Zero Dark Thirty

[Sparky5019]

Saw it today. Good movie, seems legit for my civilian knowledge of the events of the last 12 years leading up to getting UBL.

It was not an advertisement for the leftists or the Obama administration that I could smell; I usually have a very sensitive nose for that shit.

It did not overtly or even innocuously, that I could tell, denounce or disapprove of water boarding or any other "enhanced" interrogation used to gain said intel.

It showed the CIA and various spec ops operators of being very professional and sometimes passionate about what they do (all of which and who I, personally, deeply appreciate and have great respect for).

It will be interesting to see more of the background about this as it all becomes available, and see how true to history and reality the film stayed.

For my baseline knowledge, it seemed like a pretty accurate portrayal of the events, given the necessities of storytelling in cinema.

This film is not about the Obama administration like the NGC TV flick just before the election was. This film is about the people on the ground who were getting the intel and making the connections and I hope they feel like it does them justice.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed seeing it. I hope some with more intimate knowledge of the subject matter will let us know their views on whether the film makers got it right or not.

Thanks.

Sparky

[chuckman]

Thanks for the review. I will likely wait for it to come out on Red Box. The director butchered The Hurt Locker, so I don't want to pay full-price in case this is similarly a hack job.

[ForTehNguyen]

I read No Easy Day last week, I will watch Zero Dark Thirty tomorrow to compare

[decodeddiesel]

I was not happy with Hurt Locker, but honestly I saw Sky Fall the other night and the adverts for ZD:30 looked really interesting.

Yeah and Sky Fall...:rolleyes::mad::(

[bondmid003]

I read No Easy Day last week, I will watch Zero Dark Thirty tomorrow to compare

They use his version of how UBL was shot vice the earlier non-firsthand version that he was shot in his room upon entry.

I personally liked that detail

The only thing I was skeptical of but it possibly could have taken place was their visit to the R-4808A otherwise known as Groom Lake or Area 51 to see the helicopters. Have flown around the "Box" many many times and knowing just how damn secure that facility is, it seems unlikely that they would have brought anyone to that facility outside of the people that work there or that have direct involvement with specific programs that are tested there. The only thing most likely accurate about the whole scene was the fact that the helicopter was almost certainly tested and housed at that facility.

[Sparky5019]

Interesting. I was telling a buddy tonight that I was struck by, if it's accurate in the film, how slow the raid actually went. The natural tendency is to surmise that they hit hard and fast to maintain the initiative, surprise and violence of action. I realize that those operators are methodical and precise as well as fast and smooth, but that was kind of unexpected to me.

Now I'd really like to read that book; a tough one for me as I'm not an easy fun reader...maybe audio book.

I've learned with all my research on the 1880's, that concessions have to be made for audience buy-in, perspective and story telling fluidity that we are always going to lose some measure of accuracy. That in itself is troubling in our culture where the history is what is remembered from the movies that are made about the subject in question.

I guess it is unfortunate that history is written only by the victors and is therefore a lie agreed upon.

Damn, y'all have got me all curious about what you pros thought of it.

Sparky

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Hurt Locker angered me, and anyone who says it was realistic gets an earful from me. If ZDT can stick to at least 50% realism, I may netflix it. Hurt Locker was so damn bad that it really just ruined war movies for me for a long time.

[Mauser KAR98K]

Lowspeed

I encourage you to go see this one on the big screen. it is more intelligence gathering than killing the mass murdering asshole.

I am just getting to the planning and rehearsal stages in No Easy Day. The film makers did leave that part out. And the briefing at Area 51?

The only left leaning stuff I saw was probably the picture placement of Obama in a candid portrait, and of Clinton in the CIA briefing room.

Other than that, I thought the film was very well done. For me, a high school graduate of 2002 who lived through 9/11 on his senior year, this film was closure for me. It felt it. For some reason when POTUS uttered the words "We got him," I had a sense of completing a mission, or goal as a citizen and as a patriot, but the film for some odd reason gave me closure on that chapter in my young life.

I do believe they did not give Cairo enough screen time.

[SteyrAUG]

Hurt Locker angered me, and anyone who says it was realistic gets an earful from me. If ZDT can stick to at least 50% realism, I may netflix it. Hurt Locker was so damn bad that it really just ruined war movies for me for a long time.

The cure for Hurt Locker is to watch Black Hawk Down again. At least Hurt Locker wasn't as bad as Jarhead.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

The cure for Hurt Locker is to watch Black Hawk Down again. At least Hurt Locker wasn't as bad as Jarhead.

