I watched an interview of the Marines portrayed here and to a man they all agreed the incompetence was way overstated. It was, according to those men, not true. Yes in the show what you said was true, I think it was his calmness when everything around them was in turmoil.
I wonder why most of the marines brass in Generation Kill are the stereotypical knuckle dragging, slack jawed, testosterone poisoned neanderthals usually associated with the corps,....while the noncoms are cool, trying to do their best under the condition and kinda tired of their officers bs.(Though some of the grunts are the violent sociopaths we all know and love ahaha)
Being ordered to risk your life-even to extreme is what Marines do. That may seem to be “incompetent “ to those doing the job but that’s the deal. See Eugene sledge and Pelieu
I watched this whole video without looking at comments. I came away with the exact same sentiment. And there you hit it 4 years ago and it's top of the stack. I call that Dead Nuts.
Nate went on to train leaders who served in Afghanistan. I attended his leaders training in Kabul and found it VERY informative. It shaped how I lead soldiers and dealt with Afghan leaders. He probably save a good number of lives by helping to shape our decisions. Thanks Nate!
4:13 He berates his fellow soldiers because he does not want them getting into trouble for defending him. The mark of an exemplary officer, doing everything in his power to defend his fellow combatants.
More like, he doesn't want his subordinates to pick sides between him and Encino Man, which is gonna create conflict and isn't good for unit cohesion. Because then, the ones who side with Fick are gonna hate Encino Man and anyone who sided with him, and vice versa. It was just gonna speedrun something like that scene where Patterson fought Encino Man and Ray fought Rudy at the football game, only they were gonna be in active duty, having to contend with not only an enemy force, but their own comrades splitting into little "camps" of their own. Recipe for disaster. Fick is a man of great tact. He doesn't want this military unit to be engulfed in a highschool-type feud between Stacy and her friend group and Susan and her friend group. Now, he's not entirely correct, because it's not just between him and Encino Man. If he and Gunny tried getting Fick into trouble, there was an investigation, etc...the men would be called up as witnesses, and it's basically like a court oath. You swear to say the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you wholeheartedly believe that Fick is done dirty and that Encino Man and Gunny are incompetent, that is your testimony, regardless if Fick wants it or not. It's not between him and them. It concerns everyone in the pursuit of justice, legally speaking. But that's done when the Marines go back home, not on the battlefield where they're in danger.
Notice how Fick lit into his men when they were trying to get involved with his issues with the Captain turd brain? That is a good leader. He knew the issues, but would not let the enlisted men get distracted by it. He cut it off at the bud. Dissention in the ranks can have nasty results. Officer drama is left to the officers. But he still did whatever he could to keep his men safe.
Discussing that stuff in the presence of those with no context creates division, it breaks cohesion and integrity but mostly it can bring light to the shortcomings and mistakes that you don't want pinned on an officer.
Then again, if it ever came to an investigation, the enlisted men have the full right to be called up as witnesses and give their 2 cents on the matter, i.e. chose sides, whether Fick wants to or not. But yeah, that stuff is done after they come back home, not on the battlefield. In other words...it's neither the time nor place.
There is a chain of command for a reason. The business that takes place above the proverbial heads of lower ranked individuals should remain above their heads, especially when it only creates division i the ranks that directly affects the safety and effectiveness of personnel in battle.
@@Denzlercs ...on the battlefield. Outside of the battlefield, where things can reach military courts, that's a whole other story. It's not always the business (or even the ability) of higher-ranking individuals to micromanage that a certain officer is unfit for duty, incompetent or abuses their authority, so it becomes the job of lower-ranking individuals to keep their superiors in line, and, if need be, testify against them. In other words, "punching up" is something that not just happens, not only should happen, but is inevitable in a career hierarchy, be it in the military or otherwise. Especially when many people that aim for positions of power, in any field, do so not because they understand that with greater power comes greater responsibility (a principle quoted by the actual Nathaniel Fick in an interview), but because they wish to feed their ego and feelings of importance by spitting on the heads of those below them from their ivory towers.
If this was an accurate portrayal, Lt Nate Fick was a VERY competent junior officer. When you see/hear the interviews with him and other real-life members of the battalion, it seems the loss of faith in him by his battalion CO (which is an absolute joke, if some of the other junior officers were as incompetent as how they were portrayed) was a driving reason he got out of the Corps when they returned to America. Yes, he landed on his feet, carving a successful career in private enterprise, but you do NOT want to lose good officers like him - they are too few and far between.
That always the case bad officer driving out good one. My Battalion Commending was a mustang officer fought in WW2 as marine grunt. Got out after the war then finish college was made an office in Civil Engineering Corp. An becaome our Commending Officer my Sea Bee Battalion in Nam.
@markusharroldhailey6688 read his book, it's excellent. He got out because he changed, no longer felt comfortable as an infantry leader since at that rank and higher he'd be the one sending Marines to their death instead of going out with them. He respects great commanders who can manage that balance but recognized that he wouldn't be able to do it. I'm glad he had the foresight to do so.
yup! That line lives rent free in my head when someone mentions GIN. Whats funny is thats a true leader as others here have said allready. He knows the shit they all just went through, and understands they need a bit of a break. Its his way of reminding them "hey enjoy that contraband but be smart about it!" lol -
Why do you want combat? The goal of the Marines is to have Peace. It’s literally in the Marine Rifle Creed. Read Eugene Sledge, that might make you rethink what you’re saying. If combat is ultimately necessary, you’ve already lost. It shouldn’t be something to look forward to, prepare for yes, but don’t admire it.
