Chapter Two Summary and Analysis

Rowe arrives in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1961 to find the commander, Lieutenant Colonel Rusty Riggs, is not expecting second lieutenants to fill vacancies on the base. Rowe is joined by several in the same situation and the next morning, after the commander has obviously exhausted his efforts to change the situation, Rowe and the others begin a rigorous regimen of training. As a member of the Special Forces, Rowe is chosen to study Chinese and he spends some time in what he calls the best assignment the Army offers, learning the language while spending a great deal of time on the California beach and learning to parachute. He notes that Riggs stands up for them to others and Rowe decides that being one of Riggs' lieutenants is a good thing despite the demands on them whenever they make any...