Customer Reviews

National Geographic: Inside the Green Berets

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Inside the Green Berets is a great look in a small group's lonesome fight far from the garrison. This documentary gives you an inside look into a group of America's most elite warriors fighting against the Taliban and to win hearts and minds as a part of the Long War. The crew does a good job of giving a look into the trials and times of these men. Due to the nature of their work film crews are only allowed a brief time to work with them. And even the extra time National Geographic was allowed was tragically cut short. The showing time for this film is short and it may not be as in depth as some people expect or want. But if you are interested in seeing how these unconventional fighters wage battle far from support then you should enjoy this show.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first ordered this DVD, but it didn't take long for me to get caught up with the events in the film. I believe I can speak with some authority since I spent 22 years in the Army, mainly with SF and having been one of the original platoon sergeants with the 2nd Ranger Bn at Ft. Lewis. Times have changed for SF and I believe for the better and some things still remain the same. The standards are still high and the attrition rate is still high Only the best and finest earn the right to wear the SF tab and Green Beret. The men in this documentary proved that with no doubt. In one of the reviews one individual thought these soldiers were just normal. Forget the Rambo image and the telling people how good they are. There's a reason why these warriors are called "The Quiet Professionals." Besides, I knew guys in Group who made Rambo look like a Wuss. These men work under the most difficult conditions and on a daily basis. During the documentary there were moments when the hair on the back of my neck was standing up, because every situation is different, but the danger is always there. When the team lost one of their own, I shared their grief. It's hard to lose one of your team mates and most of all a brother.
For me this was an emotional documentary. The conditions these warriors have to live and fight under have always been the same whether it was in Nam,Central America,Iraq or Afghanistan. The men who volunteer for this elite unit still remain the same. Nothing has changed. ,They made me proud to have been a member of the Army Special Forces. Whether active or retired I'll always be a member of this elite organization. May God bless each and every one of them. De OPPESSO LIBER.

MSG Roy "Rip" Prine D-3099

Inside the Green Berets is a very well done program. It is very intriguing and shows great insight into the Special Operations effort in Afghanistan. It was a great watch. Although there was no actual combat, or firefights, it was still exciting to watch.

I had the pleasure of viewing this documentary in a theater followed by a Q & A with camera man Ryan Hill. The film was an excellent depiction of what our troops have to go through day in and day out, while we stay at home and forget about the other half of the world. Although it may not be the typical "Inside Look" it is a compelling story none the less.

As far as people saying that the runtime was short or that it wasn't in depth enough, Ryan told us that the editors used pretty much every scrap of footage that was usable for the film, including the shots where the camera zooms into a subject to grab focus (there were two of them for the people who have seen it). I feel as though one should take the story for what it's worth and not dwell on the fact that it really isn't an "Inside Look" on the workings of the Green Beret but an "Inside Look" on how they live and survive day after day in a place like that.

Anyone that still questions America's role in Afghanistan should view this video from National Geographic's "inside" series. The company is famed for its inside series that have exposed the truth behind events such as 9/11, North Korea and the mafia (no DVD), the last of which featured real life mafioso Henry Hill, whose life story was the basis of Martin Scorses's film GoodFellas. Here, National Geographic takes us inside the machinations and daily routines of a group of Green Berets in Afghanistan and gives Americans unprecedented insight into the death-defying struggles these professional soldiers face every day.

One thing many Americans don't understand in the 21st century is that, unlike in Vietnam and past wars, today's soliders are not draftees that serve a one-year hitch in foreign placement, then come home to resume their lives. Becasue of this, a very low percentage of Americans do the fighting and they are professionals -- esepcially the Green Berets -- who are older, often married with children, and who have had a number of foreign tours. Their families back home endure this without support from the breadwinner. Not only is this a new century, American's military personnal have a very different responsibilities in it. In many wars, they are our invisible soldiers doing our nation's dirty work for the rest of us.

What is most interesting about this hour-long slice of military life is the role the Green Berets play in Afghanistan. They spend time chasing the Taliban around and trying to eliminate them, while at every turn fighting against the new international weapon known as the IED -- improvised expolosive device. My grandson, who is in Afghanistan now, told me it's a beautiful place full of mountains. "If only the Afghans weren't here, it would be a great place," he told me.

