Generation Kill Part One 'Get Some' First Time Watching! TV Reaction!!

[@TBRSchmitt]

A much different War miniseries compared to our Band of Brothers and The Pacific reactions. Episode one was a blunt and unfiltered look into the lives of Marines and how they interact with each other as well as deal with a Modern Day War. Thank you all for the support!

[@tonyadler1319]

This series is based on the book written by the reporter as portrayed in the show. Fruity Rudy is actually playing himself in this series.

[@nordboya1656]

Wow! This show is so criminally underrated, congrats on choosing this. The screenplay is adapted from the reporters book by David Simon - the guy who wrote the Wire. That is often regarded as the greatest TV show ever made, its certainly the best cop show - and this imho is the best war series. Enjoy, its a wild ride!

[@hanalawrence2855]

Ill subs Now thank about the video

[@tonyadler1319]

@@nordboya1656 Yes, they should watch the Wire sometime but it will be a bit of a marathon. That's ok, it's one of the best series of all time.

[@waterbeauty85]

Make sure to watch the end credits. The cast cast has in character voice over conversions during the credits that are both entertaining and enlightening.

[@andtheinternettkills]

This series is the most realistic depiction of contemporary military life. I cant tell you how weird the conversation gets after being stuck in a vehicle with 3 other guys 16 hours a day for a week

[@TBRSchmitt]

Yeah I’m sure as time goes by the conversations just completely go off the edge lol!

[@Alfaqwad]

The stories I could tell. I was in during the first war in Iraq. And agree about going off the rails when you're deployed

[@wooptiedoo3933]

I tell people this all the time. This show is the closest I've seen to my time in Iraq. My boss was in the first marsoc team and helped create it. He told me he knows some of these guys personally and most of them don't talk after the war. I'm still close friends with the unit I deployed with in the army.

[@alecwelker4353]

Can confirm. We talk about all sorts of shit and talk all. Sorts. Of. Shit. Marines are not PC in any sense of the word 😂😂😂

[@smithgdwg]

I like how they even left the little things in there, like the Charms.

[@Itstwofourteen]

"Ray, the Battalion Commander offered no SITREP as to J-Lo's status" is one of the greatest lines I've ever fucking heard, and this show is filled with them 🤣

[@TBRSchmitt]

Haha not sure how people could focus not knowing if she is okay or not!

[@laurencelikestopgun]

Fun Fact Regarding the J-Lo Scene: In the book, the writer (Rolling Stone) joked that when he called his girlfriend he thought about asking her if J-Lo was alive because the rumor about it was so strong that even he was having doubt

[@TBRSchmitt]

Hahaha that’s great! She still dominates the entertainment industry so a similar rumor would probably be just as devastating today as it was back then

[@bamarine247]

To clarify the veteran status, 1st Recon was a mixed bag at the time of invading Iraq. Some younger Marines like Trombley were seeing combat for the first time. Others though like Brad Colbert had experience with Recon just prior to this in Afghanistan, while some like Poke and LT Fick were regular infantry in Afghanistan, and joined Recon before Iraq. And a few, like Gunny Wynn, had been in the Marines going back to Somalia and Desert Storm, ten years before.

[@Csetnikke]

Also the officers like Captain America and Encino Man were military intelligence analysts before Iraq so they had no battlefield leadership experiences. Lt.Col. Ferrando was the commander of a parade unit before becoming the commander of the 1st Recon.Thus the high priority of attention on the grooming standards.

[@Patrick-xv6qv]

Lt. Flick wrote a good book about his experience as a Marine officer and his time in Afghanistan and Irag, which coincides with a good amount of things in Generation Kill. The book is titled One Bullet Away the making of a Marine officer. In the book he tells what happened to some of the Marines later in the War that he served with. Several were killed during the Battle of Falluja

[@daniels6895]

@@Patrick-xv6qv coolest thing was everyone got back with Fick before he got out, seemed from the book like he thought it his best result as a leader

[@Patrick-xv6qv]

@@daniels6895 Flick was a good officer and a good Marine. I met him once briefly when I was in Afghanistan with Naval Intelligence and we debriefed him and his men on a mission they ran. That was before he went back to the states and joined Recon. He was sharp and very detailed and very intelligent.

[@fester2306]

When Colbert says "Marines make do," the actor says it with such a great mix of pride and resignation.

[@andrewcharlton4053]

V.Accurate. It sucks to not have kit, but proud that you know you can make do and complete the mission despite that.

[@Itstwofourteen]

Semper Gumby, always flexible 🤣😅

[@vaahtobileet]

I like how they deleted my comment because I said the actor is Swedish and therefore has military experience :D

[@JnEricsonx]

@@vaahtobileet I remember after this came out, I thought, "This man needs to be Thor OR Captain America." Instead, him and his brother played Stephen King villains

[@seandlax9]

Resignation because the USMC is, traditionally, fucking awful at logistics and does next to nothing to fix it. An Army supply sergeant who didn't bring enough batteries to power a units optics, night vision, and thermals on the eve of a major invasion would have been fired on the spot. Possibly charged under UCMJ for dereliction of duty.

