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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Grim and candid, but also exciting and very well put together
I really enjoyed this book. My take on the war notwithstanding, it is both refreshing and heartbreaking to read of the personalities in our armed forces and how organizational failures really impact those men and women (but mostly men).
adventurous
fast-paced
Wright effectively mixed the initial sense of adventure the Marine crave with the actual realities of the war. The boom is characterized by incompetence at a higher level and individuals struggling to rationalize their role in an unforgiving war machine
challenging
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
This is a truly remarkable book. Wright doesn't hide the truth, from Marine language and unsavory habits to the monotony of driving around the desert waiting to be attacked to the incompetence of some military leadership to the difficult choices and situations that soldiers encounter. It's not overtly anti-war or pro-war, but rather a snapshot of how it was for one unit during one small block of time.
I'm glad that I both read this book and watched the HBO mini-series. I felt like the book had a lot more in the way of explaining the purpose and procedure involved in the military maneuvers, while the mini-series illustrated that soldiers are just men, and unique individuals at that.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to military historians or those who like such strong realism that it feels like being in the narrative personally. Really, I think I would recommend this to almost anyone (as long as you can stand language, violence, and morally/ethically questionable action).
I'm glad that I both read this book and watched the HBO mini-series. I felt like the book had a lot more in the way of explaining the purpose and procedure involved in the military maneuvers, while the mini-series illustrated that soldiers are just men, and unique individuals at that.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to military historians or those who like such strong realism that it feels like being in the narrative personally. Really, I think I would recommend this to almost anyone (as long as you can stand language, violence, and morally/ethically questionable action).
Particularly after reading We Were One, I found Generation Kill to be a raw and honest depiction of Marine culture.
I was thankful that it didn’t pull heavily on the heart strings, but rather showed the chaotic nature of war.
It raised some very pointed questions about funding, leadership and the rules of engagement.
I was thankful that it didn’t pull heavily on the heart strings, but rather showed the chaotic nature of war.
It raised some very pointed questions about funding, leadership and the rules of engagement.
US Marines. Jarheads. Devil Dogs. Many names to call them but none could really embody the essence and the spirit. Compared with the other military branches in the US Armed Forces, I think this one is the most unique, and thus most intriguing. This memoir told a story about the marines based on direct view from a reporter (from Rolling Stones magazine) who was embedded in the First Recon Battalion, one of the first units deployed in and entering Iraq in 2003. Cynics or critics may say this is a typical pop-ish war stories from an outsider who wanted to produce an easy-to-read yet empty, explosive account on the things happening over there. They are wrong, obviously.
Different with my previous reviews (not that I made a lot), I’ll try to be as disciplined as possible (military mode = ON) by dividing my comments into several parts with quotes from the book as titles.
"Get some!"
The unofficial Marine Corps cheer used by the enlisted men to keep up their (and their fellows’) spirit. 'Get some' means kill the enemies, that simple. Do they really take this by heart? Well, yes and no. Some marines in this book loved using their mighty guns and blew things up to oblivion because it is exhilarating and makes them feel more ‘alive’. Others, the more cynical ones, said that they found no real pleasure in shooting people and they feel that it’s just to protect their comrades and do their jobs. However, there is always an oddball, in this case Pvt. Trombley, who said he’s more excited playing Grand Theft Auto (videogame) than shooting people with his SAW machine gun. The "get some" mentality doesn't always prevail. Cruelties and damages caused by war did make the Marines feel something different. Remorse, frustration, anger and finally indifference are not uncommon. Which brings us to the next subject.
"We’re going to be fighting a war for oil."
