Black Hawk Down is a 2001 American-British war film based on a series of articles published in The Philadelphia Inquirer which chronicled the events of a 1993 raid in Mogadishu by the U.S. military aimed at capturing faction leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid and the ensuing battle. When Aidid and his militia seize Red Cross food shipments causing UN forces to be pretty much powerless, a mission is planned to capture Omar Salad Elmi and Abdi Hassan Awale Qeybdiid, two of Aidid’s top advisors. They are able to successfully capture the two men, however, many of the other portions of the mission go wrong. At one point Black Hawk Super-Six One is shot down and crashes deep within the city resulting in the death of both pilots and injuries of two other crew members. As ground forces are rerouted to converge on the crash site, the Somali militia set up road blocks making reaching the crash impossible. As the ground forces attempt to break through, they sustain many casualties themselves, however, another unit is able to reach and set up a defensive perimeter around the site. Meanwhile, Super-Six Four is also shot down only a few blocks away. There are not nearly enough ground forces to reach the second crash site as well as reinforce the first and Aidid’s militia is about to launch a sustained assault on the trapped men at the first crash site. In the end, 19 American soldeirs were killed, with over 1,000 Somali militants and civilians dead.

This movie, similar to Saving Private Ryan, deals a lot with how far units should go to make sure that “no one is left behind.” In both of the movies the men go to extreme lengths in order to rescue others. Also in both movies the men were simply following orders. I believe that the main thought for the military is that they can’t not at least try. It is against there morals to simply desert the men and many of the soldiers see their fellow soldiers as brothers and couldn’t bare to leave them behind. The problem arrises when the men attempting to save the others face casualties in the process. It is impossible to predict whether men will be lost when trying to save others and it is simply a risk that the military and the soldiers serving are usually willing to make. Most of the men have already come to terms with the possibility of dying when they join the military. I believe that though it may not be right to order a mission to save others in order to save stranded or injured soldiers due to the risk it presents to those carrying out the rescue mission, it would be worse to simply turn a blind eye and leave the men who were just fighting for their country.

A Few Good Men is a 1992 American film revolving around the court-martial of two U.S. Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine and the tribulations of their lawyers as they prepare a case to defend their clients. During the court case there are many set backs and questions of whether the men were simply following orders and in which case should they still be responsible. The martial they supposedly murdered, Santiago, was judged as almost less than his fellow marines and had even had requested a transfer to another base. Colonel Nathan Jessup regards the transfer as almost equivalent to surrender and demands Santiago’s commanding officer to train him to be a better Marine. Dawson and Downey are the two Marine’s accused of murdering Santiago and while Lieutenant Commander JoAnne Galloway immediately expects that they were simply carrying out a “code red” order (a command to carry out a violent extrajudicial punishment) that went completely wrong. Unfortunately the case is instead given to Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee who has a tendency to plea bargain (something that Galloway resents). After the bargain negotiated is denied by Dawson and Downey, the case finally goes to trail where Kaffee calls Jessup to the stand. As the questioning goes on a Jessup begins to get more and more flustered, he finally reveals that he did in fact issue a “code red” order on Santiago. Jessup is then arrested for the murder while Dawson and Downey are cleared of the charge. The two Marines, however, are still found guilty of “conduct unbecoming a United States Marine” and are dishonorably discharged.

This movie touches on many topics that are often connected to the military. These include the morality of simply following orders as well as problems that arise when the military considers itself “better” than the population it serves. In this case, though the men in question are technically the ones who committed the murder, they are found innocent because they were simply following orders. When the military thinks that they are better than the population it serves they may also come to believe that they are above the law that governs that population as well. Originally Jessup believed that he would be able to outsmart the defense and be able to pass the blame off onto the other men because he is higher in rank than them. From the beginning of his testimony, he attempted to make it seem as though he was simply looking out for the well-being of Santiago when in reality, Santiago’s death was his fault. On the other hand, the two Marines pretty much got away with murder, but I suppose that was made right by their dishonorable discharge. Nothing good can come out of a military in which there are people-especially high ranking officers- that believe that they are better than the population they serve.

