Summary

In Chapter 23, the protagonist arrives at a forward operating base (FOB) in Iraq. Soon after his arrival, he and his platoon are deployed to assist another platoon that had been hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), but the injuries are extensive, and there is nothing to do but call a medevac helicopter for those still alive. He is told that he has technically seen combat now and thus has had his “cherry popped” (103).

In Chapter 24, the protagonist calls Emily, who says that she has befriended a 25-year-old man. The protagonist immediately warns Emily that the man wants to have sex with her. Emily becomes offended. In Chapter 25, an Iraqi insurgent is spotted near the base, and a female cook kills him with a rifle. The male infantry are furious that she is the first person to have a confirmed kill. In Chapter 26, over...