Picked this up in part because I recall hearing good reviews about the movie and I generally walk away from most Ryan Phillipe (sp?) movies happy having seen them. Yes, even including Cruel Intentions.
So… the film takes a close look at what 80,000 plus soldiers have had to go through in recent years. A number of duties have been extended for soldiers and because of that - they’ve had to go back to a War (Iraq) that they want nothing to do with.
Enter - Ryan P… who goes by Staff Sgt. King, a good Texas boy who is part of some US Army infantry unit. He and his company - get into some trouble weeks before coming back to the states. They have a nasty run in with a group of rebels who attack a checkpoint they’re manning. The Army has an inexplicable - rule to chase these guys into small cities and attempt to apprehend whom ever attacks them. this leads into an ambush where the troops are forced to be careful of their surroundings and bad stuff happens.
Fast forward - to the troops getting home and Sgt. King is hoping to simply turn in his uniform in return, he hopes to simply walk away. he gets word upon checkout that he will be shipped back to Iraq.
He opts to go AWOL and this is where the story sorta unfolds.
you learn about how bad things are… how troops have no way of getting out of being “stop-lossed”. Politicians can’t help you - if you don’t report - you’re subject to arrest. You can’t get work and you pretty much have to go to Mexico or Canada.

To do so you have to work with underground lawyers to sneak out of the country.
I hesitate to say that its “eye-opening”… its a good movie tho’. I’d hold out and watch it when its on TV tho’. Its not rent-worthy.
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