Jarhead is a Gulf War memoir by author Anthony Swofford. After leaving military service, the author went on to college and earned a Masters Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Iowa. 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 Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon of 2nd Battalion 7th Marines. Like most of the troops stationed in Middle East during the Gulf War, Swofford saw very little actual combat. Swofford's narrative focuses on the emotional and psychological struggles of... the young troops, especially sexual frustration and violence. Swofford recounts the profound disappointment of having trained so long and so hard, only to never engage the enemy due to the brevity of the war. The book thus runs counter to most autobiographical military chronicles. The novel was adapted into a 2005 feature film starring Jake Gyllenhall, Jamie Foxx, and Peter Sarsgaard. The screenplay was written by William Broyles Jr. and directed by Sam Mendes. Reviews were generally positive.
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