[@lopec87]

Such a great show I feel like hardly anyone has seen, and for such a contemporary event for so many of us.

[@TBRSchmitt]

Very interesting so far! Surprised I hadn’t heard of it until comments started recommending it! Hopefully it gets more exposure!

[@phj223]

Fun "fact", I think a fairly high percentage of Swedes has seen it, since it was pretty much our man Alexander Skargård's first big break in a US production. :) Now to be honest, I've always (and still do) consider him to be a highly mediocre actor, but hey - he's Swedish so YAY..!

[@haroldvonschwartzenstien3581]

It’s all good until Ray runs out of Rip Fuel…

[@Skysoldier505]

"Is that guy the fashion police?" Yup, pretty much every Sergeant Major ever lol. They're just lucky there was no grass for them to get caught walking on.

[@Papadoc1981]

LOL! Your brought back some memories. I literally saw a SM stick his head out of his office window and chew out a soldier for walking across the grass of his unit.

[@VittoIB]

I was *just* discharged from the Corps when this show came out, and it's damn eerie how accurate it is. They went to places I was deployed to, and the map they included in the box set was pretty much the same route my unit took. Absolutely unreal.

[@brendanmatelan2129]

Schmitt, Mrs. Schmitt, Rudy "Fruity Rudy" Reyes played himself in this series. He was one of the Marines of 1st Recon that invaded Iraq.

[@agenttheater5]

Heard he said that he's toured once in Afghanistan and twice in Iraq (or maybe it was the other way around I'm not sure) and that acting was the scariest thing he'd ever done. From what I remember every time he was mentioned in the book there was at least one reference to his strength, fighting skills or beauty - apparently the others used to jump him to test their skills against his, and he basically always won).

[@TBRSchmitt]

Trained to be a Marine, but it’s always scary to try something out of your comfort zone! Haha I wouldn’t want to test against him in either beauty or fighting!

[@mickemerson1339]

There is so much of this show that is incredibly accurate having been an infantry Marine in Iraq myself

[@FuryOfCalderon]

Reporter is the guy who wrote the book this show is based on. It's about as real as they could get it for tv.

[@gapjunction11]

Nope. The author is Evan Wright and he was played by actor Lee Tergesen

[@FuryOfCalderon]

@@gapjunction11 That's what I said, yeah.

[@andreraymond6860]

@@gapjunction11 Though his name never actually comes up. He's just 'Reporter' in the series.

[@gapjunction11]

@@FuryOfCalderon Than I somehow have wildly misunderstood your first comment. My apologies.

[@chris-y7d1i]

@@gapjunction11Even with the explanation it doesn't make sense really

[@Jay-ln1co]

If you remember from Pacific, the Marines there had WW1 era bolt-action rifles and water-cooled machine guns while the self-loading M1 Garands and air-cooled M1919s were standard issue across most of the US military. Marines always get the short end of the stick.

[@ca9968]

#laughsinbritisharmy

[@seandlax9]

They don't get the short end of the stick. That's just their excuse for being fucking awful at logistics, and spending all that money on like 18 different uniforms.

[@LittleVillage24]

They're Recon Marines which are close to Navy Seals and Green Berets. Generation Kill focuses on the absurdity of war. The Pacific focuses on the horror of war. Band of Brothers focuses on the brotherhood of war and how one individual soldier can make a big difference.

[@Foksuh]

Good way to put it. WW2 also had far better justifications but modern wars like invasion of Iraq was all based on lies.

[@dastemplar9681]

That’s a pretty high tier comparison there. They’re not as covert as SEALs or Green Berets. They’re more like the Rangers in the Marine Corps. Stuff like MARSOC or Raiders are more like the SEALs or Green Berets.

[@LittleVillage24]

@@dastemplar9681 It was the Marines first attempt at special forces but you're right they're labeled as second tier although the amount of training that goes into recon is on par with tier one.

[@reecedignan8365]

@@LittleVillage24 you do know that Navy Seals are tier 2 operators right? Rangers and 1st Recon are both Tier 3 Operators (Ranger pushing in Tier 2). Tier 3 stands for special operations groups that are still part of the common military structure. I.e. 1st Recon and Rangers are still both standard operation combat units just with a higher tier of training that makes them special above the standard infantryman. Tier 2 operators are special force units of which can be accessed by civilians from the beginning - examples being 23 SAS Reserves, Navy Seals, Spetznaz and Green Berets. They receive special forces training and are spec ops operators, however that ability to be accessible to civilians from the very start. Tier 1 Operators are taken entirely from the military. No civilians may access these units they will only take those with long term military experience that have been sourced by their own recruitment teams - examples of these being 22 SAS, Delta Force, Seal Team Six, Alpha Unit (tier 1 Russian Special Forces). These troops will go even deeper into spec ops training and with heavy experience in the military prior to their acceptance allows them to go deeper into the training and also gives them a boost outside of training as they will already have combat experience in teams and units.

