The fact that movies get things wrong about the navy is kind of a major faux pas in some regards. Navy men and women are just as dedicated and just as fierce as any member of the military and what’s more, like any branch they have their specialists among them too. They’re called the Navy SEALs and they’re considered to be some of the hardest individuals walking the earth today. The only issue with that is the fact that movies tend to play this up so much and in the process make them out to be gods among men and women when in truth they’re just as fallible as anyone. The movies go a long way towards telling the general public that those in the armed forces are something right out of a comic book, and in doing so give them a reputation that might be earned, but is nowhere near realistic.
Here are a few things that the movies get wrong.
5. They’re not mindless robots.
These people do have feelings, emotions, and are just as susceptible to pressure as anyone. They don’t simply become mindless automatons once they enlist and they certainly don’t follow any and all orders just because they’re being told do so. Not following orders does unfortunately come with a heavy price, but by choosing to follow orders they’re honoring the choice they made to serve their country.
4. Navy Seals are not tougher than just anyone.
Navy SEALs have this reputation for being the toughest folks on this earth and unfortunately some of them just aren’t that way. Their training hardens them for service and allows them to endure a lot more than the average person might be able to withstand, but aside from that they’re just as human as anyone else and are prone to the stress, fear, and pain that others feel.
3. Pilots don’t showboat as they do in the movies.
It definitely looks cool when, during a dogfight, a jet flips over in midair and hovers over another fighter jet. It’s not realistic however. Going at the speeds that fighter jets maintain and being built the way they are would force the pilots to crash within an instant. And when carrying the kind of fuel and weaponry on board that fighter jets carry it could lead to very disastrous results.
2. The haircuts are often wrong.
G.I. Jane is one of the most guilty for this one since upon entering SEAL training she is still sporting her long hair. Before ever getting into the program she would have had to have clipped those long dark locks off and been sporting an approved haircut so as to keep it out of her way and to conform to the program requirements. Long hair in the military is not condoned.
1. They’re not all hardcore drinkers.
It seems to be expected that a lot of military men and women are hardcore drinkers that tend to get out of control at times. While there are those that can hold their booze and do tend to get a bit rowdy this is heavily frowned upon unless it’s on one’s own time and doesn’t cause any trouble. Drinking isn’t so much the problem as what happens after or because of the drinking.
The US Navy has a proud history, and the movies get that part, they just don’t always get it right.
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