So this is for all military folks here (present and former):


I found this little nitpick while trying to help solve the mystery guns question (this is kinda along the lines of Hicks mouthing "Where they are" behind Vaz's back at the exact same time she says it)...


During the Get On The Ready Line sequence, Wierzbowski actually puts his hand on Apone while moving past him! Much like you would when trying to get past a mate quickly in a small space.








He actually keeps his hand on Apone's elbow while Apone is screaming orders for a second or two.

Back in my cadet days the idea of touching a superior (other than pulling them out of the way of some danger) could be likened to giving them permission to bite your hand off leaving a bloody stump!

You never casually put your hand on a superior as if they are your buddy while in uniform.

Anyone else feel this way?

It's a minor nitpick but still blew me away when I saw it. Apone doesn't even flinch which again blew me away as Al Matthews was a former NCO.

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

hm good point, never noticed that...

well my thoughts on this are that these guys are flying around in the wiiiiide space in a "small" ship, they know each other for a looong time, and have seen serious shit
they are one collective
of course apone is his officer and the big boss, but also a friend..i mean they joke around all the time
also they dont give a shit about many combat rules, who could supervise them there?
its a combat situation (or close before one)..means not doing everything by the book
and so on....

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NO BRAIN NO PAIN

That and it's just a film.

Harry

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http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

Yeah, I tell myself that too every once in a while. Then I go to Dragoncon and remember that maybe it's just a little more than that.

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http://www.tentaclechris.com

it's a basic distraction move, he's stealing Apone's wallet

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Rob Slater
A08/TQ2.0.42136E1

OK-

In the Air Cadets, things are a little high strung. I don't know about your squadron, but in ours- you marched everywhere you went and you checked your arms if you walked by Sergeants up to WO1. This NEVER occurs in the army, not even on a recruit course. So your mind's been poisoned by Air Cadet protocol pal... sorry. Hell, I was a little impressed by the lack of severity that is the Army.... and listed to this- we reservist think the Reg Force guys are slacker than us!

In my army regiment, when you're a plug- you do treat anything master corporal and up as they were the second coming of Jesus... but once you make it to private (PFC for our US friends), things loosen up a bit. After working with your troop leader (I'm writing in armour terms, 'cuz that's all I know.. platoon leader I guess?) for a few years, a simple "good evening sarge" typically suffices when greeting a sergeant.

I'm guessing the crew of the Sulaco had known each other for a while and are pretty comfortable with each other and tension between the ranks and the NCO probably loosened up...

Observations:

- Apone sat with them in the mess hall
- Hudson's "Chicken shit outfit" comment (Apone wasn't too pleased about it, but Hudson said it anyway probably knowing that the fallout wouldn't be too bad from the Sarge)
- Hudson's lip cancer comment (Apone didn't even seem to care)
- The troops' various comments during briefing (Ripley had to shut them up, in my regiment... a sergeant would've freakin' blasted a private on the spot for goofing off during a civillian advisor's speech)

My experience has been that the distance between superior and subordinate in actual active service is COMPLETELY different from the way it is in training, with the exception of Officer-Enlisted. The separation between Os and Es is always rigidly enforced - more by the Enlisted than the Officers, anyway, because it's expected to always be "all business" when talking with the O's. Of course, the Officers then always end up tring to be all friendly and polite because the "Yes Sir"s and "No Sir"s make them feel like they're being stuck up.

Among the Enlisted, though, things are usually a lot more relaxed. Don't let Hollywood fool you, hehe! I could see myself doing what Wierzbowski did without so much as a second thought to it.

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CPL Sean Maio A01/TQ2.0.72156E1
Public Relations Division (Temporary Cross-Assignment)
M-56 Smartgun Operator, A/3Btn, II CMEF, USS Sephora

Of course!

I'm sure that this happened completely unintentionally- it wasn't scripted that way- and wasn't improvised- it just happened that Trevor Steedman was quickly trying to get past Al Matthews (not Weirzbowski and Apone) and ended up putting his hand on him.


To try and rationalize it (in the context of the film) it could simply be that they were a pretty tight knit group, and had become a bit lackadaisical with formality among the ranks as has already been said.

Don't get me wrong- it's no big deal. It's just fun to find something you hadn't noticed before and throw it out there to hear what everyone thinks about it (think about the first time you noticed Drake kissing his smartgun before the drop Harry).

And it is interesting to hear the varied opinions on if this were to occur in real life.



Yeah... I totally have to agree there!

I can remember the odd occassion when we would see the reservists doing drill and thinking... "Huh? Our drill team would blow them away!"

And I remember the rumours about the reg forces being even less strict.

But really all we had was drill... and pilot stuff.

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Well Cameron was going for a "seen one too many combat situations in viet-nam" feel for these guys and I think they achieved it quite well.
There are obviously misses here and there as far as accurate representations go, but I doubt they had consistant military councelling during filming, like they do today. I think the portrayal is accurate enough that you get a strong sense that these guys have been through hell and highwater and back again and are the closer (see better) for it, if a little undisciplined of course

My (civilian) two-cents

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Cpl. M. Constantineau - Ordnance Technician "Baldwin's Badasses"

Feel free to visit my website at http://wookiemart.com/

The action is not disrespectful as he is letting the Sgt. know that he's passing by without interupting him. It would be different if they were in formation.

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One shot, One kill.

I think Kevin you are looking into it far too deep. I was a P.P.C.L.I. cadet for 5 months before I was old enough to join the reserves Canadian Scottish Regiment (yes, I wore a kilt ). Everyone here knows I then rolled in the regular army for over 2 decades. Cadets are Cadets. They want to be max military and are super anal about every little stripe/chevron/bar and rank is the holy grail. I know...I was there. When you do this stuff full time as a job, you quickly learn when to switch on/off the parade soldier to a field soldier. In the movie, they were definitely in field mode. If 'Ski had to touch Apone to get past him, who cares. They are all wearing and carrying heavy/bulking kit and perhaps 'Ski had to squeeze past Apone while he was barking out orders like any NCO should be.
That's my 2 cents.

Oh yeah Kev, that first picture is awesome & should be submitted to Wierzbowski Hunters and you can be made a Honorary Wierzbowski Hunter.

Mike

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There is nothing more impressive than a bloody big Alien wiggling on the end of a sharp stick!

YEAH! Plus what I said!