When the Army began to produce it in the early 1980's, Mr. Burton made a modest proposal: test the Bradley's aluminum armor against Soviet antitank weaponry. It did not conform to the Army's computer models. Richard Schiff plays Gen. Smith who bends over backwards to please Partridge and the brass hats. General Partridge (Kelsey Grammer) forgets that the business of war begins with providing good material to the troops. Result: no burning Bradleys. "A Film Analysis of the Pentagon Wars by Richard Benjamin." An initial analysis after the attacks suggested that helped to save a lot of lives. "The Pentagon Wars" is a made-for-HBO movie, that was originally broadcast in 1998. After The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers on Sunday, June 13, 1971, the nation was stunned. Our leadership programs are first to serve in promoting and nurturing the bonds between animals and humans. It probably saved thousands of lives. This movie shows the taxpayers ways their money was wasted on defense messes as this shows the viewer. One scene shows that, even as the dangerous, defective version is being produced for American forces, a different version has been designed for sale to Israel. An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operation test at [+] Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 23. This allows our team to focus on improving the library and adding new essays. Again, it's closer to the truth than many people realize. It said the Army had conducted a series of what it claimed were full-bore, honest-to-God, no-holds-barred live-fire tests on actual Bradleys. HAIG: Sir, the whole study that was done for McNamara and then carried on after McNamara left by Clifford and. Amazingly lighthanded telling of infuriating Pentagon bureaucraticinfighting. By James G. Burton. That was the Millennium Challenge 2002. The Pentagon was the brainchild of Army Brig. Not only was it produced at great cost (over 13 billion taxpayer dollars) but after spending that much money it was an unsafe deathtrap for anyone riding in it, unfortunately it was a troop carrier. In "The Pentagon Wars," James G. Burton, a retired Air Force colonel who scrutinized the buying of weapons from his post inside the Pentagon, argues that moral and ethical corruption, incompetence and overweening ambition characterized the process. Quite a feat for a troop carrier. The current Pentagon buzzword for this is "conventional-nuclear integration.". An Aerial view of the destruction at the Pentagon caused by a hijacked commercial jet that crashed into the side of the building during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Is that how the top brass in the US military operates? Jan 11, 2015 -- 4 ' The Pentagon Wars ' is ridiculous and true by MATTHEW GAULT & KEVIN KNODELL It's 1968 and Col. Robert Smith has just wrapped up his presentation. Deterrence strategists believe that rivals are thinking this way, so the Pentagon must, as well. Failure to play the game results in no promotion, recognition or cushy job after military discharge. Given that since the Bradley arrived, the US fought the Irakis twice, even a class made of a broken Lada with a single Chauchat machine gun would have racked more kills than a Ace Combat player character. The Bradleywhich began as a simple and elegant vehicletransforms into a complicated and wasteful beast. You know how looking at a math problem similar to the one you're stuck on can help you get unstuck? The short answer is that an adversary might cross the nuclear threshold first, and U.S. forces need to plan for this eventuality. The Pentagon Wars by Jim Burton This is an excellent book on the culture of the Pentagon and military industrial complex in the 70s and 80s. Kelsey Grammar plays Maj. Gen. Partridge a man who couldn't care less what a vehicle costs, so long as it promotes jobs and his career. "How accurate was the movie? The movie is hilarious. As an adaptation from Lt. Col. James G. Burton's 1993 book of the same name, 'The Pentaton Wars' dramatises the ludicrous time/money wasting going on in the many Pentagon weapons programmes during the cold war. The building was officially completed in January 1943, thanks to the help of 1,000 architects and 14,000 tradesmen who worked three shifts around the clock. In fact, one of the sections had just finished getting upgrades that improved security features, including walls and windows with greater blast resistance. Did you find something inaccurate, misleading, abusive, or otherwise problematic in this essay example? On another forum, I found this post that summarizes it: The movie Pentagon Wars and to a lesser extent the book primarily rely on ignorance of the armour needs and specifics of the Bradley to create the appearance of scandal. And so on. The new strategy of conventional-nuclear integration incorporates nuclear weapons delivered from longer ranges. