This movie is an excellent depiction of what may happen during actual wartime. The military always is forced to deal with extreme survival situations especially in the battlefield. Each member of the military is expected to trust one another to ensure survival of the whole team. Despite needing to preserve the entire personal, the American army in Black Hawk Down follows a strict no man left behind policy. The General of the Army makes it completely clear that despite all odds, no man shall be left behind. This policy is not taken lightly and it is well exemplified through the actions of Sergeant Hoot, Eversmann and the entire personal of the US Army.

To start off, soldiers in the military are trained to deal with any possible situation that may arise in combat. Especially in an African environment, the conditions for soldiers in the movie, Black Hawk Down, were extremely harsh. They were forced to deal with the desert heat, and had to be cautious of the entire Somalian population in Mogadishu. There were hostile rebel groups amongst the population led by warlords who possessed a dangerous level of firepower. Despite these conditions, the military personal had not been in direct contact with the enemy and many soldiers, (Sergeant Eversmann), had never even fired upon another person before. This is why during the infiltration many soldiers were confused and were not prepared to deal with a high level of resistance. No amount of training can prepare them for every single situation on the battlefield. They may have to fire upon children even and have to deal with losing comrades and friends.

While prioritizing on the mission at hand, it was made clear that the soldiers valued their lives before the initial mission. The mission quickly turned into pursuing any fallen soldiers on the battlefield, and as a result, many more soldiers were killed in action. I believe that it is completely necessary to first preserve the life of an entire military force. Logically speaking, it makes much more sense, to leave fallen comrades and push through to complete the mission. This may or may not preserve the lives of more soldiers. Morally speaking, this is not the general course of action that must be taken. Of course it is important to complete the mission and push through despite losing people. But I believe the only way to preserve a military force is by valuing each life at equal value. Not man should be expendable. Each man must be cherished. This is why in my eyes, it makes sense to save as many as you can in battle. Fight like hell and don’t give up until you are completely drained of life. However, it is true that you can’t save every man. Some men will get injured and will die, that is simply out of our control. It is important to try your hardest to ensure the safety of your life and the lives of the people around you. The mission comes after that.

Source : BLACK HAWK DOWN (2001)

This movie really took a different perspective. It brought us home to a world behind all of the action that takes on a battlefield. The military, being a nation’s first line of defense, was created to protect the people within a country and was created to preserve that country. The main duty of the marines involved in A Few Good Men, was guarding the border at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, since it is considered a US territory. To ensure that marines complete their duty, a heavy amount of discipline is needed to keep the marines prepared for any situation that presents itself. However, as seen in the movie, A Few Good Men, abuse of discipline (Code Red) can lead to tragic events like the death of Willy Santiago.

I firmly believe that discipline is a necessity when maintaining order among men. In the military especially, soldiers are expected to follow their chain of command. They must respect their senior officer and are expected to carry out orders without any doubts. Following orders is not only intended for completing tasks. It also creates trust between leaders and their subordinates. As stated in the movie, following orders means that a soldier is placing his life in the hands of the senior officer and vice versa. However this only seems logical if the ones’ giving the orders were without a doubt, morally just leaders. When leaders like Colonel Jessup and Lieutenant Kendrick abuse their power, their commands may turn immoral. However, at this point I feel that it should be up to the man receiving the orders to make the right decision for himself at a moral standing. The major issue in the film was the Red Code. A code where the members of a squad punish their fellow members to ensure that there is discipline. According to the squad of Santiago, they did this to strengthen him and to establish trust within the squad. However as Lieutenant Kaffee investigates further, the truth becomes more apparent. Instead of helping their fellow squad member, they bullied him into wanting to transfer. When Santiago decided to leak information of an illegal firing in exchange for this transfer, the higher up official, (Colonel Jessup) decided to give the orders for a “Code Red.” Not expecting things to escalate, Colonel Jessup then pinned the death of Santiago on the two Marines in question.

