What film best captures what being in the military is truly like?

I wasn't in the army, but my Dad was, and he didn't reference a film, but rather a very old TV series, "Combat" with Vic Morrow. It had something to do with how the platoons were spread out and positioned.

I like "Men of Honor." Some artistic license but also a pretty good depiction of the "old diving Navy." Cuba Gooding played a great part. Brought back a lot of memories to this old hard hat diver.

For me, there are several. I call them "You are there" movies. "84 Charlie MoPic," the MOS for a hand-held super 8 film specialist in Vietnam, following and interviewing a LRRP patrol. It's up close and personal. "Das Boot," German language with English subtitles. German WWII U-Boat crew on a mission to hell and back. Close quarters, superb acting, and one heck of a story line put YOU in the submarine with the sailors. These are both, white knuckle, sweaty palm films.

For Army basic training, Biloxi Blues and Take the High Ground. It does not change. No movie has been made that depicts garrison life as 12 hr days filled with sheer boredom and BS details followed by nights of beer, booze and hoping to get laid. Modern combat is Restrepo

For me it was IN HARMS WAY.

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder.

The DI starring Jack Webb.

None that I've seen.

The part of "The Sands of Iwo Jima" with Forrest Tucker stopping at the four duce pit for coffee on the return trip with much needed bandoleers that SSGT. Andrews mentioned was shown somewhere along the line in ITR training. Packing crate movie theater with plank wood benches. We received a lecture on what goes wrong doing dumb moves like stopping for coffee on a ammunition run in combat leaving his buddies out of ammunition and getting bayoneted. 1 KIA, 1 WIA. The smoking lamp was then lit.

Did not watch holly-weird movies for a long period concerning military.
"With the Marines at Tarawa" real movie. "Tell it to the Spartans"
" Full Metal Jacket" did have some good points. Some scenes of conditions and how it was. Politics rushing Marines piece meal into combat outnumbered with no air or artillery support. Do it but do not destroy the buildings. Finally someone allowed supporting arms against well dug into buildings NVA. The NVA were still being supplied and reinforced from the backside of the Perfume. Sniper would have been gutted and left her nasty for the rats. NOTE: Sixties Parris Island 1st Battalion USMCRC did not have toilet seats. Sneaking live 7.62 off the range was no problem. At the time all D.I. cadre combat veterans. This is my rifle this is my gun.
"Fire Base Gloria" was a good movie on conditions and how it was. "Hamburger Hill" the one hill drunken girl killer Ed Kennedy stated the U.S. would not take. That statement made the brass mad.