*I learned a lot from Lt. Fick watching this amazing miniseries released back in '08 and reading his great book "One Bullet Away", he taught me many valuable things, he taught me how to respect my rank, my duties and the men I'm in charge of, he taught me how to better love my job and enjoy making the best out of it. God bless you Fick.*
I have a boss like this. He’s middle management and he’s dealing with higher up nonsense on a daily basis but keeps the respect of his employees. He’s the only manager or boss I’ve ever had where I’ve never heard a bad word said about him , EVER.
Several times during the course of the show, Fick utters what should be a classic middle management line, used when telling your employees that you think your bosses are shitting you but you are required to pass this "information" along: "I have been assured...."
I love how Nate let his men speak to him like they would speak to each other as long as they said "sir". It probably made them more comfortable around him and occurs boosted they're trust in him.
I like how after he says it is safe behind the tire, and unsafe if he were to stand up he stands up and moves anyways. Solidifying the reality that in order to progress forward you must put yourself in an unsafe situation.
I know. I love how he created a BLACK and WHITE picture of the situation for the reporter to respond to: this is safe and that is unsafe, focus only on that and you will live. Reporters are by nature people who look for the BIG PICTURE and seek NUANCE. That is what helps them in THEIR profession. But when you are in an overwhelming life or death situation, complex thought can kill you! .. But he had a good commander there who knew what needed to be said (to a civilian)!
In a interesting movie world, can you imagine if Alexander Skarrsgard and him wound up as Captain America and Bucky? I mean, FFS, back in 2008, Alex could have played Cap OR Thor.
@@JnEricsonx In my imaginary world, Stark Sands is Captain America and Alexander Skarsgard is Thor. I mean, who better than the wholesome all-American looking dude and the giant Scandinavian for those roles :D :D :D
I think Blackhawk down did a decent job at portraying a sergeant with a similar demeanor, it's meant to imply that they are not violent natured but are capable of temporarily entering that frame of mind. That type of person can put a lot of years into the military, without the consequences some leave combat with.
No comparison whatsoever winters was a liberator fighting against the odds on d day this guy was on an invading force with a massive advantage fighting against a third world country who were just defending their homes and done nothing to provoke the invasion. OIL oil oil.
When high up leadership sucks, one of the few things able to keep the morale of the platoon, and I cannot stress this enough, is the attitude of a good Lt. And those are really rare...
Same here. Even during the 'War on Terror', it was still the ass-kissing yes-men who moved up in the ranks. My PL during my second deployment to Iraq was a lot like Fick but the battalion commander gave him a lot of autonomy. I could fill an entire book with the incongruities I saw during the Iraq occupation. My second deployment was the worst as far as the fighting went and my third was by far the worst in terms of the dumb shit command did. Plus, prior to my third deployment, anyone who dared go against command was promptly sent to another battalion. What that meant was my battalion (and brigade for that matter) was run by a bunch of TRADOC commandos, more obsessed with petty rules and regulations than actually winning.
I loved Fick's book. The whole thing is about avoiding hazards. He's always saying "no, we're staying out," or "no, it's getting dark, we're leaving." He knows he's not an expert, so he avoids risk.
Yes and no. There's a part in the book where in officer training he got called out for being overly cautious, and that gave him better understanding of the need for being decisive in combat. With him, it's not about avoiding risk, just minimizing stupid and unnecessary risks.
@@bw_l560 It was a different type of war and different duration. I believe Alan was talking about their leadership style, mission accomplishment ethos and troop welfare , not their rank.
Fick is the example of a what we look for, our Platoon did two tours with out an actual Platoon commander. Our gunny was. Happy to say 3rd Light armoured recon had it right. Two LTS were relieved of duty trying to lead us. Incompetence is all over
What I love about G Kill is the Enlisted view on MC officers, and because of this view, this is how they were portrayed in RS and as a result, G kill. And the only competent officer was the one who was closest to the reporter, and as a result is portrayed as such.
He was a true believer when he started. He wasn't after the demolition derby train wreck he was a part of. Battalion level coordination was a fucking sideshow. I read his book. He was right.
Anakin Skywalker for real wtf? A dude replies to a 4 year old comment to say some random shit, then 8 months later you get to ask this question. The absolute S T A T E of the youtube comments section.
I wonder if the battery issue would've been a lot smaller if lithium batteries had been a bigger thing in ~2003. They could've used the batteries by night and recharged them in the HMMWVs by day. Although maybe using single-use batteries was an intentional choice so that the enemy couldn't gain an advantage if they somehow managed to get their hands on USA hardware. It's possible to steal equipment, but not to steal logistics.
The most accurate depiction of army doing their during war. But obviously very under rated and most ignored. Only loved by enthusiasts and army veterans.
Strongly recommend Nate's book "One Bullet Away" if you can get your hands on a copy. Just as good as the original Generation Kill book by the Rolling Stones reporter.
It's been years since I've seen the show. I watched it live every episode that came out. I remember Brad and Ray. The reporter, the two soldiers singing and most of all how good of a leader Fick was. I remember him being one of the best leaders ever shown on screen next to Winters and Co from Band of Brothers.
