Jarhead

Jarhead is based on a book by Anthony Swofford (the main character) and his experiences as a Marine leading up to and including Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Swofford, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a Marine legacy. His father, uncle, and grandfather all served so that's what he does. But he's very ambivalent about it until getting into a sniper school finally gives him some direction.
Then Iraq invades Kuwait and the movie gives us a view of life for soldiers during Desert Shield. The hydration drills, chemical/bio suits, incredible boredom, and fracturing relationships with girlfriends and wives back home) all take their toll. This seems especially acute among the Marines whose training gears them toward being killing machines, not garrison troops. As a result, all of the men are on edge.
Once the Coalition invasion actually starts up, the confusion and unreality of the environment doesn't get any better. It becomes clear the Iraqis have no stomach for fighting as Swofford's unit find burned out vehicles littering the retreat path back to Iraq, all destroyed by Coalition air power. The net effect after being bored in the desert for 6 months, taking experimental drugs to stave of chemical weapons, and then being exposed to burning oil wells is a short, four day campaign with no real baptism of fire to validate the experience.
I have not read Swofford's book so I can't really speak for the accuracy of the movie's adaptation, but it was still a fairly interesting look at the relationships and psychologies of the men we sent over for Gulf War I. I was definitely impressed with the acting. Gyllenhaal seems absolutely fearless in his choice of roles and is definitely a name worth watching.
Overall, I give the movie a B+.