The Academy Award Nominated Film “The Hurt Locker” Inaccurately portrays Military Life in Iraq

The Academy Award Nominated Film “The Hurt Locker” which is up for an Oscar on Sunday has been receiving a chorus of negative press from veterans that it inaccurately portrays military life in Iraq and gives the impression to viewer’s t6hat this is what military operations in Iraq are like.

Having served Iraq, I decided to view the film for myself and see if the controversy was warranted. Upon viewing the film, it gives great atmospherics of actually being in Iraq, as the film was filmed in Jordan and many of the extras were Iraqis themselves. Unfortunately the rest of the film failed to capture the true nature of military operations in Iraq.

The film went back to Hollywood’s ideal conception of military life of the John Wayne image of military personnel. They had to throw in for added touch a soldier with post traumatic stress, as the viewer will believe that all military personnel coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan have some type of mental condition related to their service. Hollywood’s belief that all military personnel returning from Iraq or Afghanistan have mental issues, even the TV series “Law in Oder” has depicted this in different episodes.

Many scenes that were depicted were pure fantasy or taken extremely out of context. Various segments depicted in the film would never have occurred as it would be against military procedure to act in agaisnt putting the lives of soldiers in danger.

The film was predicated of following an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team around its tour in Iraq. The John Wayne image of one of the soldiers depicted would have seriously endangered the unit. The constant actions of lone wolf soldier as he defuses various Individual Explosive Device’s (IED). The methods employed are laughable at best a gives the impression that this is how operations are conducted.

No where am I saying don’t go and view this film, but just treat it as Hollywood’s version of film making and doesn’t represent what truly represent military operations in Iraq or the military service of our brave men an d women serving.