TexasRam34
08-06-2008, 19:44
I wanted to see if anyone thoughts on this new HBO Documentry. A Special Forces SFC Clay Usie is an intense recruiter. This wasnt bad for HBO compared to there typical anti-military stance. I thought it was refreshing to see the types of folks out there recruiting for the Army of today.
Actually one of his recruits Bobby Barrios earns his green beret straight of H.S. Which I thought was pretty amazing!
"The Recruiter takes viewers to a Louisiana coastal community, where we witness firsthand one recruiter's intense struggle to enlist new soldiers into the U.S. Army. The film offers a glimpse of the human drama surrounding recruits' decisions to enlist through its remarkable central character: the charismatic Sergeant First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful Army recruiters working in America. Sgt. Usie firmly believes that every American should serve, and that it is his mission to recruit new soldiers from his hometown of Houma, LA. Among the young people on whom Sgt. Usie sets his sights are Lauren, Matt, Bobby and Chris, four teenagers with different reasons and rationales for joining the Army.
Shot in verité style, the film shows the new recruits during their last semesters of high school, as Sgt. Usie prepares them for boot camp. After graduation, each of the recruits says goodbye to their loved ones - parents, girlfriends and (in one case) a wife - before heading off to basic training, where they will hopefully make a successful transition from civilians to soldiers.
Sgt. Usie works closely with four Army recruits to get them ready for basic training. Matt has been the man of the house ever since his dad abandoned the family. He sees the Army as an opportunity to become the kind of man his father never could be. Bobby comes from a long line of military men, but his father is anxious about sending his son to basic training when he is sure he'll end up in Iraq. Lauren comes from a poor background, and sees the Army as her only chance to go to college and be an artist. Chris battles both his weight and a stepfather who does not support his decision, pushing himself under Sgt. Usie's watchful eye to meet the Army's physical requirements for enlisting"
I was with them for a day and a half, and all I know is that it rained non-stop. I think for fifteen hours we were together, and it just did not stop raining. Apparently the weather had been like that all week that they had been in the field. They had two public-affairs people, who were also soldiers, holding a tarp over me so I could film. So what they were enduring, I only had a very small glimpse of. I think had I not been following Bobby since high school, I don't know if I would have received the access. But I think that they understood that this was part of a larger film, and that for them, Bobby was a real success story.
HBO
Bobby seems like such a unique story. What are the odds for him to say, "I want to be in Special Forces," and then actually making it through the whole way?
Edet Belzberg
Really, really slim. In the film when I first interview him, he doesn't even know what Special Forces do really. For him it's just kind of a dream ... something he's not even fully aware of, and yet he does attain it. From what I'm being told, he is often picked for the most elite schooling, so he's doing exceptionally well.
Actually one of his recruits Bobby Barrios earns his green beret straight of H.S. Which I thought was pretty amazing!
"The Recruiter takes viewers to a Louisiana coastal community, where we witness firsthand one recruiter's intense struggle to enlist new soldiers into the U.S. Army. The film offers a glimpse of the human drama surrounding recruits' decisions to enlist through its remarkable central character: the charismatic Sergeant First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful Army recruiters working in America. Sgt. Usie firmly believes that every American should serve, and that it is his mission to recruit new soldiers from his hometown of Houma, LA. Among the young people on whom Sgt. Usie sets his sights are Lauren, Matt, Bobby and Chris, four teenagers with different reasons and rationales for joining the Army.
Shot in verité style, the film shows the new recruits during their last semesters of high school, as Sgt. Usie prepares them for boot camp. After graduation, each of the recruits says goodbye to their loved ones - parents, girlfriends and (in one case) a wife - before heading off to basic training, where they will hopefully make a successful transition from civilians to soldiers.
Sgt. Usie works closely with four Army recruits to get them ready for basic training. Matt has been the man of the house ever since his dad abandoned the family. He sees the Army as an opportunity to become the kind of man his father never could be. Bobby comes from a long line of military men, but his father is anxious about sending his son to basic training when he is sure he'll end up in Iraq. Lauren comes from a poor background, and sees the Army as her only chance to go to college and be an artist. Chris battles both his weight and a stepfather who does not support his decision, pushing himself under Sgt. Usie's watchful eye to meet the Army's physical requirements for enlisting"
I was with them for a day and a half, and all I know is that it rained non-stop. I think for fifteen hours we were together, and it just did not stop raining. Apparently the weather had been like that all week that they had been in the field. They had two public-affairs people, who were also soldiers, holding a tarp over me so I could film. So what they were enduring, I only had a very small glimpse of. I think had I not been following Bobby since high school, I don't know if I would have received the access. But I think that they understood that this was part of a larger film, and that for them, Bobby was a real success story.
HBO
Bobby seems like such a unique story. What are the odds for him to say, "I want to be in Special Forces," and then actually making it through the whole way?
Edet Belzberg
Really, really slim. In the film when I first interview him, he doesn't even know what Special Forces do really. For him it's just kind of a dream ... something he's not even fully aware of, and yet he does attain it. From what I'm being told, he is often picked for the most elite schooling, so he's doing exceptionally well.