[@Travis-.]

@@reecedignan8365 Rangers are not Tier 3, they're Tier 2. They are sometimes bumped to Tier 1 during deployments and Operate in JSOC TFs, like in Syria. Recon and Rangers are not on the same level at all.

[@As5a5iN95]

I highly recommend Generation Kill the book. It's a really good read, and you get a lot more details of what These guys went through.

[@deiwi]

One Bullet Away by Nate Fick is also great and fills in some gaps.

[@Itstwofourteen]

So damn true! Both "One Bullet Away" and "Generation Kill" are incredible books.

[@Fullsendfilosophy]

I'm a marine I can't read

[@thanossnap4170]

@@deiwi Read them both after wathcing this series way back. Amazing reads, both of them. And since "person" was my fav. character in the series, i so loved how the books described him as a savant at radio coms. He knew every channel and codeword for everything, even if he just woke up. Also after reading the books, Fick became a hero of mine. What a man.

[@tytoalbasoren9457]

3:32 The marine in the t-shirt who just got a handycam passed to him is Jason Lilley and has a yt channel Savage Actual where he does reactions on games, shows, movies and even yt shorts with a fellow veteran Patrick Moltrup. Recently, they went airsoft milsim with some of his buddies.

[@7bootzy]

Fun fact: The guy near the beginning who gets his camera tossed back by the sergeant is now a KZbinr who does military reactions for a channel called SAVAGE Actual.

[@miguelzurita3216]

I stumbled on Jason Lilley's channel a while back, he did a Livestream with Rudy Reyes and Ray Person. 1st Reacon was having a reunion nothing but good vibes for them

[@dernwine]

Spending your own money on your own equipment is really common, I'm in the British Army and we routinely buy our own equipment. Things I've bought include a waterproof jacket, sleeping bag, roll mat, backpack, webbing, trousers, cold weather jacket, fleece, etc, and magazine pouches, and I'm considered someone who goes easy on spending my own money on equipment. In other news, Generation Kill is incredibly accurate to military life, it's what I show people when I want to explain what being in a warzone is actually like. Long hours of talking absolute shit, bullshit from the chain of command, and the occasional bit of life or death excitement. *Edit* The reason you don't see training in this but you do in Band of Brothers, when the 101st was stood up for WW2, the unit had to be created from scratch, everyone was new. The Marines going into Iraq where professional career soldiers, who had been in for years.

[@TheSuspectOnFoot]

Sounds bizarre to me as a Finn that you have to buy basic stuff like warm clothing while it goes the other way here as conscripts occasionally steal the issued clothing and use at home. Even stranger is that you mentioned having to buy a waterproof jacket but even some of our spec ops guys prefer the British army Goretex rain jacket and I've been hopelessly trying to find one from surplus stores so is that not as good as I thought? As for the show, the sequence before the invasion is brief because it's based on the reporter's book so he couldn't write much about what happened before he came in.

[@Eirik_Bloodaxe]

@@TheSuspectOnFootI can’t speak for the Brits, but I was in the Marine Corps myself, and buying your own personal gear wasn’t uncommon. Ofc you get issued a lot of shit like your main pack, assault pack, flak, Kevlar, etc. But a lot of the times, you buy your own things because it’s better, or because you don’t wanna risk losing shit because you know it’ll be a pain in the ass and expensive when you have to turn your gear back in in 4 years. But usually it’s stuff like eye pro, gloves, etc. I can’t imagine buying my own parts to fix a humvee lol.

[@chrisaustin612]

This is spot on...I was a PFC in the Army at the time and a loader on an M1 Abrams...less than a year in...joined to fight the Soviets, got shipped to Germany, painted my tank brown and ended up in the desert...

[@Kendrick-jp7xv]

The marine with The pack of rocks and the gas mask is playing himself. He was a recon marine, they are the elite of the Marine Corps. I remember seeing them doing things like this whole I served in 92-96. This series hits home for me the most just by the attitudes and actions of everyone there are so similar to the marines I served with.

[@4Deadserious]

Hey guys just want to give everyone a breakdown of some of the terminology used as a I've heard it's rough for someone who doesn't know. Sitrep: Situation report Recon Marines: Recon, specifically Force Recon, is a special unit in the Marine Corps known for taking dangerous missions in uncharted territory. Doing, well, recon. Unofficially special forces. Most guys use it as a stepping stone into real SF units like MARSOC. POG: Person Other than Grunt Boot: New guy Victors: Vehicles Rip Fuel: Pretty much caffeine pills Pots: Helmets Kit: Flak and Kevlar 40 Mike Mike: 40mm grenades. Used in grenade launchers AO: Area of Operation Just went through this episode. If there is anything else that you guys don't get hmu in the comments.

[@xrentonx]

There are some aspects of war film that paints us as heros (basically propaganda) that I enjoy, but war films (and shows) that are highly critical of our military and don't just paint them in a positive light I appreciate way more. I love generation kill for showing it all.

