Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland’sWarfareisbased on a true story, and it’s connected to a 2006 event called the Battle of Ramadi. Alex Garland is a screenwriter and producer behind popular titles like28 Days LaterandEx Machina, and he joined forces with Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL and film war stunt expert, to deliver one of the decade’s most visceral and emotional tales.Warfareis based on Ray Mendozaand his platoon’s actual experiences, which he attempted to recreate with dedication to realism and accuracy.
Warfare’sstoryexamines the final days of the Battle of Ramadi, with actors like Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, Charles Melton, and many more bringing the gruesome events to life for the big-screen adaptation.While the film doesn’t cover the entire battle, it’s still likely to attract viewers into pursuing more of the full story. Ray Mendoza’s personal experience isn’t well-documented, butthe Battle of Ramadi was a pivotal battle that claimed over 1,000 lives, and it’s worth exploring furtherto provide additional context to the film.
The Battle Of Ramadi’s History Before Warfare
The Eight-Month Battle Was Fought For Control Of A Major City
The Iraq War began in 2003 with the death of Saddam Hussein, who was overthrown as the country’s president, leading to an insurgency developing in response to the US coalition’s presence. This was apart of the Bush administration’s war on terror, which was launched in response to the September 11th attacksin 2001. The justification for this war is widely disputed and has resulted in a lasting critique of the Bush presidency, with the explanations being Iraq’s position of WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) and Saddam Hussein’s link to al-Qaeda, which were never proven.
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First, it’s worth noting that this is the Second Battle of Ramadi, with the first occurring in 2004. The Iraq War began in 2003 and lasted nearly a decade, with coalition forces pursuing al-Qaeda throughout the country. Following the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004, Ramadi, the largest city of Al Anbar Governorate, became the capital of the insurgency. The entire battle lasted eight months, with forces fighting for control of critical points in the city. Thisresulted in the estimated deaths of over 1,000 insurgents and an unreported number of civilian casualties.
Ramadi, the largest city of Al Anbar Governorate, became the capital of the insurgency.
Warfarespecifically follows the specific experience of one Navy SEAL platoon, Alpha One, which surrounded therescue of Elliot Miller(Cosmo Jarvis), a sniper who was injured by explosive blasts. Miller managed to survive the brutal circumstances, though he was left without memories of what transpired. Ray Mendoza’s purpose in co-writing and co-directingWarfarewas to fill the gaps in his comrade’s memory. Still,the film only follows a minute portion of the 5,500 American troops believed to be presentduring the eight-month battle.
The US Cleared Out The Majority Of al-Qaeda’s Presence In The City
Image via A24
Over nearly a year of skirmishes and territory advancements, the coalition forces mostly drove al-Qaeda out of the city. The days between November 13-15 of 2006 were regarded as being the final hours of the battle, noted for a heavier degree of fighting that led to accusations of excessive civilian casualties levied against the coalition forces. October and November had been particularly brutal, andby mid-November, US forces reported a total count of 750 confirmed insurgent deaths, claiming to have taken roughly 70% of the city.
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The actions of the insurgents in the Second Battle of Ramadi arebelieved to have caused the formation of the Anbar Awakening, a council that helped lead to a swifter end to the violence. The Anbar Awakening collected 20 tribes from across the province to attack al-Qaeda in the Ramadi suburbs. In October of 2006, most tribes in the province had joined the awakening, leading to a massive decrease in violence by December.
It wasn’t until 2008, after several more operations, that al-Qaeda had effectively been removed from the Anbar province
At this point, al-Qaeda’s presence was primarily eliminated from the city, but the conflict didn’t end there. In December 2006, the US initiated an operation called Operation Squeeze Play, which led to more street fighting, the deaths of 44 insurgents, and the capture of 172 more. In an attempt to stabilize Ramadi, theUS forces developed a plan to recruit and train a larger Iraqi police force. It wasn’t until 2008, after several more operations, that al-Qaeda had effectively been removed from the Anbar province, freeing the city of a significant portion of its violence.
Ramadi Was Key To The Anbar Province
Iraq is divided into 18 provinces, also called governorates, with Al-Anbar being the largest, though still far from the most populated.Control of Ramadi, the established capital of Anbar during that period, meant control of the entire region, making it a significant strategic location for the coalition forces to obtain control of. The battle also followed a suicide bombing in January 2006, which was orchestrated by al-Qaeda in response to a local election and the recruit of new police officers, killing 56 police recruits and assassinating tribal leaders of the Anbar’s People’s Committee.
There are a few other notable takeaways from this battle worth mentioning. Thefirst Navy SEAL to die in Iraq was Marc Alan Lee, who died on August 20, 2025, fighting in the battle. Navy SEAL Michael A. Monsoor was posthumously granted the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life to protect his team by leaping on a grenade. The battle was noted for containing the first use of chlorine bombs by insurgents.
The War Continued For Five More Years
The Iraq War lasted roughly five full years following the end of the Battle of Ramadi whenthe Obama administration concluded the withdrawal of all troops from Iraq in 2011. Saddam Hussein was executed shortly after the events ofWarfarein December 2006, and much of the conflict in Anbar moved to Baghdad. This was a pivotal moment in the war for establishing the changes prompted by the US as “benchmarks,” such as an oil revenue-sharing law and provincial elections.
Ray Mendoza’sWarfareis just one of countless tales of violence that happened during the Iraq War, and its raw depiction is worthwhile to demonstrate the horrific nature of everything that transpired. The film might have been slightly dramatized for entertainment purposes at times, but the story is told from Mendoza’s first-hand account, making it one of the best options available.