The scenes viewed in this documentary contrast greatly with his view. The landscape is viewed as harsh, mountainous and often difficult terrain. Because IEDs are everywhere, the military personnel try to never use the same path twice, much less use what passes for roads over there. They are constantly challenged to find new ways to reach their targets.

In many cases, their targets are to win the "hearts and minds" of the Afghan population by convincing them that the firefight in their villages the day before, whose collateral damage may have included a host of noncombatant villagers, was an error on the way to their liberation. The Afghans has lived under the repressive Taliban regime, who punish crimes like adultery with death, for years. Many want them gone but U.S. and U.N. military cannot always tell whom is the ally and whom is an agent of the enemy. Still, Americans press forward by giving the locals grain, other food, water and radios that broadcast U.S.-supported propaganda.

This is an interesting hour of events and people that make up the ongoing U.S. imperialism in Afghanistan. The film crew to this effort eventually became part of the story and a couple ended up being wounded when two military people died. It's the real stuff of war in the 21st century with professional American soldiers the subject.

I was very moved by this documentary. To me, it was much more moving than Restrepo. It shows the inside life of the war in Afghanistan. While there is little physical fighting, it did a great job of conveying the mindset of the special force unit cobra.

Although delivered to an APO in the AOR, Amazon was quick at getting this to me, and for a cheap price, too!

About the DVD, I love it! I saw this special on the NatGeo channel, and it was awesome. My brother had just recently gotten home from a deployment with SF in Baghdad, and to hear his stories was cool; I kept trying to picture what it is he was talking about. Then, I saw this DVD, and although a different mission, it certainly helped to actually see the brotherhood and how much they trust and rely on each other.

The DVD is great! I'm currently deployed out here in the AOR, and I've recently been talking with some SF guys. One of the guys even knew some of the guys from the team in this special. The video really gives and up close and personal view of what these brave men are doing. It shows that they aren't outlaws who through all discipline out the window (like they were made out to be in Vietnam). Instead, it actually shows just the opposite. It shows that they don't just kick doors in and kill people, but rather work towards community relations and building some trust in the locals.

It's a shame how the production came to an end, and my thoughts and prayers go out to Sgt Kyu and his family. Rest in peace, brother!

Great video, and I definitely recommend to anyone who's intent on getting a minor picture of what the real Special Forces are like.

Well let me start off by saying this is the 1st recording I'm aware of that had videoed what green berets were doing in a current field of operations. Typically everything SF does isn't seen, hence "Quiet Professionals". The video itself was very good & I was totally engrossed........until the people from nat geo, which I watch all the time (along with the military, science & history channels), made it into a drama about them. SPOILER ALERT ********************************************************************************************************************
As you may have seen in the commercial for this on tv, the team gets hit by an IED & some guys...............well, they don't make it. It shows how the team has to press on & do their job after losing a beloved teammate, something I can....nevermind. That's the most poignant part of the film & makes it worth seeing. That part will always remain with me as the highlight of the film because I know what that comraderie is like & can say honestly that that part choked me up a little bit.
Then the whole thing goes to hell when the nat geo people get interviewed & start making it all about them. As a soldier, I immediately got offended, to say the least. Reporters are along for a free ride & to be honest, usually end up screwing troops over by doing the whole "skewed angle of war" approach. Well these guys decided to make it all about how they became a part of it & blah blah blah I can't even bring myself to watch that part of the movie again, the end by the way.
See it? Go right ahead. Remember what I said though & watch how true it is. Not worth buying, by the way. Once you've seen it, it's pretty much done. Nothing really cool or wild happens on film, nothing you can't see on youtube, that is.

I bought this DVD for my Marine brother that was deploying to Afghanistan and he used it as part of a class he gave his Section/Squad. Thank you very much for this excellent documentary.

MReyes

This is the best video footage and description of how Special Forces soldiers are operating today in the War on Terror.

Awesome modern footage and great editing.

Get it if you're in to SpecOps