@@XaviRonaldo0 nobody in the infantry would agree with you, officers are often pre emptively labelled. An NCO can act in the place of an officer, not vice versa. Maybe different branches function differently, however in perticular in the marines; I wouldn't call a sergeant an "officer"
Being one of those Iraqi kids watching american soldiers make a bad situation in my home into something worse, i cant say i particularly liked americans and their military. My earliest memories are helicopters shaking the windows like crazy, jet planes so close to the ground it felt the whole world was falling apart, bombings that felt like earthquakes, american helicopters containing soldiers sitting there still as clay statues over the mess theyve made....but things like this series show that those people werent monsters, they were simply born and raised somewhere where they thought they were the good guys, and were simply doing their jobs. Cant say i blame them.
Hey, your story needs to be told my friend. Do you recall what the general spirit was among your people back then? Did they fear the Americans or did they respect the perceived cause. Also, if it isnt to invasive, I'd like to know within your family if there was a ever a plan discussed as to how to deal with soldiers. I'm curious what perspectives you all had and I hope this can help the world somehow if you share!
I like how he shuts them the fuck up at 4:10, but it's not because he's just being rude. He's keeping the men out of it. If they start doing that, they go down with him, or if they even start talking about mutiny he doesn't WANT to hear it because that makes him responsible if they go through with it.
im no soldier i got stuck in a wheel chair at an early age but damn it i would follow that man to hell and back then open the pearly gates myself for him.
The book Generation Kill by Evan Wright is really worth a read, Nate Fick has also written a book about his experiences called One Bullet Away which is not just about Iraq 2.0 but his time in the US Marines. Watching their story, any story on a screen is like looking at a lake of water, reading their story is like swimming through the lake. Both books are worth the time.
Lt. Nate Fick. professional, smart, putting the safety of his men before the chance of medals or promotion. that is the junior officer that EVERY soldier wants as his immediate superior. a man with a brain on his shoulders and the rare skill of actually using it.
One of the finest junior officers I ever had described his job as a shit filter, find the nugget of the actual orders necessary to DO the job in the most efficient way possible and keep the fowl feces to a minimum! Now he would CONVEY (tell us) the crap with it but would generally IGNORE the chicken stuff unless it was necessary to do the job OR he knew the higher-ups were watching! If you lead from the from the front, small units can do amazing things in the minimum amount of time and sew the minimum amount of hate and discontent!
The absolute best field officer in the entire Division. Able to make SENSIBLE DECISIONS UNDER FIRE CONSISTENTLY. To him no men were expendable unless the COHESIVE mission was of a high priority. He also chose to put himself in harm’s way sometimes rather than ordering subordinates to do it all of the time. He cared about his Marines. He was also a patriot, an incredible soldier in combat, and obviously trained hard enough before deploying that he could perform all of his duties correctly and effectively.
My dad, a retired Marine E-9 WW2/Korea vet, would tell me that all the time I crabbed about getting the second tier shoe, clothing etc..."you want Adidas/Nike, join the air force, Marines make do"!
The real Nathan Fick said something in an interview that's stuck with me. He said that good leaders implement two traits: 1. They are very competent at what they do. 2. They use that competence with affection to make the ones placed in their care better at what they do, and help them do so in better spirits if possible.
Based on what I read the thing I admire most about Lt Fick was his dedication to the truth. Like he didn’t try and silence the reporter despite all the fucked up shit that was going on around him. Like with the surrendering Iraqi soldiers and all that stuff.
I saw a speech on YT from the real Lt. Fick. He said that Meesh's brother was killed by the Iraqis in 1990/91 and Meesh's whole intent as a translator was to get as many Iraqis killed as possible.
I like how they didn't care enough to get a single legit PASGT helmet for the guy without a cover so it is obvious that he has a $10 airsoft helmet but they cared enough to track down a period MRE spoon.
There was a finite amount of good officers when I was in the Army Infantry. The good ones I did have the pleasure of serving under however, I’ll never forget.
I wanted to be an officer in the Marine corps because of this guy but decided to go Grunt instead because I don't wanna end up like captain America or the company commander captain.
Well, you can never really tell how you'll be or act until you're in the situation. All you can do is try to keep your eyes open and your mind clear, don't let your ego run the show.
When I was active duty I served with a few officers who inspired this kind of loyalty. The best and most competent men and women I've ever known were in the military. It was humbling to be around them. There were plenty of officers and senior ncos that clueless and you were always thankful when they moved on
He was one of the few competent leaders that was actually recon qualed and was an Afghanistan combat vet going into Iraq when many other officers were pulled from their actual MOS to be infantry unit leaders they were otherwise not experienced or qualified enough to be. Stark Sands did an amazing portrayal.
I’ve seen so many movies trying to make the military either look so inaccurate it hurts to watch or just not following actual protocol the real life military had to go through. This show showed both the risks they had to go through in Afghanistan, the right attitude of attack and strategy, and it’s more realistic than the movies they put them on. Just another reason why I love this show more than them military/war movies the picture them as.
@@meatiest1989 Well. To put it simply, watch Pearl Harbor. And there are others, but that movie pretty much made me angrier than watching the live action Lion King movie.
![THIS WILL CHANGE YOU! Navy Seal Admiral William H. McRaven [MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/mMEq0r97T_k/mqdefault.jpg)
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Love how he was able to maintain the discipline and respect of his men despite how incompetent the higher ups were.