Actually, Jarhead was a near identical representation of my time in the Corps, it ranks as one of my favs because of how accurately it portrays real Marines.

[Bowser]

Actually the cure is to watch Generation Kill.

[xjustintimex]

I was hoping it would be closer to act of valor, but I actually thought it was good. The movie is almost entirely about the intelligence aspect of killing obl which was pretty interesting.

[Voodoo_Man]

I read Acts of Valor and then saw this movie.

It was a very enjoyable experience. If we think this is going to be the only UBL movie, we are definitely mistaken as it will not be. Especially since people LOVE action, Hollywood will bank on it and make a SEAL-only perspective of what is going on, sort of like Acts of Valor, but in a different style/point of view, if they do not they are selling themselves short.

[Mauser KAR98K]

I read Acts of Valor and then saw this movie.

It was a very enjoyable experience. If we think this is going to be the only UBL movie, we are definitely mistaken as it will not be. Especially since people LOVE action, Hollywood will bank on it and make a SEAL-only perspective of what is going on, sort of like Acts of Valor, but in a different style/point of view, if they do not they are selling themselves short.

Saw it at Wal-Mart, but forgot the title. Already out on DVD.

Waiting for when they will make and release "Lone Survivor."

[Voodoo_Man]

Saw it at Wal-Mart, but forgot the title. Already out on DVD.

Waiting for when they will make and release "Lone Survivor."

I read the book a while back, did not know they were making a movie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091191/

[Mauser KAR98K]

I read the book a while back, did not know they were making a movie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1091191/

Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell?????? Wahlberg is WAY to short to be Marcus.

[Voodoo_Man]

Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell?????? Wahlberg is WAY to short to be Marcus.

Tom Cruise is too short to be Reacher, but it did not stop hollywood.

[S-1]

Interesting. I was telling a buddy tonight that I was struck by, if it's accurate in the film, how slow the raid actually went. The natural tendency is to surmise that they hit hard and fast to maintain the initiative, surprise and violence of action. I realize that those operators are methodical and precise as well as fast and smooth, but that was kind of unexpected to me.

Now I'd really like to read that book; a tough one for me as I'm not an easy fun reader...maybe audio book.

I've learned with all my research on the 1880's, that concessions have to be made for audience buy-in, perspective and story telling fluidity that we are always going to lose some measure of accuracy. That in itself is troubling in our culture where the history is what is remembered from the movies that are made about the subject in question.

I guess it is unfortunate that history is written only by the victors and is therefore a lie agreed upon.

Damn, y'all have got me all curious about what you pros thought of it.

Sparky

Their TTP's changed over the years. If you read No Easy Day, the author said something like "we transitioned from being fast and loud, to being quiet and slow."

[Ironman8]

Their TTP's changed over the years. If you read No Easy Day, the author said something like "we transitioned from being fast and loud, to being quiet and slow."

Well that would only make sense. The mission, equipment used, ect. will dictate what tactics will be used, to an extent. Not to mention that you always need to be one step ahead of your enemy's adaptation to yesterday's tactics...

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Actually the cure is to watch Generation Kill.

Agreed, BOB motivates me, The Pacific humbles me, and Gen Kill makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

[ridgerunner70]

Kevin Maurers take on ZD30,http://t.co/FTlDPBpF

[SteyrAUG]

Actually, Jarhead was a near identical representation of my time in the Corps, it ranks as one of my favs because of how accurately it portrays real Marines.

Part of it could be that I despise Jake Gyllenhaal so much. But the movie also just annoyed the crap out of me for some reason. Generation Kill was excellent however.

[Sparky5019]

Well that would only make sense. The mission, equipment used, ect. will dictate what tactics will be used, to an extent. Not to mention that you always need to be one step ahead of your enemy's adaptation to yesterday's tactics...


I agree and it does make sense. I had just not seen it presented that way and that made it even more interesting.

Sparky

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Part of it could be that I despise Jake Gyllenhaal so much. But the movie also just annoyed the crap out of me for some reason. Generation Kill was excellent however.

My wife recently showed me the "love" scene from Brokeback, so I'm in the same boat as you regarding Gyllenaal.

[Sparky5019]

My wife recently showed me the "love" scene from Brokeback, so I'm in the same boat as you regarding Gyllenaal.

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.:laugh:

Just kidding. I have to admit, accurate or not, Jarhead was a little introspective for me. He just didn't seem the right choice for that role.

