Long story short: The first five people to post a picture of themselves with their dog in the comments section below this article will each win their own copy of “Megan Leavey” on Bluray.

Back in May, I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the movie “Megan Leavey,” before it was released in theaters.  The film, which stars Kate Mara as Marine Corporal Leavey, tells the story of a woman’s growing bond with her working dog Rex, through the lens of her service, deployment, and reintegration into society while coping with the trauma of being injured in combat.

Now, “Megan Leavey” is out for digital download, and is about to hit stores everywhere on Bluray and DVD (or whatever else you kids are watching movies on these days).  Those same folks that saw fit to give me an early screening of “Megan Leavey” wanted to celebrate that by giving SOFREP a bunch of free copies of the film.

My recommendation, of course, was to make all the SOFREP contributors fight each other in a flaming ring, and let the survivors walk away with the Blurays, but the editors here almost never listen when I recommend death matches at work, and instead, opted to give them out to our subscribers.

So, with five copies of “Megan Leavey” to give away… how do I pick winners?  In my opinion, this movie would be most appreciated by someone who loves their dog – after all, it’s a movie about a Marine’s love for her own.  So, the first five people to post a picture of themselves with their dog in the comments section will each win their own copy of “Megan Leavey” on Bluray.

Because of my own time in uniform, I tend to be critical of movies that fail to (or fail to even try to) accurately depict the culture of the Marine Corps, and in my opinion, “Leavey” depicts the Corps, in many ways, for what it is.  The Marine Corps shown on-screen does the reality of my Corps justice in a number of ways, including in its depiction of the social interactions between Marines, and its careful addressing of gender and cultural issues without applying the on-screen tension with a heavy hand.

Most of all, though, “Megan Leavey” is a movie about a person’s relationship with their dog – something many service members and civilians alike can truly appreciate.  Not a war movie, “Leavey” is a love story that uses war as its setting, and in the process, the movie manages to keep you rooting for the imperfect protagonist as she struggles, fails, and succeeds.  If you like movies with a strong female protagonist, have a dog, or just want a glimpse into some aspects of everyday life in the Marine Corps, “Megan Leavey” is a good pick for you.

I’ll be reaching out to the winners to get their information to have their copy of “Megan Leavey” sent directly to them.