[@Foksuh]

Yeaaahh, lets just say this show makes you wonder about the point of the whole war and how its conducted. It aint WW2 thats for sure. They're all real people in the show, based on the reporters writings and adapted by David Simon and Ed Burns both of The Wire fame. Only one thing is for sure, we all love Fruity Rudy!

[@leogothisoscar271]

I've never heard of anyone doing a reaction to GK, so this is exciting. It's very underrated and there are SO many familiar faces in it. Lots of HBO vets as well, such as the reporter (Beecher from Oz) and the wise-cracking driver (The Wire).

[@seandlax9]

GK's problem is that it's so realistic when it comes to contemporary military life, that it's hard to approach for civilians.

[@mohammedashian8094]

@@seandlax9 which is probably the reason why it’s not mentioned that much

[@Kreege]

"ripped fuel" was an ephedrine-based workout supplement that was banned in the US in 2006. It was commonly used by infantrymen as a stimulant to keep them awake for long periods when they were lacking sleep. When I got to my fleet operating unit in 2008 there were a few guys who had stockpiled a bunch before the ban and still had a bit left.

[@ChuckS117]

Person has some of the most memorable lines I have ever heard. Enjoy the wild ride that is this show.

[@FuryOfCalderon]

This is my favorite war movie/show ever made. Dialogue is amazing. Stay frosty.

[@woeshaling6421]

Jarhead is a depiction of the first gulf war. similar setting, slightly different vibes, but a good movie in general.

[@808INFantry11X]

According to LT. Fick he listened to the audio book of Jarhead and he hated it threw it out of his car LOL

[@miguelzurita3216]

​@@808INFantry11XI need to see this, I saw the first movie and liked parts of it, and other parts felt so Hollywood

[@travisgray8376]

This show is based off the Rolling stone journalist. Released in 2004 it's about his experiences during the invasion of Iraq. This miniseries is based off his 2004 book.

[@clearsmashdrop5829]

I love the radio traffic in this series.

[@andrewcharlton4053]

Really glad to see you reacting to this. It has a lot of lingo and slang. Google it if it's hard since its key to understanding the dialogue. This is so accurate to how a modern platoon rolls especially the dialogue. Strap in, got the CLP and crayons ready. In terms of combat experience, most of the 'main' characters, Fick, Colbert, Persson and Gunny Winn etc have all served in the early Afghanistan war and were supposed to be in the Tora Bora assault that never happened. Others are new ie Trombeley, Encino man etc.

[@leewaffe3]

"Rip Fuel...whats that?" oh my sweet summer child...an elixer only those who have scorched the earth in the 120+ heat of Iraq and Afghanistan will only know....the best energy drink ever provided to any serving combative across the war on terror

[@parkeydavid]

The guy fixing the HUMVEE is also one of three actual RECON Marines that took part in the invasion of Iraq.

[@matticus4205]

Fuck. Yes. So excited to see y'all watch this series. This is hands down my all time favorite HBO series. Get some TBR, y'all are in for a ride.

[@fritzk3627]

So glad you are covering this series!!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@jethromartin5527]

To give to you on a personal note; The men portrayed in this show members of the 1st Marine recon battalion of the 1st Marine division. Majority of the men that the actors are portraying had seen combat before.

[@calebcarcagno7547]

YES! I literally gasped with excitement when I saw you'd posted this. Such a fantastic, and underrated, series. Can't wait to see what you both think of it.

[@zerodark3505]

One of my favorite shows, I was so happy to see the thumbnail today

[@EpicMRPancake]

I'm reposting my comment from another reaction: About releasing the surrendering troops - In this war, the coalition needs to move fast. The style of warfare is Blitzkrieg, or manoeuvre warfare. You noticed how lightly armed and armoured the recon marines are. If they get stuck by the overwhelming enemy forces (Iraqi army, elite Republican Guard, or Fedayeen paramilitaries), not only are they in serious trouble, but the whole invasion could be compromised. The reason they let the surrenders go is because they lacked the means to receive them, this unit is speeding many kilometers ahead of any other coalition units. The surrenders didn't go the way the Marines came because there's naught but desert for ages, the closest settlement was Nasiriyah or Basra (i forget which). It's Important in this series that you watch the end credits of episodes 6 and 7. You'll understand when you hear them. You can watch the end credits of all the other episodes too, they play real radio chatter from the Marines. But it is episodes 6 and 7 that you cannot miss. Otherwise, glad you're watching this show. Just keep in mind this excerpt from the back cover of the book: "... They were a new breed of warrior unrecognisable to their forebears - soldiers raised on hip-hop, Internet porn, and video games, a desperate band of born-again Christians, dopers, Buddists, and New Agers who gleaned their precepts from Kung Fu movies and Oprah Winfrey. Cocky, brave, headstrong, wary, and mostly unprepared for the physical, emotional and moral horrors ahead, the 'First Suicide Battalion' would spearhead the blitzkrieg on Iraq, and be among the first American combat units baptised in the horrors of Iraq's terrifying guerilla war. Generation Kill is the funny, frightening, and profane firsthand account of these remarkable men, of the personal toll of victory, and of the randomness, brutality, and camaraderie of a new American war."

