Anthony Swofford, kortweg Swoff (Jake Gyllenhaal), wordt na zijn training als scherpschutter bij de mariniers uitgezonden naar het Midden-Oosten. De Eerste Golfoorlog is net begonnen en Swoff en zijn maten kunnen niet wachten om in de praktijk te brengen waar ze jaren op getraind hebben en te strijden tegen de grote vijand in de woestijn. Maar de werkelijkheid blijkt anders. Maandenlang moeten de mannen wachten totdat er iets gebeurt, terwijl de vijand in principe om elke hoek kan liggen en op ieder moment toe kan slaan. Swoff en z'n maten houden zich op de gloeiende zandvlaktes staande met sardonische kameraadschap en boosaardige humor, en dit allemaal in een land waar ze niks van weten, tegen een vijand waar ze niks van zien en voor een zaak waar ze weinig van snappen.
| Directing | Sam Mendes | Director |
| Sound | Thomas Newman | Original Music Composer |
| Editing | Walter Murch | Editor |
| Camera | Roger Deakins | Director of Photography |
| Visual Effects | Jeanie King | Visual Effects Producer |
| Production | Bobby Cohen | Executive Producer |
| Production | Lucy Fisher | Producer |
| Production | Sam Mercer | Executive Producer |
| Art | Dennis Gassner | Production Design |
| Production | Douglas Wick | Producer |
| Art | Stefan Dechant | Supervising Art Director |
| Art | Marco Niro | Art Direction |
| Production | Pippa Harris | Co-Producer |
| Art | Nancy Haigh | Set Decoration |
| Production | Debra Zane | Casting |
| Art | Christina Ann Wilson | Art Direction |
| Costume & Make-Up | Albert Wolsky | Costume Design |
| Art | A. Todd Holland | Assistant Art Director |
| Camera | Andy Harris | First Assistant Camera |
| Costume & Make-Up | George L. Little | Assistant Costume Designer |
| Crew | Sean T. Stratton | Post Production Supervisor |
| Crew | Mark Sparks | Propmaker |
| Art | Edward L. Turk | Construction Foreman |
| Camera | Kirsten Laube | Camera Loader |
| Art | Chris Cummings | Art Department Coordinator |
| Art | Kasra Farahani | Production Illustrator |
| Camera | Greg Beaumonte | Camera Technician |
| Costume & Make-Up | Corey Bronson | Set Costumer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Deidra Dixon | Hairstylist |
| Art | Mark Weissenfluh | Leadman |
| Camera | Brian Branton | Grip |
| Crew | Dennis McCarthy | Picture Car Coordinator |
| Art | Jeff Passanante | Construction Coordinator |
| Art | Rick Poyner | Location Scout |
| Costume & Make-Up | Robert L. Stevenson | Hair Department Head |
| Costume & Make-Up | Jack Blanchard | Set Dressing Artist |
| Art | Richard J. Bell | Greensman |
| Costume & Make-Up | Robert Q. Mathews | Costume Supervisor |
| Crew | Gary A. Theard | Cableman |
| Art | Carol Koch | Sculptor |
| Camera | François Duhamel | Still Photographer |
| Art | John Chichester | Set Designer |
| Costume & Make-Up | Blanca Garcia | Seamstress |
| Crew | L. Chip Crosby Jr. | Driver |
| Camera | Mitchell Andrew Lillian | Key Grip |
| Crew | Cliff Fleming | Aerial Coordinator |
| Lighting | Danny Ault | Electrician |
| Crew | John Wright | Craft Service |
| Crew | Clark Higgins | Video Assist Operator |
| Sound | Marvin E. Lewis | Boom Operator |
| Crew | Kent Blocher | Visual Effects Editor |
| Production | Mark Mayer | Production Accountant |
| Sound | Randall Poster | Music Supervisor |
| Crew | George A. Parker | Technical Supervisor |
| Crew | Robert E. Dingle | Transportation Co-Captain |
| Directing | Jayne-Ann Tenggren | Script Supervisor |
| Sound | Bill Bernstein | Music Editor |
| Lighting | Ken W. Ballantine | Lighting Technician |
| Crew | Steve Cremin | Special Effects Coordinator |
| Crew | Lindsay Hudson | Set Medic |
| Production | Tannis Vallely | Casting Associate |
| Production | Gerald Scaife | Production Supervisor |
| Crew | Jeff M. Lewis | Utility Stunts |
| Lighting | Edward R. Nedin | Rigging Gaffer |
| Production | Murray Miller | Location Manager |
| Production | Lois Walker | Production Coordinator |
| Crew | Greg Anthony | Stunts |
| Sound | Brian Chumney | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Production | Sharon Mann | Unit Production Manager |
| Sound | Richard Quinn | Dialogue Editor |
| Sound | Thomas Vicari | Scoring Mixer |
| Sound | Larry Schalit | Sound Editor |
| Crew | Cheryl Andryco | Set Production Assistant |
| Crew | Fred Teague | Transportation Captain |
| Sound | Pat Jackson | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Costume & Make-Up | Steven E. Anderson | Makeup Artist |
| Art | Andrew Petrotta | Property Master |
| Directing | Luke Longin | Layout |
| Crew | Robert Hatfield | Projection |