I watched an interview of the Marines portrayed here and to a man they all agreed the incompetence was way overstated. It was, according to those men, not true. Yes in the show what you said was true, I think it was his calmness when everything around them was in turmoil.
I wonder why most of the marines brass in Generation Kill are the stereotypical knuckle dragging, slack jawed, testosterone poisoned neanderthals usually associated with the corps,....while the noncoms are cool, trying to do their best under the condition and kinda tired of their officers bs.(Though some of the grunts are the violent sociopaths we all know and love ahaha)
the story of every good officer haha
Fick didnt deserve all the shit he got in this show
Being ordered to risk your life-even to extreme is what Marines do. That may seem to be “incompetent “ to those doing the job but that’s the deal. See Eugene sledge and Pelieu
Every Marine dreams of an officer like this.
Every soldier does too
Every soldier on earth in every country dreams of an officer like that
I dream to be an officer like this
I want to be with an officer like this
I watched this whole video without looking at comments. I came away with the exact same sentiment. And there you hit it 4 years ago and it's top of the stack. I call that Dead Nuts.
Nate went on to train leaders who served in Afghanistan. I attended his leaders training in Kabul and found it VERY informative. It shaped how I lead soldiers and dealt with Afghan leaders. He probably save a good number of lives by helping to shape our decisions. Thanks Nate!
He certainly gave his best. Sad that it all amounted to nothing the moment the Taliban entered Kabul.
@@massimoe.nicolin6067 Amen a large part of my heart is still in Afghanistan.
Fick is awesome! He went to Dartmouth, served valiantly in the Marines, went to Harvard Business School/HKS, and is now a CEO.
and the company name " Endgame "
He’s real?
@@cyberpunkalphamale Trombley isn't
@@jonyt3hchunk fruity rudy played himself, (the actor is the real fruity rudy that served in the marines)
@@Michael-yu2yk Trombley is real. His name is Harold James Trombley and there's a picture of him in the book.
4:13 He berates his fellow soldiers because he does not want them getting into trouble for defending him. The mark of an exemplary officer, doing everything in his power to defend his fellow combatants.
More like, he doesn't want his subordinates to pick sides between him and Encino Man, which is gonna create conflict and isn't good for unit cohesion. Because then, the ones who side with Fick are gonna hate Encino Man and anyone who sided with him, and vice versa. It was just gonna speedrun something like that scene where Patterson fought Encino Man and Ray fought Rudy at the football game, only they were gonna be in active duty, having to contend with not only an enemy force, but their own comrades splitting into little "camps" of their own. Recipe for disaster.
Fick is a man of great tact. He doesn't want this military unit to be engulfed in a highschool-type feud between Stacy and her friend group and Susan and her friend group.
Now, he's not entirely correct, because it's not just between him and Encino Man. If he and Gunny tried getting Fick into trouble, there was an investigation, etc...the men would be called up as witnesses, and it's basically like a court oath. You swear to say the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. If you wholeheartedly believe that Fick is done dirty and that Encino Man and Gunny are incompetent, that is your testimony, regardless if Fick wants it or not. It's not between him and them. It concerns everyone in the pursuit of justice, legally speaking.
But that's done when the Marines go back home, not on the battlefield where they're in danger.
@@petervitkov361 You used all those words to say the same thing.
I'll never forget Nates conversation with the reporter about relative danger.
It helps keep your life in perspective
Generation Kill was the most accurate depiction of modern US conflicts over the past 20 years. Been there done that. This was a great series.
@Ryan Ong Army deployments
@Ryan Ong yes
Also, Pandora. That was some mean bush!
That's why it's hard to watch
We need another tv series like this.
Notice how Fick lit into his men when they were trying to get involved with his issues with the Captain turd brain? That is a good leader. He knew the issues, but would not let the enlisted men get distracted by it. He cut it off at the bud. Dissention in the ranks can have nasty results. Officer drama is left to the officers. But he still did whatever he could to keep his men safe.
Discussing that stuff in the presence of those with no context creates division, it breaks cohesion and integrity but mostly it can bring light to the shortcomings and mistakes that you don't want pinned on an officer.
Then again, if it ever came to an investigation, the enlisted men have the full right to be called up as witnesses and give their 2 cents on the matter, i.e. chose sides, whether Fick wants to or not. But yeah, that stuff is done after they come back home, not on the battlefield. In other words...it's neither the time nor place.
There is a chain of command for a reason. The business that takes place above the proverbial heads of lower ranked individuals should remain above their heads, especially when it only creates division i the ranks that directly affects the safety and effectiveness of personnel in battle.
@@Denzlercs ...on the battlefield. Outside of the battlefield, where things can reach military courts, that's a whole other story. It's not always the business (or even the ability) of higher-ranking individuals to micromanage that a certain officer is unfit for duty, incompetent or abuses their authority, so it becomes the job of lower-ranking individuals to keep their superiors in line, and, if need be, testify against them. In other words, "punching up" is something that not just happens, not only should happen, but is inevitable in a career hierarchy, be it in the military or otherwise.
Especially when many people that aim for positions of power, in any field, do so not because they understand that with greater power comes greater responsibility (a principle quoted by the actual Nathaniel Fick in an interview), but because they wish to feed their ego and feelings of importance by spitting on the heads of those below them from their ivory towers.