[@Perfectly_Cromulent351]

You have to keep in mind that all the racist and misogynistic things they say and the complete disregard for human life some of these marines display is just black humor and it’s mostly said in jest. It’s an age-old way of coping with the stress and anxiety of being at war.

[@MM-vs2et]

I disagree. There are actual people with racist and misogynistic beliefs, and went to the military to act on them legally. It's in the minority of course, like in the show, it's really only Chaffin and Manimal that are these two extremes. But still, coping with the stress and anxiety doesn't force you to be racist and misogynistic. There are other, less toxic ways.

[@ExUSSailor]

This series does such a great job of representing what a poorly planned, confusing clusterf**k Iraqi Freedom really was. Also, Rudy Reyes plays himself in this series. Most of these guys had already seen extensive combat in Afghanistan. Much like the unit I was with, they were redeployed to Kuwait in preparation for the invasion of Iraq.

[@ExUSSailor]

You learn very quickly to be able to sleep when, and, where you can. Charms are candies that have been in U.S. military rations since WW2. Marines believe them to be bad luck.

[@seandlax9]

@@ExUSSailor It's not just a Marine thing with charms, you'll see it in Army units as well. No idea what the Navy thinks of charms, and the USAF would be confused when asked, wondering if it was some sort of peasant joke they were too rich to understand.

[@04m11]

Most of this is true, when my unit had to scrounge up covers from a surplus store, before being deployed to kuwait. You would be amazed and horrified how many units were deployed that shouldn't have, they sent people out there with half the gear that was needed to be mission effective

[@daletaylor5589]

Having been in Kuwait and Iraq, in a different unit, when this took place I can confirm the J-LO rumors did happen and the sand storm was much worse. Don't let political stuff cloud your judgment soldiers and marines do not make policies. The Humvees really did suck and ours also had no armor of course we were just army engineers.

[@julianhernandez9646]

Lmfao, the J-Lo rumors were real? That’s so funny

[@daletaylor5589]

@@julianhernandez9646 they absolutely were.

[@lightsabr2]

Fun fact if ya'll didn't know: Sgt. Rodolfo 'Rudy' Reyes -- Fruity Rudy -- Is both the actor and the character. The actual dude who was the marine in the unit went back home to Cali after the Marines, did some acting, and was cast as himself when they adapted GK.

[@McPh1741]

The Sgt.Maj who was so concerned with the grooming standards was arrested and charged with child molestation some years later in real life.

[@mohammedashian8094]

They obviously didn’t follow the grooming standards smh 🤦‍♂️

[@Drainege]

Actually yelped when I saw this uploaded, one of my favourite series!!

[@JS-ct3kr]

Jarhead would be a great companion movie for this series if you all haven't seen it already. Different wars, but similar vibe.

[@spddracer]

Trained to execute, only to be denied the execution of skill.

[@fritzk3627]

Jarhead is a terrible film that shits on marines…

[@warlockEd73]

@@fritzk3627 Agreed. As a former Marine, to me it was aggrandizing what we called a shit bird. A substandard Marine. But then I tries watching Generation Kill twice, and couldn't make it through it. It just doesn't ring true in various ways.

[@spencerbookman2523]

@@warlockEd73 Like Black Hawk Down, the movie version of Jarhead cuts a lot of corners when it comes to characterization. Both movies really short change the books they were based on, to the point where they start to look silly. I'm not a Marine (and reading Jarhead didn't make me wish I had become one, either) but it seems like Anthony Swofford, the author of Jarhead, wasn't a substandard Marine (but he wasn't perfect, either).

[@jregulatori4672]

The Marine SGTMAJ is so realistic in this movie. Often times 1st SGT's are the same way. Back in the mid 2000s I was on a smaller base (COP) in Al Anbar with limited electricity so our haircuts were infrequent. Plus electric hair trimmers often die with that heat and blowing sand. I needed to pick up supplies on a larger base (FOB) at like 2am in the morning. As we're unloading, I hear the infamous "Hey Devil! Come here!!!" (Higher ranked enlistment love to use the shortened "devil" instead of devildog before they yell at you). The SgtMaj was seriously a good 50yds+ yards away with limited visibility but spotted our haircuts. Ended up screamed at for 5 min for our haircuts. Mind you, I hadn't taken an actual shower in 3 months unless you count baby wipes. Got to love the Marines. Generation Kill is by far the most realistic war movie from a Marine grunt perspective. I was only a 0311 but it's the same exact dialogue/conversations. Watching it is like listening to how we actually spoke to each other.

[@suitednate2012]

“What’s Ripped Fuel?” Lol

[@joshcasey8519]

Cool thing about Rudy Reyes, is that he’s actually a Force Recon Marine playing himself.