| Crew | John A. Brubaker | Transportation Coordinator |
| Crew | Rob Harris | Unit Publicist |
| Crew | Jeff Habberstad | Stunt Coordinator |
| Crew | Chris Kephart | Stand In |
| Directing | Alan B. Curtiss | First Assistant Director |
| Editing | Kenny Becker | Color Timer |
| Visual Effects | Christopher Cram | Visual Effects Coordinator |
| Crew | Christian Alzmann | Visual Effects Art Director |
| Visual Effects | Jennifer Bell | Visual Effects Producer |
| Sound | Thomas Pasatieri | Orchestrator |
| Sound | Kyrsten Mate | Sound Designer |
| Visual Effects | Pablo Helman | Visual Effects Supervisor |
| Editing | Pat Jackson | Additional Editing |
| Visual Effects | Matt Brumit | Digital Compositors |
| Sound | Kyrsten Mate | Sound Effects Editor |
| Sound | Willie D. Burton | Sound Mixer |
| Crew | Jeffrey J. Dashnaw | Stunts |
| Costume & Make-Up | Glenn H. Roberts | On Set Dresser |
| Directing | Cy Roscoe Strickland | Additional Second Assistant Director |
| Directing | Jody Spilkoman | Second Second Assistant Director |
| Art | Kim Lincoln | Graphic Designer |
| Camera | Seong Dilg | Dolly Grip |
| Art | Deborah Ross | Title Designer |
| Directing | Jeff Habberstad | Second Unit Director |
| Visual Effects | Jerome Bakum | Visual Effects Assistant Editor |
| Sound | Jeremy Molod | First Assistant Sound Editor |
| Editing | Curtis Lindersmith | Digital Intermediate Editor |
| Costume & Make-Up | Constantine Sekeris | Makeup Effects Designer |
| Art | Eric Ramsey | Storyboard Artist |
| Production | David H. Kramer | ADR Voice Casting |
| Art | Phillip Cappe | Concept Artist |
| Visual Effects | Todd Martin | Visual Effects Production Assistant |
| Editing | Terra Bliss | Digital Intermediate Producer |
| Directing | Basti Van Der Woude | Second Assistant Director |
| Editing | R. Orlando Duenas | Assistant Editor |
| Art | Mark W. Brown | Assistant Property Master |
| Camera | Jason Corica | Camera Production Assistant |
| Editing | Sean Cullen | Associate Editor |
| Sound | David Boulton | ADR Mixer |
| Sound | Alyson Dee Moore | Foley Artist |
| Camera | Quinn Grove | Best Boy Grip |
| Sound | Jon Logan | Apprentice Sound Editor |
| Crew | Christian Eubank | Special Effects Technician |
| Visual Effects | Martin Rosenberg | VFX Director of Photography |
| Camera | Will Dearborn | Additional Second Assistant Camera |
| Visual Effects | Peter Daulton | Lead Animator |
| Costume & Make-Up | Matt Chase | Costumer |
| Sound | Ben Conrad | Foley Mixer |
| Camera | Matthew Haskins | Second Assistant Camera |
| Production | Stacy Opalewski | Casting Assistant |
| Costume & Make-Up | Ma. Teresa Chavez | Hairdresser |
| Sound | Jane McCulley | ADR Editor |
| Sound | Krissopher Chevannes | ADR Recordist |
| Costume & Make-Up | Allan A. Apone | Makeup Supervisor |
| Editing | Mo Henry | Negative Cutter |
| Costume & Make-Up | Robert Iannaccone | Key Costumer |
| Sound | James Willetts | Foley Recordist |
| Crew | Skip Holm | Pilot |
| Sound | Jim Dunbar | Music Coordinator |
| Production | Chesley Phipps | Assistant Accountant |
| Production | Ruben Marquez | Extras Casting Assistant |
| Production | R. Dawn Vigil | Production Secretary |
| Crew | Michael DePue | Generator Operator |
| Production | Bridget Cleary | Assistant Location Manager |
| Visual Effects | Stephanie Taubert | Rotoscoping Artist |
| Production | Jennifer Gillespie | Travel Coordinator |
| Lighting | Jason Blaise Cunningham | Rigging Grip |
| Production | Jake Borowski | Production Assistant |
| Production | Enriqueta 'Queta' Amador | Accountant |
| Production | Faith Hibbs-Clark | Local Casting |
| Production | John Montgomery | Payroll Accountant |
| Production | Skylar Schmidt | Second Assistant Accountant |
| Production | Timber Kislan | Location Assistant |
| Lighting | David Burnett | Assistant Chief Lighting Technician |
| Lighting | Chris Napolitano | Chief Lighting Technician |
| Production | Julio Salazar | Production Driver |
| Production | Alejandra Cárdenas | Assistant Production Coordinator |
| Production | Deedra Ricketts | Location Casting |
| Sound | George Budd | Music Consultant |
| Production | Edna Wilkerson | First Assistant Accountant |
| Lighting | Gary Kangrga | Key Rigging Grip |
| Writing | Sam Chouia | Script Consultant |
| Production | Bill Ceresia | Post Production Coordinator |
| Production | Terrence B. Zinn | Key Set Production Assistant |
| Writing | Anthony Swofford | Book |
| Writing | William Broyles Jr. | Screenplay |
| Crew | P. David Miller | Special Effects Assistant |
| Crew | Jalil Jay Lynch | Stunts |
