Maj. Jeffrey Pelt had a little more in mind on March 4 than just taking a break from the day to see the story of one of the most storied snipers in American military annals.

Pelt, who commands Bravo Company at The Basic School, hoped that watching “American Sniper” at the Little Hall Theater would help better educate the 238 second lieutenants in his command in combat tactics. The students begin field events this week focusing on squad tactics, and Pelt felt the Clint Eastwood-directed story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle could help.

Kyle, who was killed in 2013 while trying to help a Marine struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, is credited with 160 confirmed kills over the course of four combat tours in Iraq. The movie also chronicled how Kyle struggled with the affects of war after returning home.

“It was pretty intense,” said 2nd Lt. Samuel Zickgraf, student, The Basic School.

The Basic School students were among the more than 300 people who took a break from their day to catch the popular movie that has surpassed “Saving Private Ryan” as the No. 1 domestic grossing war movie of all time, according to The Wrap, a website covering Hollywood.

The two-hour film clearly captivated everybody in attendance.

“I thought it was great,” said 2nd Lt. Steven Spinelli, student, The Basic School.

That was just the idea behind the $1 promotion, said Connie Whitten, community recreation program manager, Marine Corps Community Service.

“It’s a really good movie and it gives the Marines something new to do during their lunch hour,” she said.

The movie was the third that MCCS presented at cheaper-than-usual-rates at the easily accessible Little Hall, following previous showings of “Fury” and “Unbroken,” Whitten said.

— Writer: jhollis@quanticosentryonline.com