[@7Rendar]

The battery thing ring sooo true for me. We couldn't get batteries for our active ear protection during my military service. And this was in Sweden. In peace time. At the shooting range. A couple of kilometers from the base! 😆

[@hippoace]

iirc, the show is based on the book the reporter wrote after his experience being embedded with the marines.

[@mattyjay1711]

That j.lo being dead always came back during every deployment. Also, those big bases in Iraq in Afghanistan have all kinds of food choices, like a food court in a mall. Craziness.

[@diablo56100]

Fun fact, Rudy was the Marine you saw packing in all his gear for that run in the beginning. He is an actual Marine and yes his name is Rudy plus he is Marine Force Recon/Marine Raider. The Special Forces of the Marines. This documentary was based on the 1st Recon Battalion 1st Marine Division being the tip of the spear in the war of Iraq

[@PhilosophyForTheMops]

The US had a standing army since the cold war. Thit unit had recent combat xp from Afganistan, while the band of brothers were untrained conscripts. The main reason the story starts when it do is that it´s writen by the reporter.

[@Leprechaunlock]

It is always a treat to see how regular people react to how Marines act and talk. When you guys said "I wonder if when they see combat how much of their tone is gonna change." As if they aren't aware that war can be horrifying. Marines are taught ever since boot that was is going to be hell but we are also taught to embrace it. It fucks up a lot of dudes and it is a bleak truth that some enjoy it. But it is almost any Marines dream to see combat even at our own determent.

[@dalleravn]

A little warning. this is not band or brothers or the pacific, it is its own show, and veary diffrent. the series is told from the view point of the reporter, and i think some of the marines in the film actully where the marines who entered Iraq.:) so glad your finaly doing this series, i have waited so long for it so thank you guys!:D Edit: ohh and i am not saying yoy shouldn't compere those 3 series, just that you need to prebare for it is not the same:)

[@numbersasaname2291]

Don’t forget, TBR, this is the story of YOUR generation!!

[@pellejutterstrom]

This was Swedish Alexander Skarsgård's first real major role in the USA, fortunately we who grew up in the 80's did military service because it was mandatory with conscription in Sweden until 2010. So he had some idea of ​​how it worked. As several others have pointed out, this is a more realistic view of the military, all the moments between battles, waiting to end up in battle, etc.

[@mohammedashian8094]

“That wind is craaazyyy” Middle Eastern me who experienced this more times than I can count: oh you have no idea

[@xjamesx7047]

You'll have a wonderful journey watching this modern warfare limited series about OP Iraqi Freedom. GK is one of the best.

[@villeandersson2632]

4:23. He was called "Godfather" because he was Italian, he used very colourful words when talking about the U.S. Government, and because his vocal chords were absolutely freaking destroyed, giving him his distinctive, raspy voice.

[@Pieey2]

All the characters are based on real people and the story is based off a series of articles and then a book written by the reporter, and in fact one of the real life marines Jason Lilly (The one with the video camera) makes reaction videos on KZbin on the channel SavageActual

[@glorbhadgav]

8:20 The line after this gives away how shrewd Godfather is as a commander when he tells Llt. Fick to consider writing the men up for commendation. Lt. Col. Ferrando before being deployed to Iraq was in charge of the Marine Parade grounds in Washington D.C. which Ferrando described as “the most ceremonial billet in the Corps.”

[@nickmitsialis]

RE: the 'fashion/grooming police', I'm reminded of a quote from a German Fighter Group during the Battle of Britain. The unit was involved in a VERY intense period of operations and a 'Field Marshall' (a General) was carrying out an inspection of the Unit and noticed the ground crew/maintenance men were a little grubby and unkempt and made his displeasure known to the Unit's commander (Who was either a captain or a major). The commander replied, in effect, The men are too busy keeping the planes flying to worry about getting their damned hair cut...Sir. Believe it or not, the Group's Commander suffered no ill effects to his career.

[@blue6gamer7]

The guy running in the gas mask is playing himself, no one could play rudy except rudy

[@lysolcoke2HD]

It's so fun watching non-military people watch these kinds of shows. "How can he sleep?" Well he's a passenger in a humvee and not expected to do anything except react to force or dismount. Anything else is nap time. The #1 commodity in the military is sleep. If you get even a second to take a nap, you'll take it.

[@Cert1f1edM1dget]

Fun Fact: One of the people portrayed in the show (Won't say who for possible spoilers) actually has a reaction channel called "Savage Actual."

[@leok7193]

What's there to spoil? We won the invasion, and FUBAR'd the country after

[@Cert1f1edM1dget]

If Jason Lilley or whoever else died.

[@leok7193]

Glad to see this being checked out. The series went far too underappreciated for how good and accurate it was (although the "bad" characters were a bit exaggerated - SgtMaj, Encino Man, Captain America). The dumb rules, breakdowns in comms, endless training, lack of cohesion between units, hurry up and wait attitude... reminds me of my time in the Marines. Oh, and the totally not fucking PC humor!