I believe that it was wrong of Colonel Jessup to leave his subordinates to punish Santiago. Of course it is important for their to be trust in a team, the problem in Santiago’s case was that he was being bullied for sucking at his job. When he wanted out, they denied him because they knew that his false medical examination would be considered a major mistake in a professional setting (I honestly hate that doctor). As a result, corruption grows and more people are betrayed. FRom what I have observed in a societal perspective, sometimes when people are given authority, the power goes to their heads. They feel more important then everyone else and as exemplified in the movie, partake in corrupt activities because they feel as though they can get away with it. Some famous person once said, “with power comes responsibility.” In the case of the military, Colonel Jessup was in charge of protecting a border and ensuring the safety of the citizens of this country. As a leader of a military base, he was also responsible for securing the safety of his subordinate officers, same with Lieutenant Kendrick (Jack Bauer). However, by placing themselves on a pedestal, they valued their lives and publicity more than they valued the lives of their soldiers and that is why Santiago died. Also, the two members of the squad should’ve though for themselves at this point and should have determined what was moral. As stated in the movie, it’s their job to defend those are weaker not punish them for being weak. In the real world setting corruption and abuse of power can hurt a lot of people. It is the responsibility of a leader and soldier not to forget what they are protecting.

Sources: A FEW GOOD MEN

     In times of war, soldiers always have orders they must follow. Without orders, soldiers lack a sense of guidance and are thrown into a state of chaos. However are orders the only thing that soldiers must follow. In my opinion there is something more. Soldiers must also fight with their heart. By simply following orders they’re nothing more than mindless zombies. In WW2, many of the German officials during the Nuremberg Trials, stated that they were just simply following orders. However, this does not justify the devastating actions they committed against the Jewish Population.  Just following orders is wrong and a true soldier must have heart when in the battlefield. 

       In Saving Private Ryan, Captain Miller along with his squad perfectly exemplifies what it means to be a true soldier. Following orders, Captain Miller leads 8 men into France to search for Private Ryan who is to be sent home due to the loss of his three brothers. But for Captain Miller, simply following orders was not enough. Along with his team he engages in several battles to ensure the survival of the American Army. I was also impressed with his philosophy that for every life that he loses, even his own, thousands of lives are saved. He is a man that focuses on the big picture, and instead of following orders, he uses his better judgment to help soldiers and prevents them from dying. 

        A true soldier is defined by his actions on the battlefield not by his ability to complete his mission. Captain Miller didn’t just save Private Ryan, he used his military skills to suppress the German and prevented them from hurting American troops in the future. His tendency to never give up at all costs is shown at the end when he continuously shoot a pistol at a tank. I honestly though that he caused the tank to explode but that’s not possible. However, that scene greatly depicted his will power and his justification. 

Source: Saving Private Ryan

World War 2 is known to be the most destructive war in the history of mankind. As technological improvement to war weapons, developed, the sheer destruction and annihilation grew to become extremely powerful. Along with this, the death toll of man also skyrocketed and all battles came to a bloody end. These harsh circumstances are exemplified in the movie, “A Bridge Too Far.” Operation Market Garden was the collaborative effort between the United States, Great Britain, and Poland to secure a bridge in Arnhem,  to create a path into Germany. Although the attack was planned out, it failed due to, in my opinion, overconfidence and poor organization.

There were four Airborne Commanders that played a key role in Operation Market Garden. They were Generals Taylor, Gavin, Urquhart and Sosabowski. I’m going to first judge the actions taken by General Urquhart played by my favorite James Bond- Sean Connery. Urquhart was a British Major General who, at the time of the invasion of Arnhem, was new to airborne command. He had never commanded an airborne battalion before and was also prone to air sickness. His inexperience showed in Arnhem. When dropped into Arnhem, Urquhart lost all strategic points and was held up by the German Army for nine days unsupported. By the time he was ordered to evacuate, he’d lost over 8,000 of his 10,000 troops. The major flaws in Urqahart’s leadership were that he was inexperienced, and that he held too much confidence in the plan. He saw Operation Market Square, a plan most people saw as unsuccessful, as a great plan with 100% probability of success. The fact that he boosted about ending the war before Christmas, didn’t help either. Also his poor organization of his troops administered his defeat. A major flaw in the battle was that the radios did not work properly due to the haste of attacking. As a result, communications were down and the battalions were in the dark.

General Gavin was an American General who was famous for his Airborne Command. He was an experienced airborne commander at the time of the invasion of Arnhem unlike General Ulquhart. He knew from the beginning that there wasn’t enough time to prepare for the attack. However despite the odds stacked against him he was still able to push through. He also showed a deeper care for his troops. I feel like he valued his soldiers more. He made sure that his troops were covered during the river cross. Also, it felt like he was a real soldier. While Ulquhart pulled his James Bonds stunts, General Gavin fought on the frontlines with his troops as exampled through his efforts on the bridge. He even parachuted with his troops and suffered a cracked spine. He was able to push with the help of Michael Caine (Alfred), to one mile away from their main objective.

