Off to War (2005– ) User Reviews

Non biased, true to life account of men in Iraq

[apocalypsenow87 · 9/10 · 6 November 2005]

"Off to War" is a great documentary following a National Guard Unit through their tour in Iraq. They went into the war not knowing what to expect, and they are coming out of it experiencing the unexpected.

What sets "Off to War" different from other Iraq war documentaries is the self told thoughts and stories of these men. Instead of the narrator explaining to the viewer what's happening, they allow the soldiers to do it themselves. Which allows a non-biased, first person account, of what's happening to these men. And an earlier comment thought this show was "biased and exploited" the men who are fighting. Well that's simply not true. This show covers men who are both against the war, and for the war. And speaking of which, it's interesting to see people's perspective on the war change throughout their tour of duty.

Another plus for "Off to War" is the addition of the home front. And how the wives, children, parents, and siblings have to deal with their loved ones being over seas.

So, in my humble opinion; "Off to War" is the closest you're going to get to experiencing a tour of duty in Iraq without actually serving. In fact, "Gunner's Palace" couldn't hold a candle to "Off to War". I have several family members in Iraq and they hold this show in high regards.

RIP Brent Renaud

[slak96u · 9/10 · 13 March 2022]

I distinctly remember watching this series while I was deployed in Iraq, an how fantastic it was. War is disgusting senseless tragedy, any and all of them, screw Putin.

Biased?

[grissnharr · 26 November 2005]

Calling Off to War biased when it is actually capturing the true gripes on the ground only goes to show a bias in the other direction! The bias where any depiction of Iraq that is less than rosy must have some evil liberal slant. Grow up. The soldiers in Off to War are expressing REAL complaints - lack of preparedness, hostility on the ground, lack of progress, etc. These are important gripes to hear and respond to. Dismissing them helps nobody! And by the way, Iraq can't be compared to Gettysburg. The reasons for getting into a war are very important. An unnecessary war can kill as many young men as a necessary one. We should save these lives for only the necessary ones.

Wonderful Depiction of Events

[nsgrahl · 10/10 · 31 October 2005]

I have been very pleased since the show started at how real it actually is. Being the wife of a soldier who recently returned from Iraq I had no clue of what it was like for our guys (and girls) over there. My husband watches the show with me and has very strong reactions to it.

The creators of the show could not have picked a better group of guys to film. These guys are down to earth just like soldiers anywhere. I feel like I have personally gotten to know each and every soldier and family member.

THE FOLLOWING MAY HAVE "SPOILERS" BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE AS TO THE EXACT DEFINITION.

People who do not have family members or friends participating in the war may view the show differently and think it is not real. Trust me, this is as real as it gets. Good things and bad things happen. People have breakdowns. There are positive and many many many negative opinions. Some people are unhappy that there is a lot of negativity toward the war on this show, but it is the soldiers (and everyones) right to voice their opinions and beliefs on any subject they choose. I have personally seen (or actually heard on the phone) the morale of an entire group of soldiers go from around 10 to probably somewhere around 1.

For Matt Hertlein (on the show) and all those guys who find the will to joke and smile and make others laugh, those are the true heroes. The guys who try to keep the morale up and stay happy. I can hardly call that negativity. I call it honesty and being yourself. Exactly the reason these guys were picked for the show. Because they are real. This is not reality TV. This is real life. There is no script. Everyone should give these guys a chance and watch the show.

Remember, just because someone doesn't agree with you or your thoughts on the war doesn't mean they are being negative.

I can honestly say I don't know any soldier who wants to be in Iraq. That's like volunteering to go to prison. But these guys are over there. For whatever reason it may be, they are there and we are here and we should have such great respect for them no matter how negative they seem.

Trust me, if the military didn't want this show on the air, they could've done something to avoid it.

I personally believe they are trying to show every angle of what goes on. Most people haven't the slightest idea of what everyday life is like for our soldiers over there. This is the greatest way for everyone to experience it for themselves.

We also have to remember these guys are National Guard. While they are military, it was still a shock to their system to be called up for deployment. They were not ready for it and were probably told they'd never be deployed. This was unexpected for them. News of deployment is equally disappointing for every type of soldier, no matter what branch of military they are in.

Overall, my point of view on the show is this. Everyone should be forced to watch it. Everyone should know what is going on before they make their judgments. Off to War is the best way for people to spend a day in the life of the deployed soldier.

