Restrepo
Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington's year dug in with the Second Platoon in one of Afghanistan's most strategically crucial valleys reveals extraordinary insight into the surreal combination of back breaking labor, deadly firefights, and camaraderie as the soldiers painfully push back the Taliban.
The film follows the 2nd Platoon of Battle Company on a 15-month deployment in the Korengal Valley of northeast Afghanistan. It chronicles the lives of the men from their deployment to the time of their return home.
The Korengal Valley was at the time regarded as the deadliest place on Earth (as stated in the documentary itself, trailers, and television commercials on the National Geographic Channel).
The goal of the deployment is to clear the Korengal Valley of insurgency and continue to gain the trust of the local populace. They begin their deployment at OP Korengal, and early in the campaign PFC Restrepo is killed, as well as another team member.
The film portrays the construction of an advanced outpost, OP Restrepo, as well as the challenges and intermittent firefights they faced while they managed to build the outpost from nothing in only one night. In the latter portion of the film, the extremely dangerous mission Operation Rock Avalanche is shown along with some of its tragic consequences, such as dead civilians and soldiers, as well as the emotional distress that the soldiers are left with in its aftermath.
I would recommend all of you watch the film "which way to the front lines" to get an idea of who Tim was and the reasons he made the film Restrepo. This was not meant to be a "political" piece of work.
Look been there done that. I'm a Force Recon Marine from 2nd Force, 2Plt. And until we stop the Pakistani problem & stop giving them money a they are the largest damn "terrorists" at present then NOTHING will ever change point blank! They openly harbor the Taliban, shoot look at the wonderful job at their hiding of Bin Laden! So personally I say f-em, and just turn the whole region into a parking lot! But hey I'm swayed a different way as I was pissed at having to fight both the so-called terrorists,the Taliban, and our so called allies the Pakistani Taliban! So F-EM!
all thank god because there are soo many who are actually realising exactly what is fact,,, and fact what is that,,,evidence,,proof,,,witness,,,statistics genetics,,,and history. AND NOW THERE ARE THE SIGNS,, AND SIGNS WHAT ARE THEY,,, MALEOVELENCE, PESTILENCE,NWO, MARK OF BEAST...
The sheer ignorance in the posts below are disgraceful. First off, if you're not American then don't argue something that doesn't matter to you. This is a US affair, and if you can't support the people that actually DO VOLUNTEER and sacrifice their well-being, then get the hell out of our country! I volunteered, and so badly wanted to become a US Soldier, to be a part of something bigger than yourself; to help more than just your immediate family; to create a future for oneself. This doesn't mean killing people or engaging in warfare, but sometimes that may be the case. One must put aside differences and fight for survival. None of these soldiers truly want to kill others. Again, it's a sacrifice.
I personally think this documentary is neither a propaganda piece that is trying to serve the Americans or the people who oppose the war. If you read the book called War by Sebastian Junger which is the book version of Restrepo you will understand that war is hell but it doesn't mean that the soldiers themselves are evil or bad. War is just about survival... Most of the American soldiers do care about the Afghans civilians since some were raised in peaceful homes while the rest were riased in broken homes. Yet they were still taught morals. However suppose you and your family were being ambushed and you know someone in your family will die and the only way to stop this is by bombing the insurgents but at the same time they are hiding among civilians. Would you allow your son, daughter, brother or sister to die or kill an innocent person that you don't know... There is no good or bad answer since its just about survival... Its nature... Also the phrase "give peace a chance" can never work because humans in nature always want more and more and humans can never have enough commodities therefore this is why dictators exist and greed exist because quite simply when we were dwelling in caves by having more resources meant our chances of survival will be higher. Once people have far too much power and resources they will become an oppressor and of course this leads to revolutions or war... Therefore war can become a great equalizer to oppressive regimes. And to those good doers out there... Trust me when you have nothing to eat or drink and you are living in a dsytopian world you will steal or even murder just for survival becomes humans adapt, we can adapt to a world that is brutal and barbaric.