Aha! I had a question earlier before reading this book. Do the soldiers deployed in Iraq know that this war isn’t just to fight terror? That there’s more basic (and practical) reason behind it? Apparently, some realized this from the very start, before the media reported that the search for WMD had failed. Did it stop them from fighting? Nope. Why? Idealism, romance, and camaraderie. Quoting from the super hawt Sgt. Reyes (who played himself in the HBO miniseries because it’s too hard to cast someone like him), the romance comes in because the Marines are a small band of hard motherfuckers, trained to go behind enemy lines against forces twenty or forty times bigger." Another quote from the Sgt. Brad ‘Iceman’ Colbert, “We are going to the great unknown. Scary, isn’t it? I can’t wait." So apparently he didn’t care that the US wanted to topple Saddam and more inclined to think of the war as a grand personal challenge. Another marine said that he preferred to die among his friends (brave warriors) than die old in bed with only a few people by his side.
"Every time he steps out of the vehicle, I pray he gets shot."
The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary. That pretty well sums up all the gigantic mess caused by the officers leading their units in this book. Sometimes mentioned only by nicknames bestowed by the enlisted men, such as Godfather (the Marlon Brando-voice battalion commander who was always ready to send his troops into harm’s way to lick his bosses’ arse) Encino Man (a company commander who was so astoundingly dim-witted hence the name), Captain America (a platoon leader whose combination of reckless gungho-ness and paranoid antics made his soldiers constantly fantasizing about killing him) etc. I could only admire the strong will of the soldiers not to seriously injure those bozzos who fucked up many times, endangering the Marines and civilians. Encino Man for example, ordered an artillery fire (when there’s absolutely nothing to worry about) way too close to his marines just because he did not know the safe distance required. Lucky that he couldn’t give the correct degrees thus his men were saved by his incompetence. Godfather, aside from his arsekissing, also paid (wayyyy too) much concern on his battalion’s "Grooming Standard". He basically waged a holy war against the evil, evil moustaches. Anyway, Wright wrote about them quite objectively. He did not only interview the soldiers but also the despised officers so as to acquire their views. The reasons given were silly at best but I am glad that the writer did that.
"Sir, not to get homoerotic about this, but I could kiss you."
Marines worship their competent officers and leaders. Such respect does not come easily but when one earns it, it will stay. One of the most beloved officers in First Recon is Lt. Fick (the Dick Winters in Bravo Company) who is smart, brave and reliable. Soldiers will follow their leaders to hell with no question if they trust them. Fick paid attention to his men, took initiatives and dismissed his superiors’ asinine demands. I can’t wait to receive my copy of his memoir soon. Eric Kocher (who also starred in the HBO miniseries – but not as himself) is another example. He repeatedly countermand the colossally retarded orders from Captain America even if that could (and finally did) cause him huge trouble.
"The Americans have let Ali Baba into Baghdad."
So said an Iraqi, lamenting the flourishing looting and bandits roaming the streets of Baghdad during the night while the American promised to restore order. A promise is a promise is a promise. The US didn’t have any clear idea on what to do after they beat the main Iraqi army. The Iraqis did not put up too much confrontation when the US forces came, but they did not really surrender either. Pockets of resistance are everywhere. Clueless is the best word to describe the US policy on this. A war that’s suppose to last for like 3 months, have been going on for 8 years and killing thousands of its youth. A translator opined: “You have taken this country apart and you are not putting it together.” Speaking about translator, how could a battalion, an elite one that was among the first ones entering Iraq, only had and relied on one translator and none in the command structure fluently spoke Arabic? I am indeed scratching my head because of this. That is so downright unprofessional. If every battalion that used to be and currently deployed there suffers from the same problem, then no wonder miscommunication (and lack of cooperation) with the locals occur.
"Goddamn kid playing peekaboo."
Rules of engagement is without doubt one of (if not the most) the most complicated part in a war. Civilians casualties and all those shits, they never look good in front of the cameras, or even in front the soldiers fighting to save their lives. How to differentiate a combatant and a noncombatant if they all look the same? The enemies do not wear their clothes (if they’re soldiers) to be distinct. The enemies do not hesitate to live and move among civilians and shoot their mortars from settlements. The enemies have different rules and Geneva Convention is not one of them.
"This war will need its own theme music."