General Sosabowski, was a Polish General who worked with the allies to fight off the Nazis. He was definitely the smartest of the four generals. Also you got to love his badass accent. This general initially had a problem when Operation Market Garden was presented to him. He knew that the Germans would want to secure the bridges into the Rhineland and did not want to send his troops into a potential massacre. However he also shows compassion and loyalty when he begs to be air dropped in order to aid the allies. Once dropped into the battle ground, he shows his military expertise when ordering his troops to cross the river. His military extinct helped him save many of his troops from a potential massacre. Another appealing factor is the fact that he is not in the war for the glory but for the sake of ending the fighting and liberating Europe.

General Taylor seems like a great Commander however he was absent for most of the attack so there isn’t much to say.

The Civil War is known to send chills down spines. It was considered one of the bloodiest wars in America. Also the fact that the war played brother against brother deemed it as a hell on earth. The motivations of each side played the most important role in determining the victor. In Gettysburg it was made apparent that the Confederate soldiers fought for sake of winning. They wanted to protect their “rights” and wanted to rid themselves of the Union. The Union soldiers as demonstrated by Colonel Chamberlin, fought not for the sake of fighting but they fought for something more than themselves. They fought to free the slaves and to preserve the Union. They wanted to gives the slaves a fighting chance to become respected people. As stated in the movie by Colonel Chamberlin’s Second in Command, no man is truly equal, but everyman deserves a fighting chance. Men make themselves equal by proving their worth. Slaves were never given this chance. This started out as motivation to suppress a rebellion and turned into a fight for survival of the state and a fight for true natural rights.

Colonel Chamberlin is man who lives on sheer determination and willpower. His fight started in Maine with 1000 troops in his command. However as the war raged on, he was left with less than 300. This simple fact gives this protagonist a harsh background showing that the war took its toll on him. Despite his harsh loss, he still proves to be a fantastic leader in the battlefield. Before going to battle he was even able to convert 114 mutineers who were done with the war into fighting under his command by giving them a solid reason to fight. Not only that, but he is a humble man and respects every man equally. This is seen when he treats the mutineer private with informality and when he a various occasions walks like the rest of his soldiers. On the battlefield we see his willpower, when he defeats the Confederate flank. As last on the line, it was his job to make sure the Confederate soldiers were unable to pass through. In this battle, his military strategy of “swinging through like a door” earned the utmost respect and success as he was able to defend his position and capture rebel troops. The key to his success however, isn’t only accredited to his tactics, instead it his willpower and dedication to the cause that brings him victory. 

General Robert E Lee (old granny) was one of the most respected and highly successful military generals of the Civil War Era. He held solid victories against the Union army and it proved his worth as a general. General Lee, also cared for his troops but he let his strive for victory blind him. In aims of achieving one more win, Lee used his whole military force of 70,000 at the Battle of Gettysburg. He was a man who carefully planned out powerful military strategies and was swift. In the Battle of Gettysburg however, he lost the upper hand and instead of flanking from the right, he intended to face the enemy head on. This action is what made him lose. General Lee, was too concerned with crushing the enemy that he exhausted his man power by sending them into and open battlefield. His pride as a General drew him to make the wrong decision in the end and as a result he lost. Also, I felt that there was a lack of true motivation. He wasn’t really fighting for anything accept for the sake of winning. 

Comparing the two military leaders, we see that Chamberlin was successful because of his sheer willpower. Willpower motivated by something as powerful as freeing men, is great strength and will generally always bring victory. To Chamberlin he just and in the right. Fighting for the right reason brings the thought that, “we must win”. Lee on the other hand, is fighting for winning. He must realize that his reasons aren’t just and as a result, he treated the War as a fight not as a battle for freedom. 

Sources: http://digitalcampus.swank.com/stonybrook/SDC/Watch.aspx?v=2bc0246b612740cf8e08a839f1c9bcf6

Gettysburg

AP US History Knowledge

The military represents a community titled with the utmost respect and bravery. The members of this community accredit their success and respect to their strict discipline. Through the military, humans have learned that discipline is the key to success. Without discipline, a military is nothing more than a bunch of animals. We see this exemplified by the black “soldiers” led by Colonel Montgomery. Lacking discipline they are classified as animals who unjustly commit violent acts.

