skin. It brings back some memories for me. He's so realistic and irritating.

[southmadejd]

^^Dude I agree with you Test Cyp....that Sgt Maj portrays so many jackass SgtMaj's but for every douche bag SgtMaj there are 4 good ones.....you normally don't reach that rank by being a complete prick but then I think being a 1stSgt and then SgtMaj just starts to piss them off dealing with all of the admin shit and then they are also just bored.

[brewerpi]

^^Dude I agree with you Test Cyp....that Sgt Maj portrays so many jackass SgtMaj's but for every douche bag SgtMaj there are 4 good ones.....you normally don't reach that rank by being a complete prick but then I think being a 1stSgt and then SgtMaj just starts to piss them off dealing with all of the admin shit and then they are also just bored.

years ago I was on my way up the NCO ladder, I had turned down numerous opportunities to get a commission, but as I observed all the mickey mouse BS that 1st Sgts and Sgt Majors had to engage in I decided to become a Warrant Officer-I never regretted it. I can't imagine spending my time looking for grooming violations.

[thegodfather]

Any of you guys care to elaborate on the terms they're using...Maybe post up some of the definitions so the shows a little easier to watch...

[CSAR]

Any of you guys care to elaborate on the terms they're using...Maybe post up some of the definitions so the shows a little easier to watch...

I think it might be easier to read the book (it's a great read), because Wright defines a lot of the Marine/military-specific vocabulary & acronyms in layman's terms. If you have a specific question, I'm sure most of us would be happy to address it, but it's kind of hard to cover everything out there.

Also, Capt. Fick's account of his time in the Marines and 1st Recon, One Bullet Away, is also an excellent book. Fick uses more PC terms when talking about others (Capt. America, Encino Man, Casey Kasem, etc.), but such is to be expected of an officer and a gentleman.

Here are some other good links to videos and blogs with respect to the program, the book, and people in it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Kill
http://coinside.blogspot.com/2006/05...-rebuttal.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG3qy6UodnQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE_gXimXpiQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jatBIWUP7ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryOKpCSqmqQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecLpOnpHaZw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbNIPOAPi5k

[CSAR]

The accounts of Casey Kasem may be suspect, as he inherited his job just before they deployed. Still, I knew a few supply SGTs/POs that could work miracles and produce gold from lead in a few hours. Perhaps he wasn't accustomed to scrounging? I don't know.

As a corpsman, the two biggest issues I have with Wright's reporting are:
1. His claim that Doc Bryan could have been either a Navy SEAL or a Recon Marine. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit.
2. He seems to equate Recon Marines with Navy SEALs (e.g., a few guys in the book say things like, "I always knew I'd be a Recon Marine or a Navy SEAL."). I knew guys who were prior Recon, Force Recon, SF, Rangers (especially), etc., who got their ass kicked and quit before Hell Week. I've been there, I've seen it, I've done it. NOTHING in the US military compares to the hourly kick-in-the-crotch that is BUD/S.

[CSAR]

Godfather, if you go to http://www.hbo.com/generationkill/ and look at the heading "About the Series" and the 3rd sub-heading "Glossary", there's a lot of vocab there.

BTW, you should start referring to yourself in the 3rd person like Lt. Col. "Godfather" Ferrando. That would be the shit.

[southmadejd]

Hey does anybody know who the f-ck that guy was that came in with the Iraqi Army and took over the mission from the Marines.....

Was he CIA or something? FBI maybe?

I guess that part isn't that clear.

I wonder if that story really happened....I don't remember hearing anything like that.

[B.E.N.]

I watched the first episode last night (watched 4th before) and I have to say that I am impressed that HBO and the writer/producer have ONLY been telling a story so far. As opposed to attempting to put a liberal spin in their rendering of things.

I know the Military did not participate in the series at all and were upset with some facts, but it seems to be factual (with some artisitic additions).

Anyone else?

[Skully44420]

i was talking to one of my buddys that was in iraq last night and he said that this show is the most accurate show he has seen so far

[southmadejd]

I watched the first episode last night (watched 4th before) and I have to say that I am impressed that HBO and the writer/producer have ONLY been telling a story so far. As opposed to attempting to put a liberal spin in their rendering of things.

