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Jar Head

GTodd

Registered User
So who has read the book? Who is going to go see it Nov. 4th? I am with a bunch of my marine buddies. Either it's going to be as good as Full Metal Jacket or it is going to suck.
 

stevo01

Registered User
good for entertainment only..is my guess..the book was cool, but he portrayed his negative attitude to the corp in many instances...
 

dvl_dog_2531_90

Registered User
To be honest, I found it to be a good read and I think Swofford's attitude and professionalism to be about on par with most of the junior enlisted I served with during the same period as the author.

Unquestionably, I will be seeing the film during the first few weeks. I fully expect it to suck but I am a fool for old Mother Green.
 

zab1001

Well-Known Member
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
God forbid anyone publish anything regarding inept officers, spiteful NCOs, bureaucratic nonsense, the fog of war, or the general insanity that pervades any major conflict, much less day to day peacetime ops. Punk's War? Catch 22? Anyone?

As I've stated at least twice before, I thought this was a great book from the perspective of a non-lifer enlisted troop. There's a lot more of those guys serving than their polar opposites. Great insight into just one of the many mindsets you'll deal with in the Fleet.

oh and BTW, it's a MOVIE.
 

Killer2

TRONS!
None
Zab are you saying to use it as a learning tool...
Hey this is how some of my junior Marines might act so its good to see ways in which he was dealt with, so I can learn from their leadership (or lack of).

It is a movie, like Top Gun with a lot of false information/outdated , but look how mad people on here get when people say... Is Naval Aviation really like that. Do you play volleyball all day in jeans, your dangerous.
 

zab1001

Well-Known Member
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
I'm saying there's more than one type of personality out there in the real Fleet. For every gung-ho hard charger yadda yadda guy, there's the guy who's there for college money, there's the disillusioned former perfect troop, there's the cat under the radar who out of nowhere suprises you and ends up the top rated guy.

If you want to use it as a learning tool, knock yourself out. I don't think you're going to get any real leadership techniques out of it. That isn't my point. What I'm saying is, keep an open mind and remember not everyone in the military is there for the same reasons. Forget that, and you're setting yourself up for failure.
 

nocal80

Harriers
pilot
but look how mad people on here get when people say... Is Naval Aviation really like that. Do you play volleyball all day in jeans, your dangerous.

Top Gun takes a lot of sh*t for being terribly innacurate, but c'mon, who doesn't like flying fast and doing crazy stuff in an airplane, talking trash to your buddies, and making a fool of yourself hitting on chicks? sounds like naval aviation to me.
 

USMC Philly

Registered User
Swofford will be at the University of Penn Thursday night for a Q&A session after a preview of the movie. Should be interesting to see and hear this guy up close and personal after reading all of the different opinions on here. I'm hoping to get tickets and will update.
 

BigWorm

Marine Aviator
pilot
Zab are you saying to use it as a learning tool...

It is a movie, like Top Gun with a lot of false information/outdated , but look how mad people on here get when people say... Is Naval Aviation really like that. Do you play volleyball all day in jeans, your dangerous.

If you want a movie or book for a learning tool watch/read the "The Great Santini"
 

zab1001

Well-Known Member
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
"Santini" is also a good primer on how to raise children.

"You're my favorite daughter" - AWESOME
 

SgtUSMC

Registered User
Or maybe it is because it is the true story of an abusive alcoholic. The guy's real name is Colonel Don Conroy and his son, Pat, wrote the book about him (and apparently toned down the violence part a bit). He died of colon cancer a few years ago and is buried in a cemetary in Beaufort, SC.

He was one hell of a b****s Marine fighter pilot though: WWII, Korea and Vietnam -- five distinguished flying crosses in all I believe.

S/F
 
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