Anyone see RESTREPO tonight?

[sylvest]

RESTREPO is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the valley; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

I saw it on natgeo tonight. I liked it. Glad to see someone putting something out that shows what its really like.

http://restrepothemovie.com/

 

[Saftman]

I saw it last night also. Pretty intense at times.

 

[BayouSlide]

Companion documentary to a superb book ("War') by a great writer (Sebastian Junger). I have it on top of my Netflix queue for the DVD release at the end of the week.

 

[Gus McCrae]

Sounds interesting. Anyway to watch without cable?

 

[sam4freedom]

I saw a little bit of it but had to change the channel 'cause I had my 3 yo by me. I liked what I saw and will see all of it at some time.

 

[sylvest]

I downloaded the torrent last night too. It will be available for netflix streaming on 12/7

 

[CEHollier]

After watching it I asked myself. "We are there why?"

 

[blanepara9]

I watched this on Demand a few weeks ago, I had a dream (nightmare?),about the Ssgt who was killed in it, the next day its all I could think about, really interesting,haunting.

 

[Yrdawg]

After watching it I asked myself. "We are there why?"

Looking for Eye Rak's WMD ??

Nope, not here....ooops, not there ...

 

[Sin-ster]

After watching it I asked myself. "We are there why?"

My exact thoughts as well, even though my cable borked the last ten minutes and it will take me ~15 minutes just to fast forward that far via OnDemand.

 

[ryan]

After watching it I asked myself. "We are there why?"

that's what my fiance kept asking me while we were watching it. They did say we have since pulled out of remote areas like that.

 

[sylvest]

NATO no longer has forces in the Korengal Valley. This is what life is like out there though. The Marines are going through similar situations in Helmand Province still to this day however the terrain isn't quite as mountainous and more desert. The people need to see what it is really like.

 

[sylvest]

RESTREPO is now available for streaming on netflix

 

[Hitman]

Just got finished watching it....sigh... Oh the memories of Afghan and War all too familar.

I about fell out my frackin chair when the first IED went off, scared the crap out of me and I almost turned it off right there. It's partially the reason I'm a disabled vet now.

So many similarities with the film. Except their Operation Rock Avalanche was our deployment. We walked to a village, raided it, walked to the next one sometimes get ambushed on the way, raid the next village and so on and so fourth until Helo's picked us up 9 months down the road and took us back to Kandahar to go home.

The Army definitely had a different mission. We would set up OP's as they did with Restrepo, but most times would only hold it for a few weeks until another Unit would take it over and we'd move on. I know how those guys feel when you have to sit and defend. But for the whole deployment? That would be a nightmare. I like to keep moving. My cousin in the army just got back from Iraq. Sat on the Syrian border for dang near 14 months. That'd drive me nuts.

How bout them Locals? nasty old men!

The Collateral damage was hard to watch too. It's different for me now that I have kids that age. That happens to most every unit at least once. take fire from a village. Try to silence it, call in CAS and sometimes it happens. I think different about it now than when i was over there for sure. Then again, those locals could have turned on the Taliban within their own village and policed themselves. Such is war.

The Two Fobs we built from scratch were FOB Ripley. When we landed near Tarin Kowt there was only a 600 meter diameter dirt bowl. We set up a 360 and held it for a week while the Army got to work then we bounced. Now I hear it's a damn mini mall.
&
FOB Payne. Named after a Big Ass Marine Cpl. I went to Combat Leaders Course with. He went down in an Ambush that a PFC got a Bronze Star w/ Combat V for saving everyone's ass by throwing grenades and dumping two SAW Drums. Kid killed half a dozen Taliban by himself. Within 45 minutes of that Ambush the whole damn BLT was crawling all over that place. RIP Payne! We got'em!

 

[91Foxtrot]

I downloaded it last week and we watched it in the shop. Only one of our NCOs has been to Afghan, the rest are all Iraq vets. He went as a Combat Advisor the first time, so he can't tell us much about what he did. It was a good way to get him to open up to us about it, and tell us the tricks that will help us when we get there this year. Great movie,I just wish there were more like it.

 

[sylvest]

The Two Fobs we built from scratch were FOB Ripley. When we landed near Tarin Kowt there was only a 600 meter diameter dirt bowl. We set up a 360 and held it for a week while the Army got to work then we bounced. Now I hear it's a damn mini mall.

I lived in Ripley. It is still a dirt bowl but has grown up nicely. The Dutch pulled out and the Americans are now the majority but there are about 1500 Aussies there too. No Burger Kings, TGIFridays, or movie theaters like KAF but it is a good bit larger. Water is still a problem but life isn't all that bad. There are daily flights to and from KAF now.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

NATO no longer has forces in the Korengal Valley. This is what life is like out there though. The Marines are going through similar situations in Helmand Province still to this day however the terrain isn't quite as mountainous and more desert. The people need to see what it is really like.

Not for nothin but NATO no longer has conventional forces in the Valley of Death. The Taliban and HN dudes are still dying there everyday.

 

[Tulse Luper]

Powerful documentary. That was really up close. It was painful to watch that kid during the interviews deal with emotions, that I can only guess at, by sadly snickering. I sure hope he and the rest get the help they are owed and deserve.

 

[Hitman]

I lived in Ripley. It is still a dirt bowl but has grown up nicely. The Dutch pulled out and the Americans are now the majority but there are about 1500 Aussies there too. No Burger Kings, TGIFridays, or movie theaters like KAF but it is a good bit larger. Water is still a problem but life isn't all that bad. There are daily flights to and from KAF now.

Last I saw that place was when we trucked back there and saw all kinds of tents and even showers. We staged there til morning and drove back to KAF that morning to go home. It did change a lot in the 8 months ago when we first were there and there was the makings of a Dirt Air strip.

sure hope he and the rest get the help they are owed and deserve.

Sadly, like the rest of us, they probably will not.

 

[sylvest]

Last I saw that place was when we trucked back there and saw all kinds of tents and even showers. We staged there til morning and drove back to KAF that morning to go home. It did change a lot in the 8 months ago when we first were there and there was the makings of a Dirt Air strip.

The dirt strip is still there. Busiest one directional runway in the world and busiest dirt runway in the world they claim. It does have showers and tents and even RLBs and long term hescos. It has the necessities and then some but no amenities like KAF. The PX is 1 RLB owned by Supreme and has nothing.