Hbo generation kill cast6/23/2023 He did lose some friends, and said he experienced some ostracism within the close-knit reconnaissance community as a result of the unvarnished account. So many of the things I said, having them thrown back in my face was embarrassing." "I was excited, because I wanted to be able to share my experiences with the world, and I had a vehicle to do that. "It's like listening to yourself on the answering machine you sound like an idiot," he said of seeing his conversations and remarks reproduced. On a personal level, Colbert said his feelings about "Generation Kill" evolved over time. And I like to think my Marines did what was asked of them and more." "What I ask my Marines to do is execute commander's intent. "I don't tell my Marines in the heat of battle what to say and what to think," he said. He assured the leaders that the conversations were not a sign of dissension in the ranks, but rather a "ground-eye view of warfare." When he spoke with in July, Colbert, 42, was still on active duty as a project officer for Raids and Amphibious Reconnaissance at Marine Corps Systems Command, the branch of the service responsible for developing and acquiring new gear and equipment.įor Colbert, the attention that came with his inadvertent starring role was a mixed blessing for Marines looking for a long-term future in the Corps, conventional wisdom says to "keep off the skyline" or out of the public eye - particularly as part of a group of foul-mouthed Marines holding forth with complete candor on subjects ranging from their unit leadership to the state of race and class in America.Īs the articles came out and began to receive attention from the Marine Corps, Colbert said he was called in to several meetings with service leaders, including Mattis himself, to account for the portrayal. 24 as a master sergeant with 20 years of service. While most of the enlisted Marines in Bravo Company who make appearances in the book and show left the Marine Corps shortly after their deployment, Colbert chose to make a career of the Corps, retiring Oct. Brad Colbert, a wry, intellectual 28-year-old team leader whose coolness under pressure earns him the nickname "Iceman." If a single protagonist emerges in "Generation Kill," it's Sgt. But the Marines of Bravo Company who spoke with said they remain glad that their story was told, and proud of their service in what would be a long and costly war. Some have traded on their fame, while others have just tried to move on. Thanks to the runaway popularity of "Generation Kill," the Marines got something else they hadn't bargained for - a measure of celebrity and recognition that continues to follow them, to varying extents, a decade later. Central Command, was nominated this month to become secretary of defense. Mattis, now a retired four-star general and the former commander of U.S. James Mattis, who called the men of 1st Recon "cocky, obnoxious bastards" and sent them to the front, saying he prized their courage over the armor and gear of better-equipped units. Not sure if I’d like it as much now but I remember thinking it was pretty much on par with the Wire when I saw it, and it’s rare that anything leaves enough of an impression on me that I can remember specific scenes a decade and a half later after seeing it once.Bubbling below the surface is a fundamental difference of perspective between the elite and irreverent Recon Marines and a larger Marine Corps with an allergy to exceptionalism and a need for all Marines to toe a strict line.Īnd at the helm of the entire assault is a familiar figure: Maj. The guys laughing at the journalist for weaving around during a sniper drill instead of just getting from A to B as fast as possible. Someone commenting on how the driver guy wasn’t his usual hyperactive self at the end and him saying “No more pep pills.” The journalist asking the one higher-up guy about his voice, him explaining he had throat cancer, the journalist asking if he smoked, and the guy responding “No, just lucky.” The one guy running around with his arms spread making airplane noises when he was asked what he would want to be doing if he weren’t in the army. I watched it once like fifteen years ago and there’s still scenes that stand out to me. I’ve been meaning to rewatch this for years, I need to get around to it.
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