Unlike past Battle Bracket contests, this year's Clash of Characters (vote now) didn't begin with seeded contestants — Military Times staffers and outside movie experts chose the field, and early matchups were based on character types and designed to pique audience interest.
For example, a first-round contest pitted Capts. Kirk and Picard against one another to find out the greatest military man ever to helm the USS Enterprise. Kirk won, although the real answer is probably this person.
So with no seeds, there can be no favorites. At least not officially.
That said, two competitors have stood apart from the rest of the field throughout our search for the greatest fictional on-screen military character ever, and early results in our semifinal round haven't bucked that trend for a second.
Gunnery Sgt. Hartman ("Full Metal Jacket") and Capt. John Miller ("Saving Private Ryan") have opened big leads over Benjamin Martin ("The Patriot") and Darth Vader, respectively, as the semifinals reach the halfway point. Larger comebacks have taken place in our brackets in past years, but Mel Gibson's colonial warrior and the Star Wars saga's man in black each need late surge to avoid a ticket home.
Voting ends Friday at 3 p.m. Eastern. If you've already cast your ballot, head to social media and use the hashtag #BattleBracket to campaign for your semifinal favorite.
Voting for the Clash of Characters final round will begin immediately after the semifinals wrap up and will be decided early next week.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
The drill instructor that made "Full Metal Jacket" famous has claimed this year's Battle Bracket crown.
It's down to two as we select the greatest on-screen military movie character of all time.
Officer. NCO. Colonial warrior. Sith lord. All bets are off in the semifinals as you choose the greatest military character ever.
Star power, and 'Star Wars,' are on display as our search for the greatest on-screen fictional military character continues.
Air Force linguists scrambled to keep up through the Afghanistan withdrawal and, now, the war in Ukraine.
The move comes after a sudden jump in overseas duty for the service's armored units after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. Army opens up detailed design and prototyping phases of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition releasing a request for proposals to industry.
"Our head is above water, but I'm not sure for how long," one soldier said of his family.
The notable military figures were included among 17 individuals being granted the nation's highest civilian honor.
Congress wants to see a boost in U.S. military presence through permanent basing and rotational deployment as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.
It's not every day that a butterfly enthusiast gets an M4A1. But Monday was that day.
Some 6,000 people, including Navy, Army and Air Force families, suffered nausea, headaches, rashes and other symptoms.
Some schools have reported significant problems in navigating recent changes to veterans education benefits.
Some of the highest concentrations of PFAS chemicals in the country have been found at and around military bases.
Load More