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