Sparky

[SkiDevil]

I had the chance to see the film over the Holidays when it was in limited release .

It is a very long movie at almost three hours. The theatre was full and almost sold-out. I was expecting more of an action film, but there was very little gun play in the film. It mostly centered on the role of several CIA analysts/ agents in piecing together where Bin Laden was located and lobbying the politicians and agency management to move on the lead and take him out.

I thought the main actress did a great job as the lead character "Maya", but was hoping to see more from the SEALs side of the raid/ preparations leading to the raid.

Overall, it was somewhat entertaining with it's highlights but was a little long. Using the Five-star rating scale, I give it ***.

I would wait for cable or Redbox or catch a matinee showing.

[C4IGrant]

I read No Easy Day last week, I will watch Zero Dark Thirty tomorrow to compare

I read the book too and am curious if the movie is accurate.



C4

[gun71530]

I read the book too and am curious if the movie is accurate.



C4

The book was great. However, I'm very skeptical about the movie, I will wait for it to hit Redbox if anything.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[ZGXtreme]

Actually, Jarhead was a near identical representation of my time in the Corps, it ranks as one of my favs because of how accurately it portrays real Marines.

That came out while I was in. There were two opinions of the movie and they were strictly relative to where you were on base. Up north, us Grunts loved it cause it really does show how the suck can be. Down south, the POGs hated it cause it tarnished all that was "proper" about the Corps.

[Magic_Salad0892]

I actually really like most stuff that Jake Gyllenhall does. I know how lame that sounds but Proof, Jarhead, and Donnie Darko are all great films.

I STILL haven't seen Generation Kill. Is it good?

And I KNOW I'm gonna catch a lot of hate for this, but I didn't even think that Brokeback Mountain was even that bad. It wasn't good. But it wasn't god awful like everybody makes it out to be. Gay shit doesn't really bother me.

[Cagemonkey]

Actually, Jarhead was a near identical representation of my time in the Corps, it ranks as one of my favs because of how accurately it portrays real Marines.I wasn't a grunt, but as a Marine I found some accurate portrayals in the movie. The Book was better though.

[Sparky5019]

Salad,

Gen kill is great; and when you realize the characters are written so close to their actual personalities, it's SO much better!

Sparky

[Renegade]

It did not overtly or even innocuously, that I could tell, denounce or disapprove of water boarding or any other "enhanced" interrogation used to gain said intel.



Waterboarding was not used to gain intel.




It will be interesting to see more of the background about this as it all becomes available, and see how true to history and reality the film stayed.


Not too close. Warterboarding was wrong, and the portrayal of at least 2 CIA Officers was wrong.

I would have preferred it to be based on a Mark Bowden book.

[Sparky5019]

Waterboarding was not used to gain intel.



Not too close. Warterboarding was wrong, and the portrayal of at least 2 CIA Officers was wrong.

I would have preferred it to be based on a Mark Bowden book.

Interesting. Even though WB was not used, I am still surprised that, in a film produced by leftists even though the method was not used, they would not put a stamp of judgment on the practice just to prove a point.

I agree Mark Bowden's stuff is much better researched.

Thanks.

Sparky

[Bowser]

I STILL haven't seen Generation Kill. Is it good?

It has Fruity Rudy, the REAL Fruity Rudy (He plays himself). How can it be bad?

[SeriousStudent]

Interesting. Even though WB was not used, I am still surprised that, in a film produced by leftists even though the method was not used, they would not put a stamp of judgment on the practice just to prove a point.

I agree Mark Bowden's stuff is much better researched.

Thanks.

Sparky

Read Mark Bowden's book "The Finish" and get back to me. :(

I bought it, I read it, and I could barely finish it. It was a thinly-disguised re-election plug for the current administration. I was hugely disappointed. I own and have read Blackhawk Down, Killing Pablo, Guests of the Ayatollah, and Road Work.

According to Bowden, the only reason the raid even had a chance, was due to the staggering intellect and military prowness of the Commander in Chief. I'm barely exaggerating that.

I no longer have any respect for him as an author. The actual part of the book covering the raid is 24 out of 266 pages.

To put it in NSW language - "It sucked".

[Magic_Salad0892]

Read Mark Bowden's book "The Finish" and get back to me. :(

I bought it, I read it, and I could barely finish it. It was a thinly-disguised re-election plug for the current administration. I was hugely disappointed. I own and have read Blackhawk Down, Killing Pablo, Guests of the Ayatollah, and Road Work.

