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“Jarhead” A Marine Scout Sniper’s Critique The book Jarhead first and foremost is a work of FICTION! The sale of this book to the public under any other category is an exercise in misinformation! Simply put, this book was written by a disturbed individual that has done a great injustice to ALL Marines, and especially to the Scout Sniper Community. In my two decades of service, most of which was as a Scout Sniper, I never saw or heard of such a dysfunctional Platoon...period! There definitely were no Strategic Target and Acquisition (STA), or Scout Sniper Platoons that would have remotely tolerated the author or some of the bogus subject matter in his book. No Marine would get away with the sorted events that are portrayed in the Book Jarhead, whether they were in a combat zone or not. This book paints a negative image of the United States Marine Corps in a way that will do nothing but harm to that great organization. Parents may never encourage their young sons and daughters to be part of the Corps and especially endorse a desire to become a Marine Scout Sniper. We, as a community, are constantly having to prove that we are not “elitists” or “shit birds” and this book will be yet one more hurdle to explain away. The constant act of urinating on himself in times of stress, the complete disregard for SNCO’s and Officers, and the overall WRONG sniper information (he states that snipers clean their rifles in pairs so one man can hold the barrel while the other punches the bore from the CROWN???), are just a few of the areas where Mr. Swafford misses the boat and defies his credibility. In defense of the Marines of STA, 2/7, I have to say that I had the privilege of working with and training many of those “REAL” Scout Snipers and I know that they are both embarrassed, betrayed and hurt by this account of their actions in the Gulf War. Mr. Swafford admits that he is not a school trained sniper (8541) but readily talks about his capabilities as being equal to or better than the 8541's in his unit. He admits to wearing a Hog’s tooth ( a sniper’s bullet and badge of honor) which is a slap in the face to all 8541's. In summary, I would say to all Marines and especially the Scout Sniper Community that they need to be aware of this book and its misleading contents, as it has already had a negative impact on the Corps. This self-admitted atheist has completely fooled the liberal, “tree-hugging” left with his anti-war/anti-Marine Corps dribble, and we as Marines need to stand up for what is right at every turn. “To defend the country ...foreign and domestic” as I see this book as an anti-American, support mechanism for the forces that would endanger the lives of our family, friends, and fellow military personnel. I concur with Mr. Swafford’s Platoon Sergeant’s comment from the Gulf War that: “ this individual needs professional help!” Semper Fidelis, Neil K. Morris |