Jarhead is a Gulf War memoir by author Anthony Swofford.
This book recounts Swofford's enlistment and service in the U.S. Marine Corps during the First Gulf War, in which he served as a Scout Sniper with the STA (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) Platoon of 2nd Battalion 7th Marines. After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned a Masters Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Iowa.
Having seen very little actual c...
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Jarhead is a Gulf War memoir by author Anthony Swofford.
This book recounts Swofford's enlistment and service in the U.S. Marine Corps during the First Gulf War, in which he served as a Scout Sniper with the STA (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) Platoon of 2nd Battalion 7th Marines. After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned a Masters Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Iowa.
Having seen very little actual combat during the war (like most of the half million troops stationed there), Swofford's narrative tends to focus on the emotional and psychological struggles of the young troops, especially sexual frustration and violence among them. Swofford also recounts the profound disappointment of having trained so long and so hard, only to never have the chance to engage the enemy, due to the brevity of the war. The book thus runs counter to most autobiographical military chronicles.
It was adapted into a screenplay by William Broyles Jr.. The 2005 film...
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