The Men Who Stare at Goats

The New Earth Army is a secret US military program created by Bill Django, a former Vietnam veteran who had an epiphany that love would triumph over hatred. The unit explores unconventional warfare methods, specifically training soldiers with psychic abilities to use in combat. The program represents the film's satirical take on military bureaucracy and explores whether unconventional tactics could change warfare.

Earlier scenes establish the surreal tone when General Hopgood attempts to phase through his office wall, hinting at the New Earth Army's unconventional methods.

Lyn Cassady is presented as the most formidable Psi-warrior in the New Earth Army unit. He possesses remote viewing skills, allowing him to see distant locations psychically, and demonstrates other psychic abilities throughout the film. He becomes Bob Wilton's guide into the world of the New Earth Army, leading him on a journey to uncover the program. His troubled past with the Army stems from his powerful psychic abilities, which he struggles to control.

Gus Lacey mentions Lyn Cassady as the most formidable Psi-warrior in their unit before Bob actually meets him.

Bob travels to Iraq after experiencing personal tragedy in 2003. When he tries to reconnect with his ex-wife Helen, he discovers she has moved on with her life, leaving him heartbroken. Seeking purpose and escape from his despair, Bob decides to pursue the ultimate story by covering the war in Iraq, where he hopes to find the mysterious New Earth Army and uncover its secrets.

Bob's narrations earlier establish his dissatisfaction with his life's direction and his search for something meaningful.

Larry Hooper is another psychic soldier in the New Earth Army who operates as a rival to Lyn Cassady. While Lyn uses his abilities for what appears to be more noble purposes, Larry employs malevolent tactics and competes against Lyn throughout their mission. His antagonistic presence creates conflict within the New Earth Army and poses a threat to Bob and Lyn during their journey.

Bob Wilton was previously married to his college sweetheart Helen, but their relationship ended before the events of the film. Bob reflects that his life didn't turn out as he expected, with the marriage to Helen being one of the paths not taken. By 2003, when Bob tries to reconnect with her, Helen has moved on with her life, which devastates Bob and contributes to his decision to travel to Iraq seeking purpose.

Bob opens the film by narrating that his saga began with an odd encounter rather than the marriage he envisioned with Helen.

At the film's conclusion, Bob attempts to phase through a wall as a symbolic representation of his personal transformation. Through his journey with Lyn Cassady and Bill Django, Bob learns important lessons about truth and the simplicity of existence. The attempt mirrors the opening scene with General Hopgood and symbolizes Bob's embrace of the whimsical worldview he has adopted, showing he has internalized the New Earth Army's unconventional philosophy.

The film opens with General Hopgood's failed attempt to leap through his office wall, establishing the symbolic significance of wall-phasing.

Remote viewing is the psychic ability Lyn Cassady demonstrates throughout the film, allowing him to perceive distant locations and events without physically being present. This ability is part of what makes Lyn valuable to the New Earth Army and creates tension when Larry Hooper competes with similar but more malicious psychic skills. The film presents remote viewing as one of the key psychic abilities being developed within the secret military program.

Bob learns about Lyn's remote viewing skills as they navigate their challenges in Iraq, which attracts attention from other psychics.

Bill Django, a former Vietnam veteran, created the New Earth Army after experiencing an epiphany that love would triumph over hatred. This realization drove him to explore unconventional methods of warfare, leading to the establishment of the psychic soldier program. His philosophy forms the foundation of the New Earth Army's approach, emphasizing alternative tactics over traditional military methods.

The psychedelic experiences Bob undergoes in Iraq represent his journey of self-discovery and his growing understanding of the New Earth Army's unconventional world. These surreal moments blur the lines between reality and illusion, challenging Bob's previous worldview and guiding him toward personal transformation. Through these experiences, Bob learns to embrace the absurdity of his encounters rather than simply recount battle narratives.

The film establishes early on that the New Earth Army operates with unconventional methods, setting up the surreal nature of Bob's experiences.

Lyn Cassady reveals during his journey with Bob that he has a troubled history with the Army, stemming from his powerful psychic abilities. His psychic prowess created internal demons he grapples with throughout the film. The curse he mentions is connected to his psychic abilities, suggesting that using such powers took a psychological toll on him and affected his military career.

Gus Lacey hints at Lyn's formidable but complicated status within the unit before their full history is revealed.

The New Earth Army is a fictional premise in the film, though it plays on real rumors and conspiracy theories about secret military programs. The film uses the concept as satire, poking fun at military bureaucracy and the idea of unconventional warfare. The story presents the program through Bob Wilton's investigative lens, blending real military settings with absurd supernatural elements for comedic effect.

The opening scene with General Hopgood establishes early that the film operates in a surreal reality rather than strict realism.