According to Bowden, the only reason the raid even had a chance, was due to the staggering intellect and military prowness of the Commander in Chief. I'm barely exaggerating that.

I no longer have any respect for him as an author. The actual part of the book covering the raid is 24 out of 266 pages.

To put it in NSW language - "It sucked".

My sister read that book and said the same shit. Is it really that goddamn awful?

[jaxman7]

Salad,

Gen kill is great; and when you realize the characters are written so close to their actual personalities, it's SO much better!

Sparky

Not just close to the actual characters Sparky but 2-3 guys from the unit actually played their own self in the movie.

Salad,

I have Generation Kill. If you want to borrow it shoot me your address.

-Jax

[jaxman7]

It has Fruity Rudy, the REAL Fruity Rudy (He plays himself). How can it be bad?

Rudy rocks! Even if he is a Marine. ;)

"Brothers, I put on my superhero uniform everyday I'm in the Corps." ...

-Jax

[Sparky5019]

Rudy rocks! Even if he is a Marine. ;)

"Brothers, I put on my superhero uniform everyday I'm in the Corps." ...

-Jax

I know! I'm in the midst of watching it again.

"I wear clothes that are body conscious." - Rudy.

:D

Sparky

Salad,

I hate to hear that about Bowden's book; maybe it was what the NGC TV movie was based on since was the same propaganda.

Sparky

[ForTehNguyen]

I read the book too and am curious if the movie is accurate.



C4

ok watched it last night. The only part you can really compare is the actual raid itself. The movie is extremely accurate with the book. So much so everything was clicking with what I read in the book and I could call out what was going to happen next. Major props to the movie producers.

[Sparky5019]

That's nice to hear; at least they gave a shit about being accurate...to the book at least.

Thanks for the update!

Sparky

[ForTehNguyen]

there were a couple minor things I noticed, was they didnt have their guns camoed like the pictures in No Easy Day, it didnt look like they were wearing plates, and the 3rd guy killed on the stairs if I recall in the book he had a weapon.

Obviously very minor things, and things you only wouldve noticed if you read No Easy Day.

[SeriousStudent]

My sister read that book and said the same shit. Is it really that goddamn awful?

I can still taste the vomit in my mouth.

[grunz]

My sister read that book and said the same shit. Is it really that goddamn awful?

Yes, I was amazed how crappy the book was.

A much much better book on the hunt is Peter Bergen's "Manhunt"

http://www.amazon.com/Manhunt-Ten-Year-Search-Laden-Abbottabad/dp/0307955575

This and No Easy Day are the two to read.

[Dave_M]

They demonstrated water boarding incorrectly (totally N. Korean methodology) but the foreign CIA offices looked pretty legit (shit offices with many 3-ring binders)

[Magic_Salad0892]

Yes, I was amazed how crappy the book was.

A much much better book on the hunt is Peter Bergen's "Manhunt"

http://www.amazon.com/Manhunt-Ten-Year-Search-Laden-Abbottabad/dp/0307955575

This and No Easy Day are the two to read.

I just ordered it. Thanks, bro.

[Voodoo_Man]

Yes, I was amazed how crappy the book was.

A much much better book on the hunt is Peter Bergen's "Manhunt"

http://www.amazon.com/Manhunt-Ten-Year-Search-Laden-Abbottabad/dp/0307955575

This and No Easy Day are the two to read.

Will order as well.

[bondmid003]

Read Mark Bowden's book "The Finish" and get back to me. :(

I bought it, I read it, and I could barely finish it. It was a thinly-disguised re-election plug for the current administration. I was hugely disappointed. I own and have read Blackhawk Down, Killing Pablo, Guests of the Ayatollah, and Road Work.

According to Bowden, the only reason the raid even had a chance, was due to the staggering intellect and military prowness of the Commander in Chief. I'm barely exaggerating that.

I no longer have any respect for him as an author. The actual part of the book covering the raid is 24 out of 266 pages.

To put it in NSW language - "It sucked".

I'm reading it now and I've noticed the same thing. It seems like one giant tug job for the POTUS.

[SeriousStudent]

And I really, really wanted to like the book. Sigh.....

I'm going to stop the preorders from Amazon. Honestly, after that book and McCrystal's, I'm sick of being screwed like that. Fifty bucks I just pitched into the porcelain throne.

I have a stack of unread stuff a few feet high, it will not kill me to wait 2 weeks for you guy's reviews.

