The Learning Channel SEAL feature

[shurefire]

I dunno bout anyone else, but did anyone see the Navy SEALs in Grenada hour long special last night on TLC? I was excited for about a day after seeing a commercial for it and finally when it was on I settled down with my fiance who (Thank God!!) is infatuated with my infatuation for things militaria and firearms related-her recent purchase of a nickle slide P226 attests to this. My feelings upon watching the show were disappointment, there was so much wasted potential. The acting was horrible, what was the deal with the shooting?-did anyone see any spent cases at all? I sure didn't. Also, why would the squad's commander post two sentries outside behind some bushes(!!!) to suppress the enemy outside that included an APC-I didn't know bullet proof bushes were native to Grenada. Also when all of this shooting is going on the squad's commander and two others were just hanging out in the basement for a while with the Grenadian governor/general and his aids (I guess just for dramatic purpose)while the four others were shooting it out with PRA Personally I doubted that with all the available options a SEAL "sniper" as quoted by the program would be using a composite folding stocked pistol gripped SKS with 30 round magazine as his primary. Did they even make composite stocks for the SKS back then? I was only five in 1983. Sorry bout the ranting and raving, I was just disappointed, plus the scene that unfolded didn't correspond to the stuff I read about that particular mission. I heard that a couple Blackhawks were shot down trying to reinforce the SEALs in the mansion. It's going to be on again sometime this week but I forgot what time. You should all check it out, for at least it's comedic value.

Jay

[trident86]

All of the three episodes were loosely based on reality, and many of them had events from several different ops rolled into one, or had fictitious events added for spice. The true stories are much better.....

[Snake]

Yeah,
my platoon watched the one about Panama.
Heh, absolutely hilarious! The ragged-ass PDF guys have AK's. The mighty SEAL's return fire with.......SKS's????? That, and one of the guys managed to lob a grenade about 100 meters. Also, the interaction between the CCT guy and the SEAL CO was hysterical.

SEAL CO: You got that air support
CCT: Not yet, sir.
SEAL CO: Hurry!
Repeat x 5.

The actors should be shot.

Snake
25th ID(L)

[josepy]

Coming from someone who has been a military advisor on a TV series I can enlighten you all a little.

Military Television is not made for military people. It is directed to the common audience. The common viewer has no clue what they are watching as far as tactics and weapons, nor do they care.

The producers and directors don't want to spend the time to train the actors on these things we criticize.

Being as it may the shows sucked w/out all the bad acting and non-mission accuracy.

One thing I noticed about the shows was the absolute horrible mission planning and non-SEAL mission they were tasked with.

Tell me the mission in Panama would have better suited with a SEAL, Marine, Army sniper team putting some .50 API in the airplane engines and extracting?

[Fred]

The sniper option was proposed by a lower level guy, but shot down by one of the all-knowing senior officers.

[trident86]

I understand the limitations of both TV and movies, but my intent was just to add a grain of salt to the notion that these shows had anything more than a vague historical value.

They certainly could have been much worse, along the lines of "GI Jane", "The Patriot", or "The Rescue".

[DemoPup]

Okay..... I ain't military.. but even i got a good laugh..... but like wise all knowing trident was saying.... its vague loose stuff.. they even said so in the begining and in the middle of each movie... let it die people.... let it die.....

[josepy]

Hate to break the news to you Trident but Harry Humphries did the advising on GI Jane.

Harry is hard as they come, still.

[norm]

Wasn't Harry Humphries one of Dick Marcinko's boys from 2nd or 7th platoons, SEAL Team 2. It was in Rogue Warrior, where Dick writes about Humphries with CONSIDERABLE respect? Now, I am young and NOT in the military (YET), but I know a thing or two about the SEALs, and G.I. Jane was b.s. SEAL training was call "CRT--Combined Reconnaissance Team," took place in Florida, not Coronado, CA, and it several times in the movie, training was said to be 12 weeks, not 6 months. I am not so sure that a respected SEAL like Harry was really the adviser. Now, I COULD BE WRONG! I am just a wannabe. BUT, I'd like to hear some comments. Thanks.

norm

[trident86]

Harry Humphries also does the technical advising for "SOF", the TV series. While it adds realism to some of the action scenes, this does not in any way make fiction into reality.

[recce_o]

Does anyone know what happened to SOF? I kinda liked that show and it isn't on TV anymore in my locale.

[alexander]

rece_o
sof, it was cancled

[mrjdawg]

This reply is to Norm:

If you view the credits on GI Jane you will see the name Harry Humphries. He was very much the advisor on this movie. Harry's company, Global Studies Group, Inc can be found at this url http://www.gsgi.org

Harry has advised on movies such as GI Jane, Con Air, The Rock, Peacemaker, and the TV series Soldier of Fortune, Inc.

Here is a cool little link for cigar lovers, Smoke magazine had a article about Harry. http://smokemag.com/0398/harry.htm

[mrjdawg]

This reply is to Norm:

If you view the credits on GI Jane you will see the name Harry Humphries. He was very much the advisor on this movie. Harry's company, Global Studies Group, Inc can be found at this url http://www.gsgi.org

Harry has advised on movies such as GI Jane, Con Air, The Rock, Peacemaker, and the TV series Soldier of Fortune, Inc.

Here is a cool little link for cigar lovers, Smoke magazine had a article about Harry. http://smokemag.com/0398/harry.htm

[Mike]

How many SEALs died in Panama? In Grenada, it was four brave souls unless someone can correct me. And In Somalia, none were killed, right?
BTW, was Harry also the tech advisor in
Rambo 2? The way Sly hided himself in mud was something that a former SEAL may advised.

[SolidStrike]

In Somalia...All I know was that there was one SEAL (from what I read in BlackHawk Down)..John Gay or something. HE was hit but not killed. Yeah...4 in Panama- weren't the SEAL 6'rs?

[shurefire]

If you look closely, Harry Humphries is an old Navy SEAL JCS type in the briefing scene in The Rock where they decide that SEALs are one of their only options. He actually has a speaking part too!
J

[josepy]

Harry has parts in all his movies he advises on.

Navy SEAL commander in "The Rock"

BUD/S instructor in "GI Jane"

Good guy too. Had drinks with him and Marcinko about a year ago.