Generation Kill
‘Generation Kill’ is a memoir on the story of the First Reconnaissance Battalion; a group of highly trained marines that spearheaded the war in Iraq in 2003. Written in the perspective of Rolling Stones writer Evan Wright, it’s a first hand account of the emotions, the battles and everything that happened with the Battalion from their base in Kuwait to the streets of Baghdad. Generation Kill however is not specifically an account of war, but rather an in depth analysis of the new generation of US fighters and how they deal with the realities of a modern war in the backdrop of their culture.
A general theme in the military is being ‘hard’. In First Recon however, a unit composed of the supposed best of the best in the military this is not merely a theme but a general rule of life. Marines tease each other as being ‘pussies’ for wearing a fleece when it is cold or for having foam mats to sleep on. Evan Wright noted that after refusing to quit and riding in the lead Humvee throughout their campaign got him the respect of the other marines. Acceptance in First Recon is based on the respect for being hard. Indeed even the Battalions veteran sergeant Brad ‘Iceman’ Colbert referred to a marine who wanted out of the campaign as a pussy and looked at him as one who did not deserve to be in the marines. If ‘snivel gear’ such as wearing a fleece, taking cold medicine or sleeping on foam pads represents being weak, then quitting on your mission is the biggest form of being a ‘pussy’.
“Get Some.” The unofficial Marine Corps cheer used by the enlisted men to keep up their and their spirit. 'Get some ' has different meanings depending on the situation. It is used by a marine cheer his peer over his latest sexual conquest; it is used to cheer a kill or even as encouragement to push yourself harder. This cheer embodies the mentality of the soldiers, almost like an “adolescent sense of invulnerability.” Unremorseful, fearless fighters that revel in killing. This is
A general theme in the military is being ‘hard’. In First Recon however, a unit composed of the supposed best of the best in the military this is not merely a theme but a general rule of life. Marines tease each other as being ‘pussies’ for wearing a fleece when it is cold or for having foam mats to sleep on. Evan Wright noted that after refusing to quit and riding in the lead Humvee throughout their campaign got him the respect of the other marines. Acceptance in First Recon is based on the respect for being hard. Indeed even the Battalions veteran sergeant Brad ‘Iceman’ Colbert referred to a marine who wanted out of the campaign as a pussy and looked at him as one who did not deserve to be in the marines. If ‘snivel gear’ such as wearing a fleece, taking cold medicine or sleeping on foam pads represents being weak, then quitting on your mission is the biggest form of being a ‘pussy’.
“Get Some.” The unofficial Marine Corps cheer used by the enlisted men to keep up their and their spirit. 'Get some ' has different meanings depending on the situation. It is used by a marine cheer his peer over his latest sexual conquest; it is used to cheer a kill or even as encouragement to push yourself harder. This cheer embodies the mentality of the soldiers, almost like an “adolescent sense of invulnerability.” Unremorseful, fearless fighters that revel in killing. This is
Bibliography: Wright, Evan. Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War. New York: G.P. Putnam 's Sons, 2004. Print.