The Acts of A Few Good Men

There are those times and events in your life that should mean something. The taking of wedding vows, the birth of a child, the first time you make love to your wife. I cannot, in all honesty, say that viewing a movie is anywhere near the level of these events, but last night my family sat down and watched a movie that seems to give a fairly accurate perspective of the life and business of a Navy Seal.

I guess you could say that some of the action was predictable. Blood and gore may not have been at a minimum but was not gratuitous and it appears that much of the action could have been real or at least based in fact. The flick will not be winning any awards for acting though the special effects were not bad. The extraction in the jungle had me on the edge of my seat. The infiltration of the village was top notch, but there was more to this film than acting and action.

We got a glimpse into the inner workings and interaction between the members of a seal team, the members and their families. I am not going to lie, this was a hard film to watch. There were times that i wanted to grab a M-4 and join the action. The final scenes and, ultimately, the sacrifices made are inspiring. The friendship, trust, and just the way these men relate to each other is humbling and something we should all aspire to.

This was not an in depth look into the tactics and strategies utilized by Seal Teams. This movie follows 'Seal Team 7' into a simple personnel recovery and how it morphed into an operation to stop suicide bombers from entering the US. In the twists and turns of the plot, one Seal takes a round to the face,another makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the rest of the team.

I cannot say it enough times that these are the men we need on the walls guarding the kingdom. Like Jack Nicholson said in the movie 'A Few Good Men'; (the full monologue is here)

"You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You?... We use words like honor, code, loyalty...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it! I'd rather you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post... "

 These are the men we need on that wall and i am honored to have even been in the military with such men.