Veterans Share What Infuriates Them Most About Military Movies
In a filmmakers vs. veterans truth skirmish, Hollywood would lose mightily - at least according to current and former military personnel. Military conflicts and the men and women who fight in them are a favorite subject of moviemakers, but Hollywood doesn't always get the facts right, messing up or misrepresenting basic training, uniforms (those berets), the lingo, the salutes, and sniper technique, among many other aspects of military life.
Redditors in the military are not shy about sharing what moviemakers get wrong. Dishonorable discharge for Hollywood.
- 1217 VOTES
Combat Noise That Is Far Too Quiet
From Redditor /u/PleaseDoNotDoubleDip:
Firearms are loud. Very, very loud. Like "damaging your hearing, make deaf" loud. You cannot talk normally during or immediately after shooting.
In Iraq my most vivid memory of my first firefight was how loud it was. It was really painful, actually. M4s, M249s, and a M240B shooting lots of rounds all around me. I literally thought my ears were bleeding and was effectively deaf afterward.
- 2230 VOTES
Snipers Who Point Their Barrels Out Windows
From Redditor /u/ThaGerm1158:
Snipers don't stick the barrel... out the damn window. Hollywood does it so they can see and film them in a dramatic fashion.
Exactly the opposite thing you want in actual combat.
- 3208 VOTES
The Chopper Chats (Talking On A Helicopter Without A Headset Is Pointless)
From Redditor /u/Mong419:
The casual conversations on helicopters. Whole mission briefings on the helicopter right before they land. Any talking on a helicopter without a headset.
Helicopters are loud.
I crew UH-60s for the Army, and I have to wear two sets of hearing protection at all times while the aircraft is operating. On the occasions where I need to talk to a passenger or someone not on a headset, I have to literally scream right into their ear from point blank range, and they still barely hear me.
So the calm and quiet conversations I see in movies all the time really ruin my immersion.
- 4229 VOTES
Soldiers Who Walk Around With Their Finger On A Trigger
From Redditor /u/Hillbilly_Heaven:
I never had my finger on the trigger unless I intended to fire, so when I see soldiers in movies just casually walking with their fingers on the trigger, [it] just makes me wince.
- 5199 VOTES
When Submarines Use Active Sonar, Which Gives Away Their Location
From a former Redditor:
Ex-submariner here. Annoys me [to] no end when they use active sonar.
Submarines are a stealth platform; last thing you want to do is transmit something that will give away your position.
In case you're wondering, Das Boot is the best submarine film, and I've seen almost all of them.
- 6207 VOTES
Grenades That Light Up And Generate Fireballs
From Redditor /u/blanchattacks:
Grenades. They don't light up or create a big ball of fire.
There is just dust and sharp chunks of metal everywhere, instantly.