By Laura Kaae
Killeen Daily Herald

Just one day after a stop-loss policy went into effect for the 4th Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade here at Fort Hood, Hollywood is releasing its interpretation of the policy that requires troops to remain on active duty even if their term of service is finished.

Kimberly Peirce’s “Stop-Loss,” which was filmed in part near Austin, follows a young Texas veteran who rebels after being told he’s headed back overseas with a stop-loss order.

While only time will tell if “Stop-Loss” succeeds, the film raises a larger question about how soldiers are portrayed in movies — soldiers whose world of early-morning physical training, Army combat uniforms and M-16 rifles are a far cry from the glossy makeup rooms and catered movie sets of Hollywood.

Veteran Alex Horton, a front-page writer for VetVoice.com (a Web site for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans) and self-described “film aficionado who absolutely loves war movies,” said he hasn’t been impressed overall with how servicemembers are characterized in movies.

Horton said Hollywood has pigeonholed soldiers as “southern rednecks” or “dregs of society” when in reality the armed forces are made up of everyone from California surfers to fast-talking Brooklynites.

“We serve for a variety of different reasons, like patriotism, education benefits or a way to get our lives back on track and earn a little discipline.” he said. “From a filmgoer’s standpoint, we joined to get out of our hick town or to blow stuff up.”

Another misstep on the part of screenwriters and directors, Horton said, is portraying veterans as either seriously alcoholic or constantly battling post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Both are serious problems,” he admitted. “But they don’t affect every single soldier.”

Everyone who goes to war and back is changed to some degree, Horton said, but judging from the trailers he’s seen of “Stop-Loss,” the film paints a picture that every soldier is adversely affected by war, which isn’t the case, he said.

“The premise of (“Stop-Loss”), a soldier being stop-lossed suddenly but without warning, is a little contrived,” he said. “Most are stop-lossed before a deployment, not after, to supplement units preparing to go overseas.”

Another flaw Horton noted from a “Stop-Loss” trailer was that a few characters had sewn-on Combat Infantryman Badges, with no combat patch on their right shoulders.

“That’s a simple — but glaring — mistake,” he said.

Soldiers around Fort Hood seemed to agree that while some war movies are worth watching, others are unfair and give the civilian world an inaccurate picture of military life.

“I believe that Hollywood and the media in general do not portray the military well,” said Col. Michael Calder, chief nurse of the 1st Medical Brigade who has served in the Army for 34 years.

“For every great portrayal or great movie, there are 10 that portray the military poorly as individuals or the organization,” he said. “They will show gross uniform errors, severe character flaws in individuals, ... flaws in leadership and civilian-military balance that would not occur in real life.”

Calder said be believes screenwriters and directors are looking only to make money off movies, not make them accurate.
“Accuracy is often dull,” he said, “so it won’t sell.”

Roger Edwards, a soldier-turned-actor who portrays a corporal in “Stop-Loss,” said that while he believes the movie is “accurate for feelings” of soldiers returning from war, some features of the film were added for entertainment value.

It’s not your typical war movie, said Edwards, who was stationed at Fort Hood from 2000 to 2004, including one deployment to Iraq.

“There are some war scenes, but it’s focusing on (the soldiers’) mentality when they get home,” he said.

Edwards said moviegoers will get the feeling of helplessness after seeing the film.

“There is nothing you can do about (stop-loss),” he said. “There is nobody to defend you. Stop-loss is unfortunate. It’s a perspective that needed to be told.”

Edwards noted that he and many like him had false assumptions when they enlisted and said it’s unfair to make people stay longer than their contracts call for.

Still, Edwards said when it comes to his four years in the Army, he’d do it all over again if he could.

As for the project, the former specialist said he’s glad he got to take part in such an important movie.

“It was good being a part of something I believe in,” he said.

But not everyone is as enthusiastic about how “Stop-Loss” and other movies like it characterize soldiers.

Spc. Edward Wofford, an air traffic controller at Fort Hood with six years of service under his belt, said he owns many war and military movies, but is a fan of just one type.

“I like the movies that show the loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage that it takes to be a successful soldier,” he said. “I consider myself a patriot and I believe serving in he military is my patriotic duty.”

Wofford said he believes some movies give insight about how combat affects some soldiers, though it can give people the idea that all soldiers are affected the same way.

“The truth is, we as soldiers are for the most part, kindhearted and good people,” he said. “Unfortunately, Hollywood doesn’t seem to care about the good stories that come out of a war zone.”

Pvt. Brian Bock, who has been in the military just shy of one year, said when he first enlisted he got a laugh out of most military movies, but that’s not the case anymore.

“Now I just get bored or sick,” he said. “It makes soldiers look like rather war-hungry idiots or complete crybabies.”

Two movies that get high ratings from Bock are “U-571” and “The General’s Daughter.”

Chief Warrant Officer-3 Josh Brackett and Chief Warrant Officer-2 Francisco Robles, pilots in the Combat Aviation Brigade that on Thursday received its stop-loss order from Maj. Gen. Jeffery W. Hammond, commander of Multinational Division-Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division, said they will probably watch “Stop-Loss” at some point, but neither plans on heading out to theaters this weekend.

“I’m not going to be one who will rush out to go see it,” Brackett said

Though he said Hollywood does get a few right — “Black Hawk Down” is his favorite — the soldier did question why a film would be made about stop-loss.

“Why show that part about (war), you know?” he said.

Contact Laura Kaae at lkaae@kdhnews.com or call (254) 501-7464

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