Spare Parts

On the airport tarmac, Williams wonders where the LAVs are. As the Marines of his company load onto waiting buses, the Arab driver wants them to take down the American flag. On the bus, when loud rock music begins playing, the Arab driver pulls over, but before he can move, Gunny Brandt pulls a 9mm pistol and points it at his head, one of several instances of racism directed toward the Arabs.

For several days, Williams and his company are garrisoned at Tent City, a huge expanse of canvas tents in the middle of the desert. They walk three miles to chow and three miles back. They are forced to use latrines with no privacy. An evening brief by Sgt. Krause changes their demeanor, however, as he warns them of the likelihood of Iraq launching SCUD missiles. Williams practices incessantly with his gas mask. When the talk turns to dog tags and identifying bodies, Williams decides to propose to Gina in a letter.

After six days, they leave Tent City and head out to the desert, but without their LAVs. They dig holes in the sand and take up defensive positions, but the boredom—and the sand—quickly overwhelm them. Finally, after four days, they get some real training: storming bunkers, breaching landmines, firing rifles.