"irrationality of people fighting in, or supporting this war?" thats a broad spectrum to group people into. why am i irrational? because i am patriotic? because i am a service member? what about the 3000 people whom died on 911, let alone all the other terrorist attacks before hand? And i know, i know, "bin laden was a cia informant under the handle tim osman." wrap the tin foil around your head with alex jones. propaganda? how. showing that people lose their lives, showing that one can be put into situations were civilions get killed? and you think this is what our service men and women want? f*** you. be the person behind the trigger, and be put into the situation where you have to return fire into a building packed with civilians, and then make your idiotic remarks about this war, better yet analyze the a**hole putting the civilians into that position, until then, f*** you, and shut the f*** up. what do they let slip by? how would you know? how would you have any f***ing idea what its like to be out there, away from your family, friends, everything you know, how would you know what its like. you sit behind a computer, behind a keyboard, and do nothing. do what YOU can to change things, instead of adding moronic commentary to a film showing the horrors of modern day combat. until you've been there in your own shoes, shut up. anyone whos been down range knows exactly what im talking about. your safe where you are becuase of people like them, because of the people who have lost thier lives protecting the ability and freedom to speak as you are now, show some god damn respect. you voted these people into office as a whole. on 9-12-2001 you wouldnt be preaching this bulls***, iraq was a mistake, vietnam was bulls***, speak out then, stand up, every "empire" has fallen from within, get the point? you i think agree with this s***? no im trying to change it, and im not just half a**ed talking s*** on a documentary, im actually doing it? and what are you doing? inviting people to lynch you. bring me the rope and i'll tie the knot dumba**,
Putting aside the irrationality of the people fighting in or supporting this war, I couldn't help my self not to think that this documentary is just another propaganda device for recruiting uneducated young men in the war machine. They let a few things slip by for the sense of realism, but besides them whole documentary looks carefully "unnatural", for example the part where the American soldiers really care about the Afghan people, given their history in Iraq and Vietnam.
Just an opinion so feel free to lynch me :)
We have zero business in their country.
We are where we do not belong.
That is there country, not ours.
Your kids? Did you actually have a child maimed or killed? If so im sorry.
If not, dont claim me.
Ah if only the world was so simple. Good vs evil and all that.
My opinions of the war are my own but I had to laugh when I read "the bush family and their cronies". Oh they must be rolling in money right now. Probably shooting puppies for target practice.
Its common practice by the Taliban to kill the youngest member of a persons family on up when a man refuses to join. They take over towns and recruit fighters willing or not to joing their cause. I dont agree with a lot of the tactics used by the United States in Afghanistan or in other areas of the world but this statement is completely unfair.
The Taliban are not freedom fighters.
Learnt is a word.
Your understanding of how things work in Afghanistan are second hand at best. Watch and learn. Obscenity considered offensive in a country where child rape is the norm. Please mrre. They fought the Russians for decades they can handle the "F word", and to be honest if they cant they are living in a fantasy world and undeserving of my consideration.
But to be more to the point. I have yet to meet and Afghani that is insulted by harsh language. They are a harsh people and I say that with the utmost respect.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Best.
Papa Gorsk
Wish this documentary also brought to light the way American tax payers are giving money that goes to kill their own teenagers..but that is too dangerous for the downtown I guess
Every time I saw soldiers shooting and using other sophisticated weaponry I flashed back to the lack of educational material in public schools. NO MORE WARS!!!!!!.Give Peace a chance!
You are not soldiers....You are a bunch of paid killers..$$$$ is your motive.....
In response to Pamela, many of the U.S. soldiers are also Pakistani.
no bodies nowere,nothing just dudes smoking cigs and talking about firefights..boring as fawk..
this film looked fake as can be...payed actors..lol..and looks like the bad guys prolly locals pissed you shootin into their town and shit..fake
Get rid of ''Rambo''-americans + get rid of zionist jews + get rid of fanatical muslims = A Happier Planet!
much respect to our young brave soldiers.
thanks vlatko,
was waiting for this one
Its the strong picking on the weak.
A world where might is right.
One day these people will be strong.
Unjust war, inconsiderate occupiers, traumatized youth, violated populace, just another chapter in the evil agenda of America's foreign policy.
Promising jobs and healthcare to the village elders, when the the US corporate state does't deliver either healthcare and employment to millions of it's own citizens is duplicity and deceit at its most brazen. The US military machine, equipped with the latest fire-power, waging hell-fire against those who are in effect local tribesmen, wearing sandals is like "taking crack" is it? The decline of an empire is a dangerous thing.