[@michaelccozens]

I don't think the "bad" characters were exaggerated at all. People pulled-back a bit after the book's release out of political considerations, but I don't think I ever heard an actual factual error being cited. These guys did what we see them do. AFAIK, part of the reason they were so woefully incompetent was that a number of them were intelligence officers who were never intended to go into the field. That they were there at all was a byproduct of Gen Mattis's insane and stupid strategy of using elite Recon Marines as meat shields.

[@leok7193]

@@michaelccozens I can't help but see them as caricatures, maybe just as a result of the reporter's limited interaction with them, they seem completely one-dimensional. SgtMaj is a hick asshole who sounds like he stopped learning English in 2nd grade and behaves like a drill instructor... would also have to be a Recon Marine that rose to the top of his field through interviews, selection boards, selective schools, and years of performance reports. I can imagine some of those officers squeaking through OCS, but they would've had to perform well enough as lieutenants to be put in CO positions and in my career, I've seen people relieved of command for less. Capt America's radio traffic alone would've had him sidelined with his panicked derogatory remarks "they could be coming from anywhere, when are they going to get us out of this deathtrap?!". Encino Man - I can understand the incompetence, but giving himself a 2-minute pump up speech and doing an end zone dance after pushing the humvee? Hell, even the quiet psychopath Trombley gets a more nuanced character, probably because the reporter was with him the whole time.

[@reecedignan8365]

@@leok7193 Actually Encioman and Captain America weren’t even First Recon officers initially. Before the Iraq invasion the USMC was suffering bad from a lack of experienced officers and just standard line officers in general. As such they began pulling in officers from wherever they could to fill the ranks. Both Eninoman and Captain America were actually intelligence officers with very little combat experience under their book or experience leading combat infantry into anything. They both got their job cause the marines needed officers and they were available and willing - it’s also a big reason why they seem to lack the same combat experience and attitudes as the 1st Recon Marines. ^spoilers form the book^ Also if you don’t know. The “actual” purpose behind 1st Recon during the Iraq invasion wasn’t to do their usual recon job, but to just drive into potential ambush situations and spring them if they were there. General Mattis never did relay this down past the battalion commanders - who being a “revered” legend amongst the officers corps many didn’t actually question any of this and always overdone everything to please him. It’s actually a big explanation for why you see them constantly bumbling around Iraq looking like they have zero idea what their doing. Cause that’s actually their objective, just to bumble into ambushes and trigger them if they are their - and Mattis thinking they were highly elite 1st Recon troops they’d be able to just overcome these ambushes as if it ain’t a danger.

[@leok7193]

​@@reecedignan8365 I'll still have to stick with the thought that just as individuals, these officers in particular (as depicted) could've been THAT inept. Maybe it's because I haven't seen this level of incompetence through my years of interactions with UMSC officers 1stLt through BGen, but even considering Godfather's outlook on unit cohesion, he would've relieved Captain America of his post if he heard his crying/enticing panic on the radio. This is still a TV series, based on a book, based on notes and memories of one person, so I'll grant characters resemblance to their real life counterparts, but still consider it unreliable narration from his point of view, with subsequent input from publishers (make it sexy, spice up characters), script writers, director, actors, etc. It's a good likeness, but I see exaggeration in there too.

[@seandlax9]

@@reecedignan8365 It's taboo to bring up, but Mattis really did shit the bed in the invasion. Much of the insurgency can be directly blamed on him and the USMC's reliance on frontal assault for not getting into position for their sector of Baghdad on time. The Army and the Brits had to wait like 3-5 days for the Marines to finally get in place before the assault on Baghdad could begin and A LOT of the Ba'ath Party was able to slip away and start laying the foundations of the insurgency in that delay.

[@lostny76]

omg generation kill, so excited!

[@stirgy4312]

Just saw this and said "YES finally!!" 😁

[@psauce9837]

This is the most accurate depiction. I was with 1st Tanks Bn, 1st Marine Division in ‘03 and was in Iraq around the the time this took place. The equipment or lack of and the bullshitting and anticipation of getting contact is accurate. I remember my humvee be forest green, no armor, soft doors

[@martinbraun1211]

Please watch the series "DARK"!

[@fester2306]

I lol every time I hear the Marine tell the translator "That's regrettable, sir."

[@secludedmisanthrope6388]

In MRE's you occasionally get Packs of Charms candies and while I was in the Marines they were considered bad luck, so he told him to get the candies out of the vehicle.

[@faronhenderson9583]

1st MarDiv. 3rd LAR Bn Marine here. This should be a good show. Thanks you two for watching these shows.

[@paintedhorse6880]

This is in my opinion, THE MOST realistic military program I've ever seen, and its a personal favorite of mine. That is EXACTLY how soldiers and marines talk and act.

[@Killerpixel11]

The mustache thing, by the way, or rather the extreme attention to not grow beyond the corners of the mouth, did have an actual, valid reason. They were concerned that facial hair could potentially interfere with their gas masks, preventing a proper seal. They were extremely worried about Iraqi chemical weapons. Remember, they all went in there thinking Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. That the CIA essentially made it all up, only came out later.