If this was an accurate portrayal, Lt Nate Fick was a VERY competent junior officer. When you see/hear the interviews with him and other real-life members of the battalion, it seems the loss of faith in him by his battalion CO (which is an absolute joke, if some of the other junior officers were as incompetent as how they were portrayed) was a driving reason he got out of the Corps when they returned to America. Yes, he landed on his feet, carving a successful career in private enterprise, but you do NOT want to lose good officers like him - they are too few and far between.
This is an accurate portrayal, headass.
@@obiwaankenobi4460 Kinda rude, he spoke as if he wasn't sure whether it was, not saying it wasn't definitively.
@@obiwaankenobi4460 the fuck do you know
@@obiwaankenobi4460 Ahh, you were there with him?
That always the case bad officer driving out good one. My Battalion Commending was a mustang officer fought in WW2 as marine grunt. Got out after the war then finish college was made an office in Civil Engineering Corp. An becaome our Commending Officer my Sea Bee Battalion in Nam.
If you look Nate Fick up on line he was promoted to captain so he got the recognision he deserved, his book is amaizng
You have to be a giant fuck up not to make captain. Like really bad.
yeah but he quit the military when he became captain right??
No he wasnt
@markusharroldhailey6688 read his book, it's excellent. He got out because he changed, no longer felt comfortable as an infantry leader since at that rank and higher he'd be the one sending Marines to their death instead of going out with them. He respects great commanders who can manage that balance but recognized that he wouldn't be able to do it. I'm glad he had the foresight to do so.
@TheWayOfAlex Not even that, according to an interview, Capt. Fick told his new twsk would be a desk job which accelerated his decision to leave.
One of my favourites was
"What kind of gin is this?"
"- The kind that doesn't come out when officers and senior NCOs are present!"
yup! That line lives rent free in my head when someone mentions GIN. Whats funny is thats a true leader as others here have said allready. He knows the shit they all just went through, and understands they need a bit of a break. Its his way of reminding them "hey enjoy that contraband but be smart about it!" lol -
And how he covered for his men who blew up that stove making espresso
I'd follow that dude into combat.
Me too
@@Mrwizard-ck7oe at least you're honest with yourself. Can't say fairer than that
Why do you want combat? The goal of the Marines is to have Peace. It’s literally in the Marine Rifle Creed. Read Eugene Sledge, that might make you rethink what you’re saying. If combat is ultimately necessary, you’ve already lost. It shouldn’t be something to look forward to, prepare for yes, but don’t admire it.
Oorah
@@KURTrek bruh every major human conflict has been solved by war and violence
Treat your men as you would your own sons and they will follow you anywhere.
Sun Tzu's art of War. An unappreciated passage if I ever heard one.
If my father ever treated me with the disregard the officers did, I'd have run away as a child and he wouldn't have noticed lol
Its actually. Treat your men as brothers and they will die for you. Treat them as your sons and they will follow you to hell
One of the few quips by Sun Tzu that's worth anything.
@@reidparker1848 you need to read a book once in a while
*I learned a lot from Lt. Fick watching this amazing miniseries released back in '08 and reading his great book "One Bullet Away", he taught me many valuable things, he taught me how to respect my rank, my duties and the men I'm in charge of, he taught me how to better love my job and enjoy making the best out of it. God bless you Fick.*
He wrote a book? I'll have to check it out. Non-veteran here but much respect.
I really liked the book (I’m non military but I still got a lot out of it). He’s a great man. I admire him a lot.
I have a boss like this. He’s middle management and he’s dealing with higher up nonsense on a daily basis but keeps the respect of his employees. He’s the only manager or boss I’ve ever had where I’ve never heard a bad word said about him , EVER.
Several times during the course of the show, Fick utters what should be a classic middle management line, used when telling your employees that you think your bosses are shitting you but you are required to pass this "information" along: "I have been assured...."
I love how Nate let his men speak to him like they would speak to each other as long as they said "sir". It probably made them more comfortable around him and occurs boosted they're trust in him.
1:50 what a great exchange between the reporter and Fick
I like how after he says it is safe behind the tire, and unsafe if he were to stand up he stands up and moves anyways. Solidifying the reality that in order to progress forward you must put yourself in an unsafe situation.
I know. I love how he created a BLACK and WHITE picture of the situation for the reporter to respond to: this is safe and that is unsafe, focus only on that and you will live.
Reporters are by nature people who look for the BIG PICTURE and seek NUANCE. That is what helps them in THEIR profession. But when you are in an overwhelming life or death situation, complex thought can kill you!
.. But he had a good commander there who knew what needed to be said (to a civilian)!
Let’s stop for a moment and applause for Stark Sands. He portrayed a great character for us. Everything is so naturally done. I love this character.
In a interesting movie world, can you imagine if Alexander Skarrsgard and him wound up as Captain America and Bucky? I mean, FFS, back in 2008, Alex could have played Cap OR Thor.
@@JnEricsonx In my imaginary world, Stark Sands is Captain America and Alexander Skarsgard is Thor. I mean, who better than the wholesome all-American looking dude and the giant Scandinavian for those roles :D :D :D
@@masalanoodles8464 And James Ransone is a older Spiderman? :) God knows he's good at not shutting up.
