Something That Annoys Me

Every time I notice or bother to check, the unemployment rate among veterans of the US armed forces is higher than that among non-veterans. No, I'm not going to bellyache about that. I'm sure there are many reasons why it's the case.

BUT!

You'd think that with all those unemployed veterans out there, the movie and television industry could get rock-bottom rates on advisers to help them un-screw productions that portray military personnel.

I'm not going to go into specific instances because I don't need to. Just pick pretty much any TV series where military personnel ever make a showing. Yes, there are movies about the military that take great care to get the little details right. But almost every time I see something related to the military in passing -- a scene in an otherwise non-military movie, an episode in a non-military-centered TV show, etc. -- I see things like marching formations where nobody is in step with anyone else even though there's a voice chanting "left, right, left," garrison caps at variable-up-to-45-degree angles on heads during inspections, incorrect behaviors of e.g. platoon sergeants, platoon commanders, company commanders, etc. in front of formations, and always ... ALWAYS ... incorrect display of ribbons, badges and medals on uniforms.

Yes, I realize that it may not be really cost-effective for an episodic TV series to spend a lot of time and money getting haircuts and close order drill instruction for a bunch of extras who will be visible for a minute and a half. But if that's the case, re-write so that they aren't visible for a minute and a half displaying and/or doing a bunch of stuff that's just obviously incorrect BS. And spend a day's pay at whatever scale for that kind of thing is to have some former lance corporal come in with a ruler and put believable ribbons/medals on the characters' uniforms correctly instead of just throwing some kind of weird salad on there and assuming no one will notice.