A Few Good Men (1992). Perf. Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore. Castle Rock Entertainment/Columbia Pictures, 1992. Film.

“A Few Good Men.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 22 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Few_Good_Men>.

Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. When it is discovered that three of the four brothers of the Ryan family have been killed in action and that their mother is to receive all three telegrams on the same day it is ordered that the last son, Private James Francis Ryan who has been missing in action, is to be found and returned home. This task has been assigned to Captain John H Miller (Tom Hanks) who assembles six of his men to accompany him. Throughout the journey, the team of men face many hardships and after a short time, Caparzo is shot by a sniper and dies. Though the men are able to take down the sniper, the death takes a mental toll on the men. While they are under direct orders, now their men are dying to save one. The men also struggle with the fact that Private Ryan is missing in action and that they do not simply have to retrieve and deliver him home; they must first find him.

They do eventually find a Private Ryan, but it turns out to be the wrong one and they continue their search. As the men wage on they experience many other obstacles and attempt to continue to do what they can for the war at the same time. When they come in contact with German soldiers, a gun fight ensues and another one of the men, Wade, is fatally wounded. After the shooting has ceased, they discover a surviving German but Captain Miller saves him from execution. This causes many of the men to question Miller’s leadership and even pushes Reiben to consider desertion.

After many battles and close calls, Captain Miller and what is left of his team find Private Ryan defending a bridge in Ramelle. Upon learning of his brothers’ deaths, the deaths of the men sent to find him, and his dismissal from all duties, Ryan is distressed. He can’t believe he’s lost his brothers, but at the same time he does not think it’s fair that he should be dismissed. He decides to stay “with the only brothers [he has] left.”

Throughout the movie the men struggle with the orders they’re given and their instinct of self-preservation. They are risking their lives just to spare one man while also having to protect themselves from Germans throughout the entire journey. On the other hand, Private Ryan is pretty much “ordered” or at least granted the right to go home, but then does not obey and chooses to continue to risk his life. It’s easy to understand both perspectives. In the beginning of the journey Captain Miller and the team were being sent to discharge a soldier. They may have felt some sort of jealously towards Ryan and that they were risking their lives just so he could return home. From Ryan’s perspective, these men just risked their lives, all his brothers have passed away, and now he cannot desert the rest of them; he can’t just turn his back on everyone.

Saving Private Ryan. Perf. Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Edward Burns. DreamWorks SKG, 1998. Film.

A Bridge Too Far is a 1977 war film telling the story of the failure of Operation Market Garden of World War II. This operation was an attempt by the Allied forces to gain control of several bridges in the Netherlands with the main objective being to outflank the German defenses. If this plan were to work as planned, the men believed the war would be over by Christmas. From the beginning this plan, devised by British Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, to have 35,000 men flown 300 miles from air bases in England and being dropped as much as 64 miles behind enemy lines seems extremely risky. Even Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning admits that if even one of the groups fail, the entire operation fails, but still has confidence in the overall plan. At the command briefing, others voice their own doubts in the plan. General Gavin worries about parachuting in daylight while General Sosabowski doubts the sanity of the entire plan and even goes so far as to question whose side the briefing officer is on. Though General Urquhart may have his doubts, he tells his troops the plan and trusts in the fact that gliders with reconnaissance Jeeps will arrive shortly after they land in their drop zone about 8 miles from their target location (one of the bridges). Though many people have doubts about the plans and some such as Major Fuller and some of the British officers have actual evidence of difficulties in the plan, nothing is ever done. Major Fuller is even dismissed after showing General Browning reconnaissance photos of German tanks at Arnhem which is one of the crucial targets of the Allies. All of the Generals are not exactly sure how to feel about the operation at first. Of course they know the extensive risks of the plan, but they are all military men. They do not want to question their superiors no matter how impossible the orders may seem. No matter their insecurities, they do the only thing they can which is to determine their method of attack. General Gavin knows that the only way to take the bridge would be to take it from both sides and plans to send troops across the river on a boat. The other generals have their own methods of attack, but are met by German resistance. They are able to secure the Nijmegen bridge as General Sosabowski and his troops attempt to reinforce British troops at Arnhem. With the Germans fully aware, their paratroopers are unable to successfully get through to the men at Arnhem and the operation fails. All of the men experience their own hardships and difficulties throughout the operation. General Gavin seems to go through the motions and though he is nervous, is able to devise a semi-successful plan. General Urquhart is faced with many problems from the reconnaissance Jeeps not arriving, to not being able to have any source of communication. Similarly, Sosabowski and his troops experience immediate resistance as they attempt to parachute to their designated drop zone. Though all of the characters had their doubts about Operation Market Garden from the very beginning, their military training kept them from really voicing these concerns and ultimately the operation failed.