@@JnEricsonx I go a little offside with Ransone - I can't make up my mind if he should be a better Iron Man or an angstier Hulk :P
He, and Lieutenant Winters in Band of Brothers, are how warriors are supposed to act.
I think Blackhawk down did a decent job at portraying a sergeant with a similar demeanor, it's meant to imply that they are not violent natured but are capable of temporarily entering that frame of mind. That type of person can put a lot of years into the military, without the consequences some leave combat with.
No comparison whatsoever winters was a liberator fighting against the odds on d day this guy was on an invading force with a massive advantage fighting against a third world country who were just defending their homes and done nothing to provoke the invasion. OIL oil oil.
@@peterlonergan you clearly haven’t watched the show
@@magnusthered4973 no need it's about the iraqi war.
Very much the same as the Ukraine war.
@@peterlonergan very different and very similar yet you know nothing about it at all
When high up leadership sucks, one of the few things able to keep the morale of the platoon, and I cannot stress this enough, is the attitude of a good Lt. And those are really rare...
I love how this show accurately depicts modern warfare, yet still maintains an anti-war theme.
It's anti-war?
@@jimschlosser1621 i don't see it
@@jimschlosser1621 How else did you think the ending was?
@@chrysecreative5575 If I remember correctly I remember thinking the ending was more like "anti-MIC" rather than anti war.
@@jimschlosser1621 "MIC" meaning what?
I wish we had more officers like Nate Fick when I was in the military
Same here. Even during the 'War on Terror', it was still the ass-kissing yes-men who moved up in the ranks. My PL during my second deployment to Iraq was a lot like Fick but the battalion commander gave him a lot of autonomy.
I could fill an entire book with the incongruities I saw during the Iraq occupation. My second deployment was the worst as far as the fighting went and my third was by far the worst in terms of the dumb shit command did. Plus, prior to my third deployment, anyone who dared go against command was promptly sent to another battalion. What that meant was my battalion (and brigade for that matter) was run by a bunch of TRADOC commandos, more obsessed with petty rules and regulations than actually winning.
I loved Fick's book. The whole thing is about avoiding hazards. He's always saying "no, we're staying out," or "no, it's getting dark, we're leaving." He knows he's not an expert, so he avoids risk.
Yes and no. There's a part in the book where in officer training he got called out for being overly cautious, and that gave him better understanding of the need for being decisive in combat. With him, it's not about avoiding risk, just minimizing stupid and unnecessary risks.
3:36 you missed the glorious moment he mentioned that officer didn't know how to formulate a correct call for air support. so it would not come
Klaas Vaak technically it wasn’t air support, rather artillery fire.
It was arti support bro
@@Helmet_Von_Moldy Technically, he still used the wrong protocol so it doesn't matter whatever he was calling in.
Thank you guys for the explanation. After watching this show for 5 times, I was still confused why there’s no fire mission. Lol
How a correct protocol would be?
I love how the dude didn't even finish his request to go join his buddies in the fight at 2:30. His LT knew you have to let em go.
did he say "no" or "go" I cant decide :D
@@Ranf412 "go", and if I recall he didn't request to join in the fight, but rather provide medical care.
@@Exopie makes sense, thanks
Yeah that's the corpsman he's going up to care for any wounded
They did a stellar job with writing and casting the characters.
Prodigy of Major Winters during WWII, anyone else agree?
Alan Sohn Well Fick only went to Captain unlike Winters.
@@bw_l560 It was a different type of war and different duration. I believe Alan was talking about their leadership style, mission accomplishment ethos and troop welfare , not their rank.
We get it you watched both mini series
To an extent
BW L some 20 years olds are sergeants in ww2. You can't compare it.
Fick is the example of a what we look for, our Platoon did two tours with out an actual Platoon commander. Our gunny was. Happy to say 3rd Light armoured recon had it right. Two LTS were relieved of duty trying to lead us. Incompetence is all over
Jesus what did they both do to get relieved?
Lt. Fick was easily my favourite character and I loved the actor. Who wouldn’t want be or have that kind of leader?
What I love about G Kill is the Enlisted view on MC officers, and because of this view, this is how they were portrayed in RS and as a result, G kill. And the only competent officer was the one who was closest to the reporter, and as a result is portrayed as such.
Assassin aka Capt Patterson is pretty competent too
Mari E he was the one with alpha right?
He was a true believer when he started. He wasn't after the demolition derby train wreck he was a part of.
Battalion level coordination was a fucking sideshow.
I read his book. He was right.
They all stood with him afterward and said he was a great recon LT.
The LT is actually in the right when he calls his cpt on his bull he viewed it as an unlawful order and called him on it.
CHEEYIIINUUUUHH
The guy is a straight up G, I love how Calm Brad is. Always. No matter what he’s calm cool and collected and business face. Real superpower.
He’s the Iceman
i love how it has the American Idiot (musical) version on Wake Me Up When September ends and Stark was also in that
@Charlie Rothwill So where'd that come from?
Anakin Skywalker for real wtf? A dude replies to a 4 year old comment to say some random shit, then 8 months later you get to ask this question. The absolute S T A T E of the youtube comments section.
@@tyler4475 u would be fucking surprised my man
This man was a legend. Stark Sands did a great job playing him too.
Just think of it, Lt and Iceman were real warriors. These two dudes were actually in real life fully documented through and through.
I don't often watch series more than once, but when I do. I have to watch this series again. Some great writing and actors.