If you’ve seen the HBO miniseries, there are lots of scenes when the Marines are singing. Here’s some examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9UpK_uAPwI
Apparently, they did sing a lot. To spend time, mostly. The lead driver in Bravo company, Corp. Person, a very talkative and hilarious persona during the war, often engaged the others to sing with him (Well, not country music since his team leader, Colbert, banned it, referring to one song as "Special Olympics-gay"). He’s not the only one with musical prowess in the company. All kinds of genres, 80s, hip-hops, you name it.
The soldiers in the Bravo Company, as in the other units in the Armed Forces, come from a generation that are raised in pop culture, hardly remember Vietnam and uses internet. This new breed of men are spearheading a country's languished efforts to reach its national goal (Terror? Oil? It all comes down to self-survival). Aside from the undeniable and incomparable sense of brotherhood (remember the quote from Henry V about Band of Brothers?), war brings only suffering. Policymakers should pay more attention to the troopers and do not treat them like toilet tissues.
All in all, I am satisfied with this book. Its deficiencies are covered by its stellar close-range reporting. Funny, smart, engaging, and somewhat enlightening. In conclusion, allow me to let loose a stream of Marine Corps-grade epithet: THIS *expletive* BOOK IS THE *expletive* BEST *expletive* COMBAT *expletive* MEMOIR I’VE EVER *expletive* READ!
PS: fill in the expletive blank by yourself. And don’t forget to watch the miniseries. It is superb.
Different with my previous reviews (not that I made a lot), I’ll try to be as disciplined as possible (military mode = ON) by dividing my comments into several parts with quotes from the book as titles.
"Get some!"
The unofficial Marine Corps cheer used by the enlisted men to keep up their (and their fellows’) spirit. 'Get some' means kill the enemies, that simple. Do they really take this by heart? Well, yes and no. Some marines in this book loved using their mighty guns and blew things up to oblivion because it is exhilarating and makes them feel more ‘alive’. Others, the more cynical ones, said that they found no real pleasure in shooting people and they feel that it’s just to protect their comrades and do their jobs. However, there is always an oddball, in this case Pvt. Trombley, who said he’s more excited playing Grand Theft Auto (videogame) than shooting people with his SAW machine gun. The "get some" mentality doesn't always prevail. Cruelties and damages caused by war did make the Marines feel something different. Remorse, frustration, anger and finally indifference are not uncommon. Which brings us to the next subject.
"We’re going to be fighting a war for oil."
Aha! I had a question earlier before reading this book. Do the soldiers deployed in Iraq know that this war isn’t just to fight terror? That there’s more basic (and practical) reason behind it? Apparently, some realized this from the very start, before the media reported that the search for WMD had failed. Did it stop them from fighting? Nope. Why? Idealism, romance, and camaraderie. Quoting from the super hawt Sgt. Reyes (who played himself in the HBO miniseries because it’s too hard to cast someone like him), the romance comes in because the Marines are a small band of hard motherfuckers, trained to go behind enemy lines against forces twenty or forty times bigger." Another quote from the Sgt. Brad ‘Iceman’ Colbert, “We are going to the great unknown. Scary, isn’t it? I can’t wait." So apparently he didn’t care that the US wanted to topple Saddam and more inclined to think of the war as a grand personal challenge. Another marine said that he preferred to die among his friends (brave warriors) than die old in bed with only a few people by his side.
"Every time he steps out of the vehicle, I pray he gets shot."
The incompetent leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary. That pretty well sums up all the gigantic mess caused by the officers leading their units in this book. Sometimes mentioned only by nicknames bestowed by the enlisted men, such as Godfather (the Marlon Brando-voice battalion commander who was always ready to send his troops into harm’s way to lick his bosses’ arse) Encino Man (a company commander who was so astoundingly dim-witted hence the name), Captain America (a platoon leader whose combination of reckless gungho-ness and paranoid antics made his soldiers constantly fantasizing about killing him) etc. I could only admire the strong will of the soldiers not to seriously injure those bozzos who fucked up many times, endangering the Marines and civilians. Encino Man for example, ordered an artillery fire (when there’s absolutely nothing to worry about) way too close to his marines just because he did not know the safe distance required. Lucky that he couldn’t give the correct degrees thus his men were saved by his incompetence. Godfather, aside from his arsekissing, also paid (wayyyy too) much concern on his battalion’s "Grooming Standard". He basically waged a holy war against the evil, evil moustaches. Anyway, Wright wrote about them quite objectively. He did not only interview the soldiers but also the despised officers so as to acquire their views. The reasons given were silly at best but I am glad that the writer did that.
