On December 16, 2024, A24 Films released the first trailer for Warfare, a film written and directed by Iraq War veteran and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza along with Civil War director Alex Garland. Based on Mendoza’s experiences in Iraq, the film’s tagline is, “Everything is based on memory.”
Set in 2006, Warfare follows a team of SEALs as they fight to survive and extract from an Iraqi city (likely Ramadi) after what appears to be a compromised sniper overwatch mission. Notably, the increase in violence in Iraq during 2006 led to the “surge” of 2007 that saw an additional 20,000 US troops deploy to the country.
Visually, the trailer shows a generally accurate depiction of a SEAL team in 2006. The actors are wearing uniforms in Universal Camouflage Pattern, Modular Integrated Communications Helmets, and coyote brown tactical gear including plate carriers. Their weapons also appear to be accurate including the iconic Mk 18 Mod 0 carbine, SR-25 designated marksman rifle, Mk 48 Mod 0 machine gun, and what looks like Mk 25 pistols in Safariland drop leg holsters.
Warfare loses accuracy points with its use of an M113 armored personnel carrier with a fake turret to represent an M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and what sounds like the M41 Vulcan machine gun on the back of the Warthog from Halo for the Mk 48 firing. Still, the average moviegoer is unlikely to notice these inaccuracies and neither is as bad as Pearl Harbor using M1 Garand sounds for M1911 pistols.
The attention to detail in Warfare can be heavily credited to Mendoza. Prior to working in Hollywood, Mendoza served as a Navy SEAL for 16 years. During his time on active duty, Mendoza served as a BUD/S instructor and was awarded the Silver Star for valor. The date of action for this award is November 19, 2006.
Mendoza’s Silver Star citation notes that his team’s position during a sniper overwatch mission in Ramadi was attacked from multiple directions by grenade and small arms fire which wounded one SEAL. During movement to extract, an explosion killed one Iraqi Army scout and wounded seven other members of the element. Disregarding his own safety, Mendoza advanced into the middle of the street under heavy enemy fire to drag a wounded SEAL back to cover. After stopping the blood loss from multiple wounds and compound fractures, Mendoza carried his teammate through withering enemy fire to the extraction vehicle.
Since leaving the Navy, Mendoza worked on films including Act of Valor and Lone Survivor, the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Amazon’s The Terminal List series. His production company, War Office Productions, provides military expertise to Hollywood creatives and helps to ensure more accurate depictions of the military in media. Prior to Warfare, Mendoza worked with Garland on Civil War as a military consultant. Warfare is scheduled for a 2025 release.