Thanks for the tip on Manhunt, I ordered it also.

[Ironman8]

And I really, really wanted to like the book. Sigh.....

I'm going to stop the preorders from Amazon. Honestly, after that book and McCrystal's, I'm sick of being screwed like that. Fifty bucks I just pitched into the porcelain throne.

I have a stack of unread stuff a few feet high, it will not kill me to wait 2 weeks for you guy's reviews.

Thanks for the tip on Manhunt, I ordered it also.

That's one whole Pmag you could have bought! :p

[SeriousStudent]

Rub it in. No BBQ or Shiner Bock for you! ;)


Actually, I was cleaning the house the other day, and found a box with 6 PMags in it I had forgotten about. Two weeks before that it was a case of ammo I literally tripped over in the closet. Digging out clothes to donate to Salvation Army, and I found a case of Blazer Brass .45 ACP.

Looking for my dog's favorite throw toy, and I found an ammo can with 12 boxes of Federal bulk pack .22 ammo.

[Ironman8]

Rub it in. No BBQ or Shiner Bock for you! ;)


Actually, I was cleaning the house the other day, and found a box with 6 PMags in it I had forgotten about. Two weeks before that it was a case of ammo I literally tripped over in the closet. Digging out clothes to donate to Salvation Army, and I found a case of Blazer Brass .45 ACP.

Looking for my dog's favorite throw toy, and I found an ammo can with 12 boxes of Federal bulk pack .22 ammo.

Now that's just cruel :(

And I have the exact opposite "problem" as you. I can't find four of my Pmags for the life of me right now...

[B Cart]

there were a couple minor things I noticed, was they didnt have their guns camoed like the pictures in No Easy Day, it didnt look like they were wearing plates, and the 3rd guy killed on the stairs if I recall in the book he had a weapon.

Obviously very minor things, and things you only wouldve noticed if you read No Easy Day.

I noticed the same things as I watched the movie. As for the film itself, I was surprised how un-Hollywood it felt. Even the supressed shots during the raid sounded very close to the real thing, unlike the 'completely silent' shots in most Hollywood films. I thought it was very well done

[Col_Crocs]

I watched it yesterday. It was very good IMHO. My girlfriend was dreading this particular turn of mine to pick a movie but she was pleasantly surprised. I didnt read manhunt so I dont have anything to compare the main part of the movie to but I did read No Easy Day. Surprised to see the raid come within 1.5MOA of NED. While they didnt show preps leading to the raid (understandable, not being the premiss) which I felt, for someone who hasnt read NED, made it seem almost spontaneous. Everything else, though, was pretty darn close. The fire pit was almost exactly what I imagined it to be. The joke about everyone having been on a crash except for "Mark Owen", to, "Mark Owen" taking out the guy behind the door and getting shrapnel in his shoulder under his plate carrier and so on. The suppressed shots, I agree, were great. One thing I picked up on, though, which I thought was odd was how a couple of the SEALS looked like they almost felt bad about the raid when they saw the families. I cant attest otherwise, just thought it was odd that they chose to show that.

[ForTehNguyen]

I noticed the same things as I watched the movie. As for the film itself, I was surprised how un-Hollywood it felt. Even the supressed shots during the raid sounded very close to the real thing, unlike the 'completely silent' shots in most Hollywood films. I thought it was very well done

did you see the "Mark Owen" character? The guy carrying the bolt cutters on his back :D

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Just saw the movie. I liked it. Someone fell asleep and was snoring during the movie.

I haven't read any of the books, but from the movie it seemed like the raid itself was really slow? Was this because of the helicopter crash and they didn't get inserted where they should have been.

Favorite lines are "Give me a list of people to kill!!" and "I didn't want to use you guys with all your gear, velcro and chewing tobacco."

[gun71530]

Clearing a compound and conducting SSE takes far longer than one would think.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[Sparky5019]

Colonel,

I noticed the same thing about the families; that's when I realized...it's all perspective. To us BL was an evil dude that we wanted dead (agreed), but to them he was Dad, gandpa, etc. some of those kids also had to watch their parents get killed.

That was an interesting perspective; I'm sure the operators thought about that however I doubt they would have shown it like in the film but that has to be there so the audience actually understands the emotion. I'm not saying that they would not have carried out the mission, but I think they at least acknowledged that in themselves.

