One Bullet Away

Nathaniel Fick was in the Marine Corps, during which time he was stationed in both Afghanistan and Iraq. In his book, One Bullet Away, Fick tells us about all of the things he experienced as a Marine officer.

Fick went to college before joining the Corps, a situation that people don't really consider. People think that the military is a way for young punks to straighten out their troubled lives, they rarely if ever consider the possibility of a college graduate student being in the military. Well Fick tells us that his decision wasn't all that hard to make. He remembered a time when his house was broken into when he was standing right there, and the burglars just looked at him and laughed when he tried to stop them. He says that he'll never forget the look his dad gave him. He joined the Marines to become a man,to discover who he was.

He takes us through the training he had to do to become an officer. To become an officer is a little different than becoming an enlisted Marine. First off the requirements are a lot more strict, the military doesn't want it's enlisted men to be in the hands of a bunch of dumbasses. Second the training is different. They learn how to lead men. Enlisted men spend their training being taught to follow orders and obey their seniors, not so with the officers. Yes they are taught to follow the orders of their seniors, but they are also taught to give orders, how to get the respect of their men, and to stay calm in the face of danger to give them confidence.

After completing training Fick was deployed on what was basically a practice tour. He sails with a company of men to get accumulated to commanding. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 happened during his deployment in the South Pacific, and his company was used as the first troops into Afghanistan so America could extract her revenge. He describes being proud that he was the one who got to retaliate against these men in the place of every American. He spent the remainder of his deployment on the ground in Afghanistan and when he returned home he transferred to First Recon.

The majority of his book is based on his experiences while commanding in First Reconnaissance division. He conveys the stupidity of the way things were handled, the incompetence of the senior officers, and the overall experience of combat. Most of the problem lay in that the senior officers were there. Normally in Recon the highest ranking man on the ground are the sergeants, these teams within the platoons are trained and able to function as independent killing machines, and when you throw the seniors in there with them it inhibits the ability of the team.

Fick gives us all of the details of combat and of his experiences in Iraq, good and bad. It's an excellent book and I recommend it to all who want to learn more about what we're doing over there. He lays out the military hierarchy in a way that is easily understood by even those who are completely ignorant of the military. Have fun reading it!

Books to Movies

Books are a doorway. That doorway can take you anywhere you could possibly want to go and some places you might not want to go. The problem is, when some genius gets it into his head to turn that book from a doorway into a window about sixty feet wide. What I'm talking about, is when books are made into movies. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the film industry, it's just books are better left books. Books can just give you so much more. There's a huge difference in reading about every minute detail of the story, and losing the details because of what else is going on in the shot.

The only example that I can think of that is perfect for what I'm trying to say is Harry Potter. I've read all seven books and seen every movie up to this point, and with every movie I've been disappointed. The one Harry Potter movie that I thought came close enough to the book to pass, was The Chamber of Secrets.

The problem is partly in the length of the book. If you tried to put everything into a movie from what happens in The Goblet of Fire, you would have a movie that was a week long. Another problem facing film makers is funding. Granted the popularity of the series, it still costs a lot of money to employ all those people to build the set, man the equipment, and all the other stuff that goes on behind scenes. Add to that the money you have to spend on props and actors and you have yourself a pretty large bill.

A third problem that you might or might not think about, is deadline. I know it seems like they already take enough time to make, but when the person funding the movie says I want this movie done by this time, well it better be done or bye bye money.

I think until they come up with a way to fully immerse the viewer into the world of movies this problem will continue to plague the film industry, but I'm willing to wait.

Generation Kill

Generation Kill is an 7 part HBO mini series that follows the first recon marines as they invade Iraq. Recon Marines are the best of the best. They're used in war to gather Intel on enemy positions and other missions where stealth is essential. On average the U.S. military spends a million dollars to train each recon Marine. Which is a huge jump from the $300,000 spent on the average grunt. The reason they spend so much more is that recon Marines have to be train in every field imaginable, from common fighting to diving and parachuting.

But in this war, the geniuses behind the planning decided to use First Recon Battalion as shock troops. This means that they were the first ground troops to enter Iraq at the start of the invasion. Is this starting to sound like a bad idea? Good.

The series is based on a novel by Evan Wright and is sort of a shot to the command of the Military. The series shows the stupidity of Bravo Company's commanding officers in their need to impress their superiors. It's really frustrating at times to be watching and know that they had to face some of the stuff they did. The extent of the stupidity ranges. In one episode it shows the Marines in light armoured Humvees strong pointing towns so units of tanks and other armoured units can roll through. One of the Marines commented: "Why should battalion send a five million dollar tank to be destroyed, when they can send us in our piece of shit Humvees?"

The series is all about their journey both physically and mentally through Iraq. You see how the war affects each of their personalities, and the actors do a great job of portraying these changes. But one thing that stays consistent through the whole thing is the brotherhood that has formed between these men. It left me yearning for that kind of bond, knowing that any one of the guys would give their life for you and you would do the same in return.

Here's a highlight real from Generation Kill




This war is far different from any war that has ever been fought. World War One start modern warfare and the War in Iraq has started the future of warfare. The Soldiers fighting in this war have been more prepared to kill the enemy. The art of war has been industrialized in the sense that our troops are semi-skilled workers to work the machines of death. I just hope that we don't get too carried away and lose sight of the reasons we fight.

Books

There's a book for everyone. People who haven't found the joy of being lost in a book are seriously depriving themselves of a full life. No matter what your interests are you can stop into the local bookstore and most likely you'll be able to find a book for yourself.

I would like to share a story with all of you. The other week I was beginning to read a new book. It was an intensely good book. Soon I found myself completely and utterly taken over by the words on the page. I read and read until my eyes hurt and couldn't make out the words on the page anymore. I looked up at my clock. I knew it was late but what I saw was unbelievable. My clock read five thirty am!!! I had read the entire night. I looked out my window and I could already see the first rays of the sun showing over the trees. Not only had I read all night, but I had nearly finish the book I had been reading.

The whole experience scared me a little. I had absolutely no perception of the time ticking a away, and I don't really remember anything else but the pages turning. I wish everyone could have that same experience. I said that it scarred me, but really I was immensely satisfied with myself.

To all my fellow readers out there: Rock on!!!! And to all those who wouldn't be caught dead with a book (why would you be reading this blog), but seriously find a book and lose yourself in it. That's all for now. Rog out! ;)