A Bridge Too Far. Perf. Ryan O’Neal, Sean Connery, Dirk Bogarde, Gene Hackman,. Joseph E. Levine Production, 1977. Film.

“A Bridge Too Far (film).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far_(film)>.

The movie Gettysburg is a war film written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell and is based on the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. Gettysburg came out in 1993 and is centered around the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. This battle, which took place during the American Civil War, involved the largest number of casualties and is seen by some as the turning point of the war. The movie focuses on many of the military leaders on both the Union and Confederate side over time. Confederate General Robert E. Lee is depicted in the movie as a man that is extremely beloved in the South and is viewed almost as a hero. His troops are extremely devoted to him and are always eager to fight under his command. Another leader, though lower in rank, depicted in the film is Union Colonel Chamberlain. Chamberlain comes off as much more educated than General Lee which most likely comes from his teaching background. Though he is just a common man, he is still extremely passionate about the war and the cause that they are fighting for. He even extends his compassion to the men on the side he is fighting against, even if he cannot understand their views and reasoning for fighting in favor of slavery. Chamberlain also seems much more thoughtful than Lee and thinks about the deeper meaning of the war than simply the glory of it. Both of the men are extremely well respected throughout their troops and even though they have different points of view, they are both very passionate about their sides’ opinion. Aside from the passion that both of these men feel towards their causes, they both have a deeper love for war and the military itself-like many of the other characters that we’ve seen so far. These two characters have many similarities and differences throughout the film, but like most of the war leaders that we’ve encountered so far, they are extremely well respected, and intense about the military and their causes.

“Gettysburg (1993 Film).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_(1993_film)>.

Gettysburg. Perf. Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen. Simitar Entertainment, 1993. Film.

“Battle of Gettysburg.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg>.

The 1989 movie, Glory, is an American war movie based on the personal letters of Colonel Robert Shaw during the Civil War. During this war the country was divided into the Union and the Confederacy due to different views about slavery. Throughout this time period, it was very difficult for whites and blacks to coexist even though some African Americans, like Thomas, were actually free. This is holds true in the military as well. After returning from battle Robert Shaw is asked to be the Colonel of the first negro regiment. Upon first hearing this Robert seems a little shocked and not exactly sure how to react. After talking to his friend, Forbes, it is easy to understand his apprehension. In the world that they were living in, it seemed ridiculous to the military men that there would be black soldiers. At first, Forbes doesn’t even want to accept his friends invitation to accompany him in leading the men. Once the troops are assembled, it is obvious that the men are extremely eager to be in battle and fight for their own freedom. It also becomes obvious that the men will most likely never see battle. Throughout the high standing military officers it is hard to find one that believes in what Robert and the men are doing. They view the troops as a joke even though they may be the most passionate soldiers the military could find at the time. The men are denied essential items such as shoes and are forced to march with blistered feet. It is not until the Colonel goes and demands the items himself that they finally receive proper articles of clothing. This holds true for the uniforms as well. The men were training, sleeping, and living in their regular clothes instead of having proper uniforms. Throughout the movie you can see the struggle that the military men have with dealing with the colored troops from how to treat them, to how to train them. When Private Trip (Denzel Washington) is found “deserting” Robert and the other officers are not sure how to handle the punishment. Though the usual punishment would be to be flogged, they were not sure if that would be appropriate because the private was an ex-slave that had been whipped mercilessly countless times before. They are also unsure how to train them since in the beginning they are sure that the men will never see battle. During this time the entire world was dealing with diversity and how to handle it in everyday lives. The same goes for the people in the military. Though the colored regiment was eager and ready to fight they were laughed at by the higher officials, denied essential items, and experienced difficulty with discipline and training due to differences in color and the beliefs of society.