RIP Brent Renaud

[researchdigo · 10/10 · 1 May 2022]

Love this series, I watch it at least once a year.

I want to extend my sincere condolences to Craig Renaud & all of Brent's family, friends and colleagues.

What a devastating blow, and to the community of truly great documentations of our time.

So sad.

As Real as it Gets

[plugpray · 10/10 · 31 March 2008]

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Other reviews completely misrepresent the entire point of this film. It is not intended to be a "fair and balanced" debate on whether we should have gone to war in Iraq or whether we should still be there.

This is the real story of real small-town people who, mostly because of bad economic conditions, signed up for the National Guard to earn some extra money and "play army" as well. It was a good deal and it was fun until they got called up.

They were scared and in most cases had to give up a lot, but they went anyway because they believed in the mission and they believed in doing their duty. Prior to their departure I heard them say several times, "...when they attacked us" or "...because they attacked us" in reference to 9/11. Thing is, Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, but these soldiers and their families believed it because that's what they were told by the government they trusted.

These people weren't professional soldiers. They were clueless young men and fat, middle-aged men who should never have been sent to a war zone. They were an Engineer Battalion, but they were being used to guard prisoners, provide security, and run patrols where they were essentially put out in dangerous areas to draw fire from the insurgents. Those are not appropriate missions for citizen-soldiers with old, barely-functioning equipment. That they performed as well as they did and lost so few solders is amazing, considering what they had to work with.

Once in country and seeing what was being asked of them, it's no wonder they began to question their assumptions and beliefs. That eventually turned to anger and resentment. What makes this documentary so brilliant is that we are able to see exactly what the soldiers and their families went through during this period, and how their views evolved. It is an honest reflection of what actually happened to them and so many others who have sacrificed so much for the Iraq war.

I am always touched by the patriotism, love of country and willingness to sacrifice of ordinary Americans like these folks. Sadly, this is also why they can so easily be manipulated by craven politicians. Even those on the home front who re-elected Bush and the soldiers who supported the war seemed to be to be doing so mostly because they could never accept that their sacrifices might have been in vain.

Wow been 16+ years

[armyinf · 10/10 · 15 April 2022]

I remember smoking weed watching this on the lazy boy in 2006, I was juggling joining the Army or staying in college, this documentary solidified it. I was deployed March 2007 to Iraq. Best decision I ever made, wouldn't change it.

Biased and Exploitive of Heroic Men

[mjrother · 2/10 · 17 October 2005]

Off to War is supposed to be a documentary looking at an Arkansas National Guard unit with the issues they face in Iraq and their loved ones left behind. For the most part, the people are interesting and they have some interesting stories to tell. What is troubling is the fact that the filmmakers clear anti-Iraq war view is evident throughout the movie. Having been a veteran of a modern peacekeeping operation, I can understand soldiers' frustrations. Soldiers always complain. It is the natural order of things. There is not enough context explaining the overall mission, what they are accomplishing, and that many times they are venting frustrations.

The filmmakers message is constant: The Iraq war is pointless. These poor people have to fight. Bush is to blame. We need to leave. They go out of their way to solicit negative opinions about the war at home and there. It is a shame the officers of the unit were not more careful about letting this crew film soldiers' venting. I can tell you that if we had a documentary at D-Day or Gettysburg, the men would be fairly critical of just about everything. These are not views that people at home understand. Soldiers complain, but it NEVER gets in the way of accomplishing the mission, or finishing the job. End of story.

It is not fair catching soldiers at their most frustrated and acting like that is their feelings the whole time, rather than getting when they feel they are making a difference. I feel bad for these soldiers getting exploited by the filmmakers and wish their officers had put more control over this clearly negative propaganda. This is not "The Real World" This is war and people fighting for our country. It would be nice to give them support and respect without exploiting them.

Off to Arkansas

[prot-1 · 1/10 · 25 February 2006]

I as a retired SFC and a combat vet am not surprised by this so called real deal. First of all to the guy who over time called home to big mother was crying and crying, which is okay but he just bitched and cried and complained all the time. I got a clue for anyone who doesn't know all of these fat cat guardsman have been sucking up the bucks and playing at home for 16 hours a month if that, must don't even pull that after breaks and lunch and waiting and waiting some more. The real kicker is the preacher Sgt who skated and shamed and after how many years in the guard collecting $200, $300 a weekend and now his beloved is going to leave him and bang I have this major injury that has to send me home to my leaving wife and not my kids. I bet preacher man has filled a compensation claim to the VA