Wow. i am sitting here appalled at the cow controversy. There should be no controversy at all. Regardless of if the treatment of the cow was humane, the loss cannot be covered by equal weight in rice, beans and sugar. A cow provides much more than that to a family over it's lifetime. Had it been killed during a bombing, these men would not have made the trek to have the injustice adjudicated. But it wasn't. It wandered into an area occupied by the occupying forces. The populace did not ask to be occupied; so being occupied is not an excuse. If each of the young men had experienced this response at home for such a significant loss..say, an individual wrecks their car, and has no insurance, but the state says the loss will be covered by an equal weight of rice, beans and sugar; would they be willing to accept that in trade? A car in the USA is often the difference between working, hence eating; the same as a cow in Afghanistan. A cow is a means of producing both income and food.
i also question the use of obscenity while talking with the men of the area during efforts to come to make an agreement of working together. In a society such as this, obscenity strikes me as something that would be considered offensive...and better left to conversations with fellow soldiers and not with the local populace. Not understanding English would not mean they would not have figured out by now, (in year 10 of occupation,) what English swear words are. i have a friend who is going back to Afghanistan soon, and i would not have thought to touch on this issue with him before he goes..but now i will.
lols @ young ppl wanting to go to war.
I am ex-military. War is old men talking and young men dying.
You would think a lesson might be learnt when the most powerful countries on earth cannot even force the poorest people on earth to submit. But no.
You think you just need more men and more ammo.
We are not in there for the profit of it, nor for applause, Only the common comfort that it caused. So if you are against us, if you're weak, or meek form a queue and we will travel from afar and systematically we'll do to you what we have done here. But more regular and always twice as hard.
I absolutely love this doc. Thanks for posting. Truly shows how war has evolved into such Hell on Earth. What a waste of supplies and lives.
When Russia occupied Afghanistan she faced the Taliban, Osama Bin Laden and his group which we`re told were funded by America. Is it therefore not unreasonable to suspect that Russia might be helping to fund those that want to see America vacate the region? Just a thought.
It's sad how everybody lives in a BD World. How Bad Taliban are????
Please, they are killing families. Every afgan man in the premisses is considered an insurgent. I would like to see if your father and brother were killed in cold blood while doing nothing. Wouldn't you become an insurgent by free will. Multiply this death tool for entire villages and entire countries Just so you can have the oil necessary for you to live your superficial life and write that sad commentary over the internet.
Been looking everywhere for this doc, thanks Vlatko.
I think too many people are missing the point of this war, it is not a waste of anything, do you even realise how evil the Taliban are?
Americans treat war like it's a game. There is something wrong if America isn't at war with somebody somewhere. These guys have invaded another country to what? Build a road.... Get outta here.
Warfare is an industry in America and they have to justify that industry by starting a war with someone. This video just shows the Americans need to get their gun off.
Americans haven't figured out that they lose men because they stick in close companies, their enemies just flank them and get them in cqb at which point Americans fall apart and get slaughtered. They can only fight at distance. A lesson not learned from Vietnam.
A complete waste of lives & money, but hey just think how much the bush family & their cronies are going to make out of it, I wonder if they are going to share any of it with the families of the troops who are dying so that they can profit from it. I doubt it very much.
Our kids are getting maimed and killed for nothing.
as i posted on my facebook, RIP Tim Hetherington. you brought me into where my beloved is serving his country in a way he couldn't tell me about. your work was just starting.
I am struck by the futility of it all and how much all this garbage is costing us. We don't have health insurance yet The US Army is going to "flood" a remote valley of Afghani hillbillys with health care, supplies and money and for what? It won't change a damn thing. What's wrong with this picture? The more I think about it the angrier I get. This is another reason why unrestricted news coverage of our wars is not allowed. Get us the Hell out of this damn war NOW.
Operation Pointless?
What exactly did they accomplish militarily or strategically in this Korengal Valley?
According to field commander they built a Base (Restrepo) that prevented some additional attacks....
But beside this minor goal, they certainly failed to win the hearts of minds of the locals, was the Road ever built? did these people actually care? and how many joined the ranks of the Jihadists as a result of civilian casualties and destruction?
They finally pulled out and left it worse than they arrived and it only took 50 dead American soldiers..
All the supplies, bombs, missile, ammunition probably cost the tax payer millions of dollars to kill people who raise goats and chickens and live in shanty huts.
This War Costs us hundreds of billions of dollars a year when the economy stinks already...
Well thats my rant,
Good luck winning the Afghan war!
can't help but picturing that this was america and that they were defending their home front against the pakistanis