Citations:

Glory. Perf. Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman. TriStar Pictures, 1989. Film.
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In the movie Patton, a 1970s film about World War II, we are able to see different methods of leadership and how one’s personality influences the way they command others. Two characters that have opposite views when it comes to leadership would be General Patton and Omar Bradley. Patton is a very unique character who is very passionate, loyal, and determined. In the beginning speech we get a good insight into how Patton views war. We learn that Patton’s motives are not entirely patriotic, instead it is Patton’s love of violence that fuels his love of war. Also, we can see that he is a no-nonsense man and that if the soldiers are not there to win, then they may as well not be there at all. From this it is easy to see that his leadership methods are very structured and that he expects each and every one of his men to give one hundred and ten percent. He is the one to push the men to their limits, not support them emotionally. Another example of this would be Patton’s treatment of men who begin to buckle under the mental pressures of war. Patton finds it very difficult to understand these man and therefore is ruthless to them and shows very little mercy. During these times Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was not seen as an actual condition, but instead simply a sign of the weak hearted. Those like Patton who thrived during wartimes were not able to understand men who suffered with the war and therefore did not respect them. Bradley, on the other hand, provides the men with a courageous father figure. The combination of the two men is what makes their leadership so successful. In almost a “good cop, bad cop” fashion, Patton motivates the men and drills them in training while Bradley provides the softer side of leadership; someone that these men would walk through fire for. In my opinion, I think that I would rather be more like Bradley due to the fact that my personality matches up more with his. Instead of his life revolving around war Bradley seems more humane and determined in a different way. While both men are seen as great leaders in war they both have very different methods of how they lead their troops. If I were to chose, I would stand with Bradley’s methods not because I think they are more effective, but because I would not be able to lead the ruthless way that Patton does.

“Patton (film).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patton_(film)>.

“Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder>.

• Different types of leadership and how each method results in different responses in war as well as everyday life.
• More about the wars our country has participated in and the history that led to our involvement as well as people’s reactions.
• How to improve my leadership skills.
• How to use all of the resources provided by the school to the fullest and in a way that is most beneficial.

This semester I learned…

• That though college is difficult and stressful at times, no one is really out to get you. There are so many opportunities for extra help and so many people in general that are just happy to give their assistance. If you look for help, you’ll find it. And not only that, but you have to help yourself too. Give yourself a break. Don’t stress out too bad and just know that if you gave it your all, then there’s nothing more you can do.
• Just because you’re in a large lecture class, doesn’t mean that the professor will never know your name and that you’re just a face in a sea of people. It helps to go up to them. Make them remember you and ask questions. At first I was almost afraid to ask the professor questions and would wait until recitation or ask someone in the class. Then I realized the professors are here for us and most of them actually do care and want you to pass.
• Use every resource! At orientation they would always say “do this it’s free” and then would follow up with “well technically you are paying for it” (with tuition) but this is so true. We pay to go here, we chose to go here so why not use everything given to us? Just by going to the help rooms and signing up for a tutor and visiting office hours, I boosted my confidence in the classes I was struggling with. The same goes for the Rec Center and the Library. We really need to use and just try everything offered here.
• Don’t underestimate yourself. After the first round of midterms, I was seriously debating on dropping down to an easier physics class. I spoke to an advisor and got all the paperwork and then I thought to myself: “are you really gonna give up just like that?” I mean it wasn’t like I did horrible on the first midterm, just not as well as I would’ve liked. I made the ultimate decision to stay in the physics I was in and scored better than 60% of the students taking that course on the second midterm. You should always believe in yourself and when something gets overwhelming, ask for help, see your options, but remember that hardwork will always be rewarded and that if you put limits on yourself, you’ll never find out what you’re truly capable of.

