The film focuses entirely on a hyper-masculine military environment. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or explorations of queer dynamics present in the narrative.

The story centers almost exclusively on male agency and leadership. Women are largely absent from the primary combat and decision-making arcs.

U.S. forces are depicted as a predominantly white cohort, while the Somali militia and local populace receive significant screen time. This provides a necessary counter-perspective to the Western presence.

The narrative avoids Western triumphalism by emphasizing the chaos and failure of the mission. It presents a complex landscape of moral relativism and the instability of foreign intervention.

Disability is shown through the lens of immediate combat trauma and physical injury. These depictions serve as plot drivers rather than nuanced portrayals of lived experience.