Sparky

[D. Christopher]

there were a couple minor things I noticed, was they didnt have their guns camoed like the pictures in No Easy Day, it didnt look like they were wearing plates, and the 3rd guy killed on the stairs if I recall in the book he had a weapon.

Obviously very minor things, and things you only wouldve noticed if you read No Easy Day.

The guy they killed on the stairs was one of Osama's sons and after they shot him they found his AK propped against a wall on the landing between the second and third floors. It was loaded and had one in the chamber. This was where their new "slow and quiet" techniques really paid off. They saw OBL's son peek around the corner from up the stairs and then duck back around the corner. They waited quietly and then the lead man whispered his name and the kid stuck his head back around the corner. During that engagement the lead man saw OBL stick his head out of his bedroom and duck back in. That lead to the final showdown in the bedroom. Unlike his son, Osama never took his AK or Makarov pistol down from the shelf above the door, and they both had empty chambers when they were checked.

Nearly a decade on the run, more than fifteen minutes since a U.S. helicopter crashed into his courtyard, multiple breaching charges set off throughout the compound, a firefight with an unsuppressed AK outside, and the sound of his son hitting the floor outside his bedroom. All of this time and all of this noise and Osama made no effort to put up a fight or defend himself or his family. There is the measure of the man.

And don't forget that when these brave men came back to Bagram to turn over the body and turn in equipment and begin debriefs, they hadn't yet eaten or taken a shower and were still in their mission clothes and while they were standing in the hangar they watched the POTUS come on TV and take credit for killing OBL!

THINK ABOUT THAT. They hadn't even eaten yet and the White House is telling the world what they had done. Before any of the intel could even be turned over to analysts, much less analyized, we had told the world WE DID IT, WE HAVE TONS OF NEW INTEL FROM OSAMA'S HOUSE, AND WE'LL BE COMING FOR YOU SOMETIME SOON!

Killing Osama didn't really do much to make us any safer, but we had to do it, and I'm glad we did. However if we had not bragged about what we had done before the team even got out of their mission uniform, and had quietly worked the intel we would have killed and rounded up large numbers of people who are still actively involved in ongoing terror operations.

[Mauser KAR98K]

The guy they killed on the stairs was one of Osama's sons and after they shot him they found his AK propped against a wall on the landing between the second and third floors. It was loaded and had one in the chamber. This was where their new "slow and quiet" techniques really paid off. They saw OBL's son peek around the corner from up the stairs and then duck back around the corner. They waited quietly and then the lead man whispered his name and the kid stuck his head back around the corner. During that engagement the lead man saw OBL stick his head out of his bedroom and duck back in. That lead to the final showdown in the bedroom. Unlike his son, Osama never took his AK or Makarov pistol down from the shelf above the door, and they both had empty chambers when they were checked.

Nearly a decade on the run, more than fifteen minutes since a U.S. helicopter crashed into his courtyard, multiple breaching charges set off throughout the compound, a firefight with an unsuppressed AK outside, and the sound of his son hitting the floor outside his bedroom. All of this time and all of this noise and Osama made no effort to put up a fight or defend himself or his family. There is the measure of the man.

And don't forget that when these brave men came back to Bagram to turn over the body and turn in equipment and begin debriefs, they hadn't yet eaten or taken a shower and were still in their mission clothes and while they were standing in the hangar they watched the POTUS come on TV and take credit for killing OBL!

THINK ABOUT THAT. They hadn't even eaten yet and the White House is telling the world what they had done. Before any of the intel could even be turned over to analysts, much less analyized, we had told the world WE DID IT, WE HAVE TONS OF NEW INTEL FROM OSAMA'S HOUSE, AND WE'LL BE COMING FOR YOU SOMETIME SOON!

Killing Osama didn't really do much to make us any safer, but we had to do it, and I'm glad we did. However if we had not bragged about what we had done before the team even got out of their mission uniform, and had quietly worked the intel we would have killed and rounded up large numbers of people who are still actively involved in ongoing terror operations.

Politics trumps all else.

[wild_wild_wes]

Saw it today, great film.

Two questions: why the seemingly double NVGs, and what rifle was the overwatch guy using? It had a Nightforce scope and Atlas bipod (I think), but I couldn't make out any other details. The magwell looked 7.62, but I dunno. Could it have been a SCAR-H?

[parishioner]

Panoramic NVGs, greater field of view: http://tnvc.com/shop/l-3-gpnvg-18/

Overwatch rifle seemed to be a suppresed 417 based on the magazine shape. My guess anyway.

Good flick.