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil, Adding new elevators and escalators to improve vertical circulation, Installing new security and telecommunications systems to match the times, Integrating sustainable design measures and force protection initiatives prompted by the 9/11 attacks, Environmental considerations: High-efficiency lights, recycled gypsum wall board and recycled-content carpet were installed, and 90 percent of all the concrete and metal used was diverted from landfills. The Bradley proved vulnerable to improvised explosives and rocket-propelled grenades. And his revelations offer insights not found elsewhere into the motivations and actions of the people who wield power from within. You might also like See More School Daze. I didn't read the story, but do you mean that was leaked out of the Pentagon? In "The Pentagon Wars," James G. Burton, a retired Air Force colonel who scrutinized the buying of weapons from his post inside the Pentagon, argues that moral and ethical corruption,. It was a comedy of errors that only two people wanted to correct and were fought tooth and nail, all the way. The tests and the hearing are hysterical, I coudn't stop laughing, the general explaining himself to the senator it's worth the movie. This is an educational film. He also mentions a bungled war game. This movie could have been good to watch on a big screen. THE Bradley story, which is the centerpiece of Mr. Burton's book, has a remarkably happy ending. Escalation control assumes that considerable nuclear firepower spring-loaded for use remains holstered once the nuclear threshold is crossed. The Pentagons procurement process still produces broken weapon systems. Part of the answer is that we must plan for nuclear nightmares. : Naval Institute Press. Colonel Burton, who will do everything he can to prevent that from happening; and Viola Davis as an admin sergeant assigned to help Burton. The Bradley fighting vehicle was a weapon system with countless flaws. Nonetheless, it does name names and recounts a true story without too much compromise. (August 2022) The Pentagon Wars is a 1998 HBO military comedy film directed by Richard Benjamin and based on the book The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard by Colonel James G. Burton, United States Air Force, about the development of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle . They call it the Bradley Fighting unit. Escalation control also assumes that both sides are on the same page and can live with the same outcome after being unable to avoid war and the first battlefield use of nuclear weapons since 1945. The Soviets upgraded their heavy machine guns and artillery, and we responded by upgrading our vehicles to be survivable for it's designed role in the new expected combat environment of West Germany. For individual firearms. Since this is somewhat of a satire, I expect a lot of hyperbole put into this movie. A very witting and scathing parody of costly and potentially deadly bureacratic incompetence and bumbling. "But it's satire" isn't an excuse because even the people who post it jokingly actually believe that Colonel Sandbag here is the level-headed pragmatist. So why is the Pentagonplanning to fighta war using both conventional and nuclear weapons? The Pentagon Wars - Accuracy Accuracy Some events shown in the movie never happened, as the director took artistic license with the original book, which was accurate. The team working those initial renovations was tasked with rebuilding the damaged portions. Be that as it may I thought Kelsey Grammar ("General Partridge") and Cary Elwes ("LTC James Burton) performed in an excellent manner. Richard Benjamin is Secretary of Defense who is ambivalent about the entire project. We also need to think sensibly and creatively about how to avoid them. Kibin, 2023. http://www.kibin.com/essay-examples/a-film-analysis-of-the-pentagon-wars-by-richard-benjamin-THFe8TMK. Plot M113s, BMPs, BTRs, BRDMs, and most other recce vehicles are amphibious without preparation. North Korea, like Iran, wants relief from sanctions and gets Washingtons attention by poking and prodding. Makes you think if all the militaries around the world are spending taxpayers' money for the right reasons. In his epilogue he tells what happened in the field during the final hours of the Gulf War that allowed Husseins elite Republican Guard to escape. Cary Elwes plays Burton and Kelsey Grammer is Gen. Partridge. Its the perfect troop transport for a modern army. In reality, James Burton was a full colonel. There is a scene where a group of sheep is loaded from a truck into the Bradley. it doesn't work. Nuclear weapons are an expensive insurance policy that no leader wants to cash in because the costs of doing so are far, far greater than the premiums. What hooks you? Fed up, Mr. Burton resigned from the armed forces of the United States. 1928). having now been 3 years in, i can very much appreciate the humor of this fantastic satire. While the film insists the Bradley was hoped to be sold on export market, this is either a misstatement, or a failed attempt, as the only foreign user of the Bradley is Saudi Arabia. The Army aimed at the water. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Given this long history, now seven decades old, why is there now a resurgence of thinking about the mixed use of conventional and nuclear weapons? However, General Partridge played beautifully by Kelsey Grammar has other plans, to send Burton packing. Some. The vehicle started off from a simple design but, due to Army meddling and Committee-Think, it has morphed into something different, something potentially sub-optimal. The Pentagon Wars (1998 TV Movie) 39 Reviews Hide Spoilers Sort by: Filter by Rating: 7/10 Close to the Truth Uriah43 31 March 2013 The Pentagon is trying to field a new armored personnel carrier into production to replace the aging M113. Colonel John Burton is tasked with objectively evaluating the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, a project that has been in development for 17 years. Nuclear weapons are not useful on battlefields; they obliterate the best laid plans. But untold billions of dollars and an invaluable measure of public trust were squandered. The Pentagon was the brainchild of Army Brig. Some of the posters couldn't seem to grasp that the comedy was not in the way the movie was scripted but in the acts of many of those responsible for the design of the Bradley. For the first time, readers learn the nasty details of his battle with the army over line-fire testing of the Bradley Fighting Vehiclea battle that he eventually won, leading to the personnel carriers redesign and the saving of many lives. Some events shown in the movie never happened, as the director took artistic license with the original book, which was accurate. In this film Director Richard Benjamin takes a realistic look at the brainless system by which the Military waste's taxpayer's money. Synopsis. Truman did so to end a world war in which perhaps75 millionpeople died, most of them civilians. IN the 10 years between the inauguration of Ronald Reagan and the advent of the Persian Gulf war, the Pentagon spent up to $400 million a day researching, developing, testing, evaluating and buying new weapons. Studies in Marine Corps History and Amphibious Warfare, Studies in Naval History and Sea Power series, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-pentagon-wars-james-g-burton/1000432170?ean, http://www.amazon.com/Pentagon-Wars-Reformers-Challenge-Guard-ebook/dp/B00HXY96, https://play.google.com/store/books/details/James_Burton_The_Pentagon_Wars?id=t, https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-pentagon-wars/id800840301?mt=11. The reconstruction effort was dubbed the Phoenix Project, and it cost $500 million. These plans didnt make any sense at the tactical or operational levels of warfare, so they were scuttled. The movie is a running commentary about how things really go on behind doors. Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 23. Co-host and producer of the War College podcast. Chinese and Soviet leaders, including those with severe personality disorders like Mao Tse-tung and Joseph Stalin, have understood this. Unfortunately, when not fighting, the Officers and senior staff are anything but. We'll take a look right away. Co-starring along with them are Richard Schiff(Forces of Nature,The Arrival ) and other smaller lesser known stars. thankfully we did not have any conflicts requiring the use of the vehicle until most of the defects were fixed. When it is used to fight wars, there is no finer in the world. "), "A Film Analysis of the Pentagon Wars by Richard Benjamin." 1. To learn more, read our. There is great music behind titles and credits. The story in the movie about the M-16 rifle was a perfect example. As a former member of the military I find it all too easy to believe. Potential crises lie ahead in the South China Sea and across the Taiwan Strait. Overview. Well yeah, it's not very accurate, but for what it's usually used for when posted, the dangers of mission creep in development. The two are outstanding as they wince, roll their eyes, and fiddle their fingers nervously when things begin to go wrong. The Pentagon is trying to field a new armored personnel carrier into production to replace the aging M113. The ending scenes are Bill Murray hokey, but the movie is surprisingly compelling. Grammer's portrayal fit my perception of a Pentagon general, but his aides come out as just caricatures. The Pentagon Wars is a film, based on a true story, and the Bradley, (a military vehicle), and Colonel Burton, the man who finally made Congress aware of the potential hazards of the tanks design. Essays may be lightly modified for readability or to protect the anonymity of contributors, but we do not edit essay examples prior to publication. Due to its age, renovations began around that time on the building's 4 million square feet of space. War plans do, too. About 296 