I know the Military did not participate in the series at all and were upset with some facts, but it seems to be factual (with some artisitic additions).

Anyone else?

Bro what are you talking about??? They have a couple of Marines that were from the same platoon that collaborated with the director and one of them is actually acting in the series.

[B.E.N.]

I said 'the military', not a few discharged Marines.

Like sometimes the Pentagon will help Hollywood with movies so long as they paint them in a good light. They would not be involved with this series.

[CSAR]

Bro what are you talking about??? They have a couple of Marines that were from the same platoon that collaborated with the director and one of them is actually acting in the series.

I think he might mean that the Corps did not participate in an official capacity, meaning they did not supply any materials or personnel. Eric Kocher had already been honorably discharged from the Marines and was brought on as a consultant. Rudy Reyes had also left the service and provided some consultation, but is such a good-looking, ripped dude, that the producers brought him on to play himself in the series.

This was quite different from the filming and production of Black Hawk Down, because the Army took an active part, going so far as to use the 160th SOAR for the helo scenes, supplying all ground vehicles & weapons, and a platoon of active-duty Rangers to do the actual fast-roping and act as extras. Prior to the start of filming, almost all the cast members went through actual Army training to get a better idea of how to act as Rangers, Delta, SOAR, etc. The Rangers trained the guys acting as Rangers, Delta trained the guys acting as Delta, etc. I think the Marine Corps declined to be officially involved with Generation Kill, although the official screening was held at Camp Pendleton. So, I guess they approved of the final product?! Weird...

The guy who came in with the Iraqis was supposed to be CIA. In reality there were 3 spooks who flew in by chopper to Ash Shatrah to put an "Iraqi face" on the liberation of the city, but most of the CIA-backed troops "disappeared" the night before the attack. Somehow, the Iraqi soldiers and Baathists inside Ash Shatrah received word of the impending attack plans (probably informed by deserters from the CIA-backed troops), so they simply took off their uniforms and acted like civilians, so Alpha Company and 3rd Battalion's assault met no resistance. The Iraqis in Ash Shatrah claimed that the missing Marine had been killed by Baathists, but that "good Samaritans" had claimed the body and given him a proper burial. A week later, other US forces found the body in Ash Shatrah's garbage dump.

[southmadejd]

Oh thanks for cleaning that up.....I am definitely going to buy the book.

Sorry to B.E.N, I misunderstood what you were saying.

So basically the Marine Corps refused to work on this just like they refused to help out the Clint Eastwood movie "HeartBreak Ridge", lol.....if none of you have seen that it is worth a few laughs. Worst interpretation of the Marine Corps and Recon Marines I have ever seen.

In all seriousness, I understand why the Marine Corps didn't approve helping out with the series.....they make officers look like complete douch bags, and the one making the decision to consult on the set is definitely going to be an officer so I am sure he didn't like the way they were perceived.

[CSAR]

the Clint Eastwood movie "HeartBreak Ridge", lol.....if none of you have seen that it is worth a few laughs. Worst interpretation of the Marine Corps and Recon Marines I have ever seen.

In all seriousness, I understand why the Marine Corps didn't approve helping out with the series.....they make officers look like complete douch bags, and the one making the decision to consult on the set is definitely going to be an officer so I am sure he didn't like the way they were perceived.

Yeah, I remember that movie. Clint was pretty good as a Gunny, but the movie sucked. The scene where they get holed up in a radio station and have to use their credit card to call in a fire mission was based on a SEAL Team 6 mission to destroy the Radio Free Grenada transmitter station during Operation Urgent Fury.

Generation Kill for all the heartache it cause the Marine Corps, is now a recommended read for all officers to better understand the enlisted under their command.

[MuscleSportMag]

Not being in Iraq myself, I can only go by what I see and hear or read. But this show seems to be pretty accurate, at least to the lay-man watching. It is moving a bit slow and taking its time, but I'm sure that war is similar - you could be driving around for a while and nothing and then all of a sudden the crap hits the fan.

This show was done by the same guys that did "The Wire," which IMO was the best show on TV. Gotta love Ziggy Zobatka driving the HumVee!

[CSAR]

is moving a bit slow and taking its time, but I'm sure that war is similar - you could be driving around for a while and nothing and then all of a sudden the crap hits the fan.

