Dont know about the new show, but I do believe MASH was a thinly disguised commentary on Vietnam as well as being a brilliant show (and Movie).

Quote from tv.com:"Though the series was set in Korea, M*A*S*H, both the movie and the series, was initially developed as a critique of the Vietnam War. As that war dragged toward conclusion, however, the series focused more on characters than situations--a major development for situation comedy."

Judging by HBO's unusually high standard im guessing you should give it a chance...