Damn, Stark Sands is an amazing actor
8:50 Damn man, what a leader.
My favorite character of the series
I watch this series at least once or twice a year. This is a great show
5:59 that is so perfectly sinked up together with the guitar from 21 guns!
Amazing how professional he remained despite the Fuckery of his unit.
Impeccable.
Love when they he says ya want logistics call the army 🤣 I had my dad mailing AA batteries for my nods
I guess that stands for Night Vision gear?
@@JnEricsonx night observation device 🤙
I wonder if the battery issue would've been a lot smaller if lithium batteries had been a bigger thing in ~2003. They could've used the batteries by night and recharged them in the HMMWVs by day. Although maybe using single-use batteries was an intentional choice so that the enemy couldn't gain an advantage if they somehow managed to get their hands on USA hardware. It's possible to steal equipment, but not to steal logistics.
@@JDWonders rechargable batteries can fry some higher end tech, that's why it's uncommon to use such type of batteries now.
@@JDWonders this statement carries a lot more weight now.
The most accurate depiction of army doing their during war. But obviously very under rated and most ignored. Only loved by enthusiasts and army veterans.
These guys are marines dude.
Strongly recommend Nate's book "One Bullet Away" if you can get your hands on a copy. Just as good as the original Generation Kill book by the Rolling Stones reporter.
Lt Fick is one of the most competent officers I've seen
Damn it, I'm going to rewatch Generation Kill again, aren't I
Fick was my favorite character on the show. Honor!
A warrior, and a poet. Love this guy.
I loved It Lt Fick's book, One Bullet Away, a great read
I will be an officer, I want to be an officer like Lt. Fick and Lt. Winters.
It's been years since I've seen the show. I watched it live every episode that came out. I remember Brad and Ray. The reporter, the two soldiers singing and most of all how good of a leader Fick was. I remember him being one of the best leaders ever shown on screen next to Winters and Co from Band of Brothers.
I'd follow Nate and Brad anywhere, those were the most competent officers
Brad was enlisted, either a sergeant or a staff sergeant, I can't quite recall.
@@th3highwayman still technically an officer
@@XaviRonaldo0 Not by commission, but yeah, he was an NCO.
@@th3highwayman I know I was just being facetious. I'm not a military member but I know that 'officer' usually refers to commissioned officers
@@XaviRonaldo0 nobody in the infantry would agree with you, officers are often pre emptively labelled. An NCO can act in the place of an officer, not vice versa.
Maybe different branches function differently, however in perticular in the marines; I wouldn't call a sergeant an "officer"
Fick got it and understood it...or that is how he was portrayed. The casting agents got the right guy to play the part.
"it's all relative"
Lt Fick is the goddamn definition of STOIC.
Being one of those Iraqi kids watching american soldiers make a bad situation in my home into something worse, i cant say i particularly liked americans and their military. My earliest memories are helicopters shaking the windows like crazy, jet planes so close to the ground it felt the whole world was falling apart, bombings that felt like earthquakes, american helicopters containing soldiers sitting there still as clay statues over the mess theyve made....but things like this series show that those people werent monsters, they were simply born and raised somewhere where they thought they were the good guys, and were simply doing their jobs. Cant say i blame them.
Hey, your story needs to be told my friend. Do you recall what the general spirit was among your people back then? Did they fear the Americans or did they respect the perceived cause. Also, if it isnt to invasive, I'd like to know within your family if there was a ever a plan discussed as to how to deal with soldiers. I'm curious what perspectives you all had and I hope this can help the world somehow if you share!
What did you grow up to do for Iraq? What have you accomplished for Iraq? Did you do any military service?
It’s not their fault the government gave them a war with no mission to end it
@ironduke0775 wait, what? lol
@ironduke0775 pls tell me your a troll
He’s the only person that makes delve and knows what there doing
Everyone needs to read this man's book, One Bullet Away. It's great, and there is also an audible version of it. Check it out.
Went I went on a cadet camp we had a sgt who was like that and this reminds me of that sgt
Erm, which sgt
Now that's real life soldiers have to break up the boredom with laughter I never laughed so hard when I was in the army best time of my life
dat framerate tho....
dat music tho...
apparently I'm watching the same video after 2 years.
@@vaahtobileet iconic
pretty sure dos games have higher fps
This video screams 2007
vaahtobileet dude!! I can imagine myself coming back to this video later on.
I like how he shuts them the fuck up at 4:10, but it's not because he's just being rude. He's keeping the men out of it. If they start doing that, they go down with him, or if they even start talking about mutiny he doesn't WANT to hear it because that makes him responsible if they go through with it.
im no soldier i got stuck in a wheel chair at an early age but damn it i would follow that man to hell and back then open the pearly gates myself for him.
this dude and iceman is a dynamic duo
If you want to know more about Nate Fick, read his book “One Bullet Away”. Very good book.
The book Generation Kill by Evan Wright is really worth a read, Nate Fick has also written a book about his experiences called One Bullet Away which is not just about Iraq 2.0 but his time in the US Marines.
Watching their story, any story on a screen is like looking at a lake of water, reading their story is like swimming through the lake. Both books are worth the time.
I loved how professional he is throughout the show
Lt. Nate Fick. professional, smart, putting the safety of his men before the chance of medals or promotion. that is the junior officer that EVERY soldier wants as his immediate superior. a man with a brain on his shoulders and the rare skill of actually using it.
