Navy SEAL Breaks Down Military Movies, Explains What They Get Right And What They Get Horribly Wrong About Combat

American Sniper

Warner Bros


Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink served his country for 20 years, where he was deployed all over the world. Willink was enlisted Navy SEAL with SEAL Team ONE and SEAL Team TWO, plus he was the commander of SEAL Team Three’s Task Unit Bruiser that fought Iraqi insurgents in Ramadi during the Iraq War. Willink earned the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his brave service.

With all of that experience in the military and fighting in bloody battles, GQ asked Jocko Willink to watch military movies and discreet the military action to see how realistic the films were. Willink analyzed several movies including 1990’s Navy SEALs starring Charlie Sheen, Zero Dark Thirty, Captain Phillips, Act of Valor, Lone Survivor, and American Sniper, which is about Chris Kyle, who was in Willink’s Task Unit Bruiser.

Willink points out that not every Navy SEAL is a sniper and that each member is highly specialized in certain skills such as communication, medical, a breacher, to name a few. Jocko said that one of the worst aspects of being a Navy SEAL is that you are wet and cold all day.

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GQ has done this style of cinematic analysis before. U.S. Marine infantryman James Laporta scrutinized Hacksaw Ridge, Heartbreak Ridge, Stripes, Jarhead, and Full Metal Jacket.

Mark “Billy” Billingham was a Special Air Service (SAS) member over 27 years where he was in the Parachute Regiment and a Mountie troop leader. Billingham broke down popular military scenes from 11 movies such as American Sniper, Saving Private Ryan, Commando, Patriot Games, and Black Hawk Down.

Jocko Willink is one of Joe Rogan’s favorite guests and has appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience multiple times, including most recently in November with fellow military member and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard.

Speaking of Joe Rogan, retired Navy SEAL Andy Stumpf was on the JRE, and he said that “almost everything in war movies is inaccurate.” Stumpf added that what drives him most crazy is “when grenades create a fireball.” “If you throw a grenade it goes ‘pop,’ and it puts some dust up in the air, and if you’re waiting for a fireball, you’re going to be waiting there for the rest of your natural life.” Strumpf added that Navy SEALs was the worst military movie he’s ever seen.

[GQ]