Summary

Chapter 9 begins with the unit’s arrival at Camp Independence. Many of the soldiers leave to the chow hall, Chambers goes to visit Sergeant Griffin, and Jack takes a shower (noting how he looks younger than he remembered) before heading to the cybercafé. Once there, he searches the internet for Staff Sergeant Rios and discovers that he died on April 4th, 2006 in a non-hostile event near Baghdad, and that his body was never recovered, despite being classifies as Killed In Action.

Once back at the maintenance bay, Jack finds a message that the battalion commander, or the Big Man, wants to see him. On the walk to headquarters he notes Halliburton trucks, fast food restaurants, and other relics of the military-industrial complex. Once in the Big Man’s office, the battalion leader confirms that Jack’s platoon was the first on scene during...