acres of land were designated for the building, which was supposed to be turned into a hospital, office or warehouse once World War II was over. American Humane is rating The Pentagon Wars Believed Acceptable. I've worked for a government contractor; this is so close to how military contracts and the work it's scary! The Pentagon Wars is a film, based on a true story, and the Bradley, (a military vehicle), and Colonel Burton, the man who finally made Congress aware of the potential hazards of the tank's design. Cary Elwes stars as Col. James Burton, a man sent to help finish the Bradley project at the Pentagon. The 1,100 acres of land on which the Pentagon sits was once part of the sprawling estate of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. He took the reasonable position that if the Bradley went untested, soldiers in battle could die unnecessarily. The Pentagon Wars. It didnt fare as well on its return trip to Iraq in 2003. What is amazing is the light-handed skill with which the story is told--it is funny when it should be, yet sucks you in sufficiently to get you really mad at what is going on. Since it was larger it became more of a target so additional armor was added. They did their best to shoot the messengers. You cant hurt anybody with that pansy-ass gun, the third general saysreferring to the Bradleys planned 20-millimeter cannon. Crises do, indeed, lie in our future and plans are neededeven those that President Biden will try mightily to keep in locked safes. Gen. Brehon B. Sommervell, who, in the early 1940s, pitched it as a temporary solution to the then-War Department's critical shortage of space as the threat of joining World War II became imminent. It's a must see, if not for the funny parts(not everyone has a sense of humor), at least for the message: watch your government very, very close, they usually screw up. I was vaguely familiar with the facts behind the story, but I intend to read Mr. Burton's book now. HBO turned the memoir into a dark comedy. For this scene, the truck carrying the sheep was pulled up to the opening of the Bradley and a ramp placed between the two vehicles. Kibin, 2023, www.kibin.com/essay-examples/a-film-analysis-of-the-pentagon-wars-by-richard-benjamin-THFe8TMK. >I just saw "The Pentagon Wars" on HBO and had several questions. for reconnaissance is a really stupid idea. The response ranged from horror to anger to disbelief . The grounds and building went up in a stunning 16 months. A lot of the events and lessons in this book are applicable today. financial donations):Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/The_ChieftainDirect Paypal: https://paypal.me/thechieftainshat This is 1967 and the Vietnam War is in full swing. We already have the turret. also disturbing is the fact that every officer involved in the development of the bradley was promoted and went on to lucrative defense contracting positions while Col. Burton was forced to leave the Air Force. The movie is fun but frustrating. As Colonel Burton suspected, when enemy weapons fire upon the tank, the inhabitants perish from smoke inhalation. The first section was completed in 26 weeks to accommodate a timetable laid out by Congress. French or American version of the Chauchat? The problems of the 6 man dismount squad and splitting the squad between two vics. Very well written, acted, and direct. The author, an air force colonel and part of the movement, worked in the pentagon for fourteen years. Kibin does not guarantee the accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of the essays in the library; essay content should not be construed as advice. Just look at the F-35. Special forces carriednuclear backpacks. James G. Burton is a former Air Force colonel who spent 14 years as a Pentagon specialist in weapons acquisition and testing before his retirement in 1986. Supporting players are adequate, especially the full colonel and the major who are Grammar's flunkies. Pentagon Wars seems to get the general. You may opt-out by. The logic behind this was pretty simple the site designated for construction was bordered by five roadways, so the developers decided to go with a five-sided building. Mike Lien/The New York Times. "Seldom is anyone held accountable. This preview is partially blurred. The film made fun of all the "Red Tape" that is involved in the Military and how some high ranking officers got carried away with their TOP SECRET PROJECTS. Thankfully, several offices in that area weren't occupied because of the ongoing renovations. Richard Benjamin Directed an Entertaining FILM! I have a couple of friends who are engineers in the defence industry, and the stories they have about the shenanigans behind even successful projects - never mind the many failed ones - are hilarious. Philadelphia 76ers point guard Vasilije Micic reflects at a bench during a team tour of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Oct. 12, 2016.
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