- The squad doesn't do much for the next few days. They keep hearing rumors about how the war might end and they might go to Hawaii. That sounds nice.
- Biding time. Ho hum. They watch a Julie Andrews movie multiple times. A guy named Brunner has a fight with a cook about roast beef. Captain Stewart takes tells the cook that men who risk their lives deserve respect. That's how down time goes when you're in the army.
- Back to action! They're sent into combat. A company called Charlie Company is stuck. Our heroes' job is to clear the area so the company can get out.
- They get in a chopper to go to the area. Perry wants to say a prayer but doesn't remember any.
- They jump out of the chopper, one by one, and fan out. They hear fire in the distance, but it doesn't come near them. They reach the landing zone and fly back out. Not too bad.
- Lieutenant Carroll gives Perry the choice to get transferred to another platoon because of his knee or to wait for his medical profile to come in. Perry says he'll wait. Then he realizes that was a dumb thing to say and is mad at himself afterward.
- On the bright side, if he had taken his get-out-of-jail-free card, he wouldn't have had fuel for the rest of the book.