I would follow this man anywhere.
One of the finest junior officers I ever had described his job as a shit filter, find the nugget of the actual orders necessary to DO the job in the most efficient way possible and keep the fowl feces to a minimum! Now he would CONVEY (tell us) the crap with it but would generally IGNORE the chicken stuff unless it was necessary to do the job OR he knew the higher-ups were watching! If you lead from the from the front, small units can do amazing things in the minimum amount of time and sew the minimum amount of hate and discontent!
i'd serve with these men in a heartbeat
The absolute best field officer in the entire Division. Able to make SENSIBLE DECISIONS UNDER FIRE CONSISTENTLY. To him no men were expendable unless the COHESIVE mission was of a high priority. He also chose to put himself in harm’s way sometimes rather than ordering subordinates to do it all of the time. He cared about his Marines. He was also a patriot, an incredible soldier in combat, and obviously trained hard enough before deploying that he could perform all of his duties correctly and effectively.
truly a decent underrated war classic its got ups and downs and a stellar cast
A truly great series, criminally slept on.
My dad, a retired Marine E-9 WW2/Korea vet, would tell me that all the time I crabbed about getting the second tier shoe, clothing etc..."you want Adidas/Nike, join the air force, Marines make do"!
😆😆
I respect Stark Sands and his Character
The way he handled the situation during the Sniper Scene at the alley, shows his competent and how his team leader respect him...
The real Nathan Fick said something in an interview that's stuck with me. He said that good leaders implement two traits:
1. They are very competent at what they do.
2. They use that competence with affection to make the ones placed in their care better at what they do, and help them do so in better spirits if possible.
Based on what I read the thing I admire most about Lt Fick was his dedication to the truth. Like he didn’t try and silence the reporter despite all the fucked up shit that was going on around him. Like with the surrendering Iraqi soldiers and all that stuff.
Dude was unreal. Impeccable bearing.
7:44 I was always suspicious of that dude.
I saw a speech on YT from the real Lt. Fick. He said that Meesh's brother was killed by the Iraqis in 1990/91 and Meesh's whole intent as a translator was to get as many Iraqis killed as possible.
@@Axemantitan saw the same interview, I wish it was covered in the show
Awesome call on the Green Day instrumental in the background. Music was written in direct reflection of these events.
Having this on in the background helps me sleep
Is that a Subaru SVX in your profile pic?
@@JJM956 how dare you , 88 mustang GT lol
well at least he's better than the Captain America dude
FOLLOW MY TraCeRS
WE’RE GONNA DIE
ENGAGE! ENGAGE!
@@andrewpestotnik5495 follow my tracers
"Denying enemy transportation"
I like how they didn't care enough to get a single legit PASGT helmet for the guy without a cover so it is obvious that he has a $10 airsoft helmet but they cared enough to track down a period MRE spoon.
+Cap Camouflage Pattern I Well it's the reporter. The helmet he got was probably even purchased by himself...
When he first arrives, his body armour didn't even fit, and Iceman had to duct tape it together
Matthew Sayer It was Lt and Doc that taped his armor together.
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Rudy’s helmet is legit.
There was a finite amount of good officers when I was in the Army Infantry. The good ones I did have the pleasure of serving under however, I’ll never forget.
"Reporter what the FFUuccKK was that?"
The perfect officer.
Been doing so long with so little..that's how we survive!! SEMPER FI!!
man, how did they not lose a single man i have no idea
Probably a combination of the marines being extremely good and plain luck.
I wanted to be an officer in the Marine corps because of this guy but decided to go Grunt instead because I don't wanna end up like captain America or the company commander captain.
Well, you can never really tell how you'll be or act until you're in the situation. All you can do is try to keep your eyes open and your mind clear, don't let your ego run the show.
That's a man I'd follow into combat. My platoon leader in Iraq was very average. Not incompetent but not overly bright either.
When I was active duty I served with a few officers who inspired this kind of loyalty. The best and most competent men and women I've ever known were in the military. It was humbling to be around them.
There were plenty of officers and senior ncos that clueless and you were always thankful when they moved on
He was one of the few competent leaders that was actually recon qualed and was an Afghanistan combat vet going into Iraq when many other officers were pulled from their actual MOS to be infantry unit leaders they were otherwise not experienced or qualified enough to be. Stark Sands did an amazing portrayal.
I’ve seen so many movies trying to make the military either look so inaccurate it hurts to watch or just not following actual protocol the real life military had to go through.
This show showed both the risks they had to go through in Afghanistan, the right attitude of attack and strategy, and it’s more realistic than the movies they put them on.
Just another reason why I love this show more than them military/war movies the picture them as.
What's the most inaccurate thing you've ever seen in a military movie
@@meatiest1989 Well. To put it simply, watch Pearl Harbor. And there are others, but that movie pretty much made me angrier than watching the live action Lion King movie.
@@loneshadow3624 alright 👌
Iraq.
I just realized the reporter guy was Tobias in HBO's OZ show. My lord, that show REALLY was the starting place for dozens of HBO actors.
Nate Fick is Dick Winters; competent, in control, aware, mission-focused, aggressive, and with NO time for bullshit.
That awkward moment for reporter when in the end Godfather says "some men are questioning Fick's leadership." 😂