Throughout my life, family has been the most important thing. Growing up with an older brother, my mom would always tell us that no matter what happened, no matter how many friends we had or didn’t have, we would always have each other and that we needed to cherish that. This really shaped me into the person I am today. I also have a very large extended family that I’m very close with. Of my 18 first cousins on my mom’s side, I talk to almost everyone of them. We all meet multiple times a year for holidays and birthdays and in between those events I always hang out and remain in almost constant contact with them. This has also influenced my life a great deal. It was part of the decision to come to Stony Brook- I wanted to always be there when someone needed me or something happened in the family. The thing about my family is that even though we may get annoyed at each other and not talk for a little while, there is nothing that can tear us apart. We all have such a strong connection and even though there are so many of us it really is as if we all grew up together. There’s nothing in this world that I value more than family and just relationships in general. You can have as many friends in the world, but your family is supposed to be the ones that you don’t have to think about. You don’t have to remember their birthdays, you can go to their house and clean out their fridge, you can say what you really think and no matter what you’re bonded by blood. You’ll always have each other for the rest of your lives.

It’s kind of obvious now that I also have a very close relationship with my brother as we spent a lot of time together as kids. I never wanted to play with dolls or wear pretty dresses. I wanted to build bionicles and play video games. I still don’t know if that was because I actually liked it or if I just wanted to do everything my brother was doing, but either way I always enjoyed it and I still do without him so I guess there’s your answer. Another thing that’s been a huge passion throughout my life is cooking. Whenever my brother would have friends over I’d always be in the kitchen making cookies, brownies, grilled cheese, pretty much anything they wanted. Again this was partially to gain acceptance from them, but also because I just love to cook. Food is the one thing I think about almost every second of the day. The day I first stumbled upon Food Network was the day my family wanted to disconnect every TV set in the house because that’s all I ever wanted to watch (and do still to this day- I drive my boyfriend nuts sometimes). I have actually debated pursuing a career in cooking but, like many childhood dreams, I’ve packed that one up and am saving it for later (maybe I’ll open a restaurant someday- I’m not sure if I can completely let go of this dream). Where I think this passion stems from is really my obsession of creating. I love drawing, coloring, painting, anything that takes something and transforms it. There are endless possibilities when you are the creator. From flour, butter, and sugar I can make a cake. From paper, some pigment, and a brush I can turn something plain into something that catches the eye.

The Spanish language has also been a great influence in my life. Of course we’re all required to take another language usually starting in middle school, but for some reason Spanish has just stuck with me. I picked it up right away and was one of the best speakers in most of my classes. Because of this I’ve decided to continue to learn Spanish in college and hopefully become fluent. I’m also thinking about taking another language course. This also influenced my decision to come to Stony Brook as well. Due to there great study abroad program, it just seemed like the obvious choice.

I have so many dreams in my life. So many things that I’m passionate about that sometimes it’s hard to truly know where my life is heading. All I know is that I’m going to do the best I can with what I’m given and always have fun with it. With my 18 cousins behind me and the rest of my amazing family I can’t help but feel that there’s nothing in this world that I can’t do.