During the Civil War, diversity within the military was frowned upon due to the backwards belief black soldiers were useless and should only be used for labor work. Colonel Shaw however, was able to use his skills as a leader and applied strict discipline to prove to the entire nation that all soldiers were equal. Diversity in the military was necessary to win the Civil War and is necessary in any situation. It gives an army more fighting strength and also especially during the Civil War, gives an army more motivation. The morale in the colored regiment was exceptionally high because they had a good reason to fight for. Diversity brings all sorts of motivation to an army and these motivations united can give an army more strength on the battlefield. Diversity can also bring a variety of skill sets. For example, one of the privates in the regiment, (I cannot recall his name) brought expert shooting accuracy. This can be extremely beneficial in a time where sniper rifles and scopes did not exist.

I believe that through the sacrifice the 54th made, the entire nation was able to see that soldiers are soldiers no matter what color. Colonel Shaw was able to achieve his success by training his regiment through strict discipline. He turned a group of unfit men and made them into a respectable and brave regiment. He proved that his colored regiment was just as strong and skilled as any white regiment.  Connecting the movie to everyday life, I believe that discipline is the key to any success. In our lives, disciple can make us mentally stronger and can make us limitless. When I say limitless, I mean that any goal is within our reach. When I say discipline I mean getting up early, keeping your room clean; having a daily routine. With this, humans can reach success no matter how hard. Having discipline in our lives will keep us going through life like an army through battle.

Sources:

http://digitalcampus.swank.com/stonybrook/SDC/Watch.aspx?v=a38693032c1d44a68c95f9ef7ee1add2

Glory

The movie Patton, presents the viewer with two very different generals, General Patton and General Bradley, through the course of World War 2. The two generals do in fact, prove to be great war generals but their differences show the true path towards success.

General Patton is represented as an old military man, who firmly instills his strict ideals on all of his troops. The most outlying feature of General Patton is his love for glory. The viewer gets the feeling that General Patton is fighting in the war more for himself than anything else. This conquest for glory is clearly represented when he recklessly captured Messina in Sicily. He also like to write his own poetry and believes in reincarnation. Another feature of General Patton is his tendency to show-off. He has to show himself to be a great hero and of higher power. For example, he replaces his stripes too early in the beginning of the movie to prove his rank. Despite his conquest for glory and his tendency to show off, General Patton’s strict discipline allow him to advance further towards his goals. However at the same time he may lose a couple of soldiers along the way.

General Bradley on the other hand, is completely different. He is much more compassionate then General Patton. He is not fighting the war for glory but instead is fighting it because he was trained to. General Bradley is also much more honest and humble but most importantly cares about each and every life deeply. General Bradley is also patient and is able to attack successfully because he makes sure that everyone is completely ready.

If I had to choose which General I am more like, I would probably say that I would more closely resemble Bradley. I respect his honesty above all else and appreciate his humbleness. Also he doesn’t take the war as his personal sport like Patton does. Instead he values each and every life that he is responsible for on the battlefield. The only thing I would change is that like Patton I would stop at virtually nothing to win, but it would not be for glory but for peace of mind.

• I want to learn how to improve my communication with other individuals
• How I can ensure safety and security as a leader
• How I can establish trust as a leader
• How to strengthen leadership

Hello! My name is Tejas Patel. I am currently a student enrolled at Stony Brook University. At Stony Brook, I am majoring in Biochemistry and am on the path to becoming a doctor. I want to be a doctor because I obviously want to help people, and I want to make a difference. One great desire of mine is to join or start a non-profit humanitarian organization like Doctors Without Borders and bring medical aid to impoverished nations.

Despite my serious profession decision, I have many other interests that many people find surprising. I am a man of adventure. I like to travel and make reckless decisions outdoors. (for example this year I dove 70 feet off of a waterfall.) I am a pursuer of adventure. I love hiking and visiting exotic places. I am also an experienced scuba diver and plan on becoming a master diver within the next two years. I hold I deep love of aquatic activities. I also like to get into sticky situations because I like to be faced with a challenge. I also like to study the stars with my telescope and think about what else is out there. This just a little bit about me. Hopefully if you become close enough, you can learn more!