This show was done by the same guys that did "The Wire," which IMO was the best show on TV. Gotta love Ziggy Zobatka driving the HumVee!

I'm sure the vets on this board can all appreciate the "Hurry up and wait...and wait...and wait some more" that is common to the military.

The Wire was awesome - loved it. One of them was former Baltimore PD, so they got it right. They didn't need a lot of script writing for this - it follows the book pretty true. Their smartest move was bringing on Eric Kocher, who I think deserves most of the credit for getting it right.

Damn if Rudy Reyes isn't one genetically gifted SOB. How a guy could stay ripped/muscular on MRE's and occasional PT is incredible.

[CSAR]

Yeah baby. Episode 6 tomorrow night. Can't wait....

[CSAR]

Episode 6 was pretty good, but I'm getting the feeling that they're rushing through things. They took their time with the first few episodes, but they're skipping or glossing over events now.

[CSAR]

It's over. I'm bummed. The last episode was a bit of a letdown, but the series overall gets a

[CSAR]

Can't wait for Brotherhood, Entourage, The Shield, Lost, Heroes, Nip/Tuck, The Office, Terminator: TSCC, and Desperate Housewives to start up again...

[B.E.N.]

It's over. I'm bummed. The last episode was a bit of a letdown, but the series overall gets a

I agree. I bet there is some kind of spin off into a movie or something with the popularity and buzz it got.

Damn bro...how do you find time for the gym with all that TV!

[CSAR]

Damn bro...how do you find time for the gym with all that TV!

I download 'em and play them on the PC while I lift. Two birds with one stone!

[southmadejd]

I was really bummed also that it is over.

I didn't think any of the episodes were letdowns in my opinion. I think they kept everything about as accurate as they could.

[Skully44420]

damn its over? well that sucks. i'm sure they'll play them all the time though so i should be able to catch the ones i didn't see. you guys ever watch The Unit when it was on?

[thegodfather]

CSAR....I give up... In what context are they using "Interrogative"

[B.E.N.]

CSAR....I give up... In what context are they using "Interrogative"

I believe 'Interrogative' as used is referring to the who, what, or where of subjec being discussed. The objective or directive. Used in the military radio 'short hand'

[B.E.N.]

Yeah...look up Brevity Code

[CSAR]

Interrogative basically means "I have a question." It's often used to get clarification on something.

I think the last episode wasn't up to par. The football game and the fights that happened were invented. Encino Man was behind a corporal from Alpha in an obstacle course race (the winner got a free phone call). Rather than lose, Encino Man body checked the corporal. Capt. Patterson then tackled Encino Man, put him in a headlock, and slammed him into a wall. And I don't recall Person freaking out and attacking Reyes. I think that may have been fictionalized to account for the ways a lot of guys freaked out once they were no longer in combat (e.g., the Marine who put his M-16 to another Marine's head because he believed the other guy took his GameBoy, etc.). It was still a really good series, but I think they could have done better with the ending. I wish they had also done a follow-up to show where all these guys are now and what they are doing. It would be cool to hear from the dudes who were actually there and get their take on things.

[southmadejd]

Dude I really liked the last episode....this whole damn series just made me happy in a way. I know it sounds weird but I got to watch it with my girlfriend and my family watched it and now they can kind of see how certain things were when I was over there. Or just how things were in the Marine Corps period. It helps me feel understood and that is why it makes me happy.

The end where everybody is fighting each other is exactly how my whole damn company was. After each deployment, when we were about to redeploy, there was all this hurry up and wait bullshit....we all felt cheated by our combat experiences and wanted to kill everyone that got on our fcuking nerves for the past 7 months.

I had this one Lt.....Lt Chao...I will never forget this dumbass. Worst part was he was a mustang and he had no way to relate to the enlisted. he was a fcuking disgrace.

We would go out on patrols and some how this asshole would weasle his way out of them and just stay back and chill at the CMOC and find bs work for us to do when we got back. Imagine this....I just get back from a patrol where we got lit up pretty bad and one of my marines caught shrapnel from an RPG and had just been medevac.

I get back to the CMOC and Lt. Chao asks why I haven't contacted this contractor to come and add a door to his office. Literally 30seconds after I got back in to debrief him about what had just happened....didn't even care that one of his marines damn near died. POS.....I wanted to kill him....still do.