"Sir, not to get homoerotic about this, but I could kiss you."
Marines worship their competent officers and leaders. Such respect does not come easily but when one earns it, it will stay. One of the most beloved officers in First Recon is Lt. Fick (the Dick Winters in Bravo Company) who is smart, brave and reliable. Soldiers will follow their leaders to hell with no question if they trust them. Fick paid attention to his men, took initiatives and dismissed his superiors’ asinine demands. I can’t wait to receive my copy of his memoir soon. Eric Kocher (who also starred in the HBO miniseries – but not as himself) is another example. He repeatedly countermand the colossally retarded orders from Captain America even if that could (and finally did) cause him huge trouble.
"The Americans have let Ali Baba into Baghdad."
So said an Iraqi, lamenting the flourishing looting and bandits roaming the streets of Baghdad during the night while the American promised to restore order. A promise is a promise is a promise. The US didn’t have any clear idea on what to do after they beat the main Iraqi army. The Iraqis did not put up too much confrontation when the US forces came, but they did not really surrender either. Pockets of resistance are everywhere. Clueless is the best word to describe the US policy on this. A war that’s suppose to last for like 3 months, have been going on for 8 years and killing thousands of its youth. A translator opined: “You have taken this country apart and you are not putting it together.” Speaking about translator, how could a battalion, an elite one that was among the first ones entering Iraq, only had and relied on one translator and none in the command structure fluently spoke Arabic? I am indeed scratching my head because of this. That is so downright unprofessional. If every battalion that used to be and currently deployed there suffers from the same problem, then no wonder miscommunication (and lack of cooperation) with the locals occur.
"Goddamn kid playing peekaboo."
Rules of engagement is without doubt one of (if not the most) the most complicated part in a war. Civilians casualties and all those shits, they never look good in front of the cameras, or even in front the soldiers fighting to save their lives. How to differentiate a combatant and a noncombatant if they all look the same? The enemies do not wear their clothes (if they’re soldiers) to be distinct. The enemies do not hesitate to live and move among civilians and shoot their mortars from settlements. The enemies have different rules and Geneva Convention is not one of them.
"This war will need its own theme music."
If you’ve seen the HBO miniseries, there are lots of scenes when the Marines are singing. Here’s some examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9UpK_uAPwI
Apparently, they did sing a lot. To spend time, mostly. The lead driver in Bravo company, Corp. Person, a very talkative and hilarious persona during the war, often engaged the others to sing with him (Well, not country music since his team leader, Colbert, banned it, referring to one song as "Special Olympics-gay"). He’s not the only one with musical prowess in the company. All kinds of genres, 80s, hip-hops, you name it.
The soldiers in the Bravo Company, as in the other units in the Armed Forces, come from a generation that are raised in pop culture, hardly remember Vietnam and uses internet. This new breed of men are spearheading a country's languished efforts to reach its national goal (Terror? Oil? It all comes down to self-survival). Aside from the undeniable and incomparable sense of brotherhood (remember the quote from Henry V about Band of Brothers?), war brings only suffering. Policymakers should pay more attention to the troopers and do not treat them like toilet tissues.
All in all, I am satisfied with this book. Its deficiencies are covered by its stellar close-range reporting. Funny, smart, engaging, and somewhat enlightening. In conclusion, allow me to let loose a stream of Marine Corps-grade epithet: THIS *expletive* BOOK IS THE *expletive* BEST *expletive* COMBAT *expletive* MEMOIR I’VE EVER *expletive* READ!
PS: fill in the expletive blank by yourself. And don’t forget to watch the miniseries. It is superb.
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced