Summary

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 * Chapter 7**: In this chapter Anthony Swofford asks himself many times if he truly wants to be a Marine. One minute he is feeling down and doesn't want any affiliation with the Marines, and then at other times he "man's" up and excepts his responsibility. Also in this chapter, Swofford goes to Camp Pendelton to be in a Marine Platoon. Before he could be placed in a platoon, Staff Sergeant "X" asks him if he can play the trumpet. Swofford was oblivious to the embarrasment that the Staff Sergeant was going to put him through. However, the Staff Sergeant didn't follow through and instead placed Swofford in Third Platoon, the most undisiplined group so far. Later Swofford is asked to try out for STA unit, which is a Surveillance and Target Aquisition Platoon. This platoon is a Sniper/Scout platoon and are placed through vigorous testing for admitance. Swofford also goes into detail on how the sniper got started and other additions from past wars and countries. (Chris Treptow)

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[|Saddam takes British families and uses them as bargaining chips in the Gulf War]

[|Begining of the Gulf War]
 * Chapter 8**: In this chapter Anthony is in the rear which is where he can relax because he isnt being deployed anywhere. This makes him freak out because he thinks that its rigged by the Saudi Arabians. He stays in his room for 5 days. When hes there the other marines get a porno from one of the guys wife and it turns out that shes in it but no one had the decentcy to turn it off. This shows how emotion are turned off for a marine even when they arent fighting. The guy got to go home though and was put on suicide watch. This makes him think about his sister because she was put in an institution because she tried to commit suicide by swallowing pills and how only his mom and him were the only ones who visited her. Then he finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him. He considers killing himself but not because of his girlfriend but he doesnt know why. He doesnt because someone walks in on him and he plays it off as a joke. (Sam Wagner)


 * Chapter 9**: In this chapter, Anthony and gang travel to Michigan for a funeral of a fellow Marine. They all show up drunk, and continually drink on their way to the funeral. The weird thing about Troy, the dead Marine, was that after he was discharged from the Marines he still lived in the barracks with his unit. He did everything that he did while still in the Marines. While at the funeral Swofford and his gang got into an altercation with the reservist Marines. The Sergeant of the reserves questioned the vitallity of thier combat ribbons and medals. After this altercation, Swofford went to Troy's fiancee's parents hosue for a party with Troy's childhood friends. They all knew eachother from the stories that were told, so there wasn't any awkward meeting stage. At this time Anthony realizes that Troy never told stories about his heroics, but the heroics of his teammates. In fact Troy was never in one of his war stories. After this party, the newly aquainted friends went off to Troy's favorite bar. While at this bar, Anthony and his friends were in a fight and kicked the crap out of the locals who started the fight. After the fight and everything was calmed down, Troy's mother came and told Anthony that they disrespected her and her family and most of all Troy. (Chris Treptow)


 * Chapter 10/11**: In Chapter 10 Swafford talks about he and his friends stayed drunk the entire time the where in Michigan. He said that he couldn't comprehend that one of his friends were dead because when he was in combat he was prepared but outside it he didn't understand. He had the false sense that after war they were untouchable. In Chapter 11 the STA is looking for more men for thier platoon but because they are specially trained they dont want new guys but guys that have experienced battle. They get a new Staff Sargent called Siek who likes to rag on them and he tries to clean them up because they are part of the rear and they need to look better, such as stopping the underage drinking. He also tries to break them up and bulid them the way he wants, like they did in boot camp. When in the rear the marines of the STA aquire some homemade alcohol and drink in the back, while back there Swafford takes some pictures of his unfaithful girlfriend and puts then on the Wall of Shame. This is a wall of all the unfaithful women that were with a jarhead. (sam wagner)