[@iantremmel484]

I am so hyped you guys are watching this

[@JayDavis-O2brutal]

Don't think I've seen anyone r3eact to this one. Looking forward to it. Great series.

[@rollomaughfling380]

Love that you guys are (finally) getting to this! Comparisons to Band of Brothers, The Pacific don't do too much good here. In answer to your question, TBR, this is all based on real life, taken from the account of Evan Wright, the embedded Rolling Stone correspondent. Also, they utilized a few of the actual 1st Recon Marines in the telling, saliently, "Fruity" Rudy Reyes (who IRL is quite the character, and an awesome human being.) I served directly alongside many Recon Marines during my time, and even turned down an offer to try and qualify (I saw how they PT'd, and was like "Yep, thanx, but Hell no thanx.") But it's (appropriately) produced very differently. No flag-waving brass fanfares, no swelling strings to tug at your heart. Just crude, asshole Jarheads trying to do what they're trained to do in the face of many conflicts. Glad you pair are aboard!

[@dennisnaffah8733]

“He’s so calm” that’s iceman for ya

[@joshm3484]

I can say without a doubt, this series is the closest I've seen to life in the Marine Corps. Ripped Fuel was (maybe still is) a supplement that a lot of Marines took for energy, though it never did anything for me. "Charms" are a hard candy that everyone knows will bring bad luck.

[@EthanDarke]

So glad to see you guys cover this series. Many on KZbin do reacts to Band Of Brothers, fewer do The Pacific, and it seems even fewer still, do reacts to this series.

[@glooer]

"So calm" that's why his call sign is Iceman.

[@Matt20911985]

The first episode is showing the incompetence of their leader ship while also showing the way they are training their soldiers, which is not a defensive cautionary sort of training but a killer anger mentality. I remember an episode of Major Dad with Major McGillis saying “marines hate war that’s why we train so hard to prevent it.” I feel if he saw this new the generation of military he look away in shame, because from my point of you the military are training sociopathic killers with incompetent commanders guiding it. A military is supposed to be trained to defend people, follow regulations, investigate and assess battlefield conditions, and in this episode they did the exact opposite to all of that.

[@smithhickenlooper5477]

Something that really brought this series up to 11 was some of the 1st Recon Marines who there like Rudy Rayes actually played themselves

[@lumbeeman01]

Yes! been waiting for you guys to get to this one.

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

Oh man the timeframe this was set in. Jesus wept I was there lol. I got into Baghdad right after they and 3rd Infantry Division took Baghdad. Yes things really were nuts there even worse sometimes lol. It was ...weird to say the least. Heck of a way to spend two birthdays lol. Also yes Sgt Majors really are like that guy lol. If you think their equipment was bad my engine in my Humvee was held together by cord and duct tape and they really were that shitty. Can't even believe I actually did that by the way lol.

[@jeremyherndon2974]

Every time we passed an Army HMMWV on the side of the road we would stop and strip anything good left we had so little stuff.

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

@@jeremyherndon2974 that's nothing. My transmission blew so my mechanics tore out the whole engine block from a colonels vehicle that some fool left unattended so I could get mine replaced. Oops ! Lol

[@Leprechaunlock]

Honestly the best depiction of the Modern Military I have evert seen on screen, the way they talk and act genuinely makes me think they are all real Marines.

[@xvavhofo3126]

hyped you guys are watchin this

[@jamesjoseph1249]

I remember the Pizza Hut in Iraq. The cheese tasted quite a bit different. I remember sitting at a picnic table in the blazing sun eating an entire pizza every time.

[@matthewgill8332]

Holy shit, finally someone is reacting to this show. It’s so damn good

[@GT95_302]

The guy in the gas mask and backpack running was supposed to be an actual Reconnaissance Marine, known was Rudy.

[@barnstorm91]

yep. this all really happened. Its based on a book that the reporter wrote afterwards including pictures of his time with them.

[@Trepanation21]

The title, "Generation Kill" was the title of the source book written by THE Rolling Stone journalist IRL. This series is based on his experience embedded with the unit. I assume a zillion people have said it already, but several of the soldiers depicted in this series were actually played by the real person... Including SGT Rodolfo Reyes aka "Fruity Rudy"!

[@Timeisaflat_O]

You two just keep putting out bangers. This series is so good.

[@87NightHunter]

Rudy is literally playing himself in the movie, he was in the 1st recon during the war

[@Skysoldier505]

Rip Fuel is an energy drink they used to give us over there, kinda like Red Bull. Charms are this candy that comes in MREs. If you leave them lying around that heat makes them all sticky and nasty.

[@fritzk3627]

You are thinking of “Rip it’s”. Rip fuel is pre-workout powder. You can see it in frame and in other episodes. We would take it to stay awake.

[@Skysoldier505]

@@fritzk3627 Ahh right. I was in Iraq in '05-'06 so it's been a little bit!

[@Mr.McMuffin]

5:48, almost every person in Bravo 2-1 the platoon from the show was in Afghanistan in 2002, and had seen combat. They were just like this