"Eyeball, be sure to get me in focus, man." "Make sure you take the lens cap off this time." "Hey, let's play some spades." "Hey, Tommy's got to go." "All right." "Are you out, Tommy?" "When we see Old Glory flying" "There's a lot of men dead" "So we can sleep in peace at night" "When we lay down our head" "My daddy served in the Army Where he lost his right eye" "But he flew a flag out in our yard" "Till the day that he died" "He wanted my mother, my brother My sister and me" "To grow up and live happy ln the land of the free" "Now this nation that I love Has fallen under attack" "A mighty sucker punch came flying in From somewhere in the back" "Soon as we could see clearly Through our big black eye" "Man, we lit up the world Like the Fourth of July" "Don't take my leader book." "And Uncle Sam puts your name At the top of his list" "And the Statue of Liberty Started shaking her fist" "And the eagle will fly And there's gonna be hell" "When you hear Mother Freedom Start ringing her bell" "And it feels like the whole wide world ls raining down on you" "Okay, open the door." "Open the door." "Brought to you courtesy Of the red, white and blue" "Okay, the squad unit is on the road..." "What is that?" "Any Mexicans in there?" "Fucker!" "What's that?" "No..." "Okay, okay." "Okay, close." "Hey, get these guys the fuck out of here." "Just pop shots, guys." "Stay alert." "Get these guys out of here." "Good to go." "Yeah, Sarge, just waiting around to get blown up, huh?" "Yo, check this out." "Mich, she just sent this to me yesterday." "Damn, Sarge." "Your fiancee is hot!" "Appreciate it." "She and I will make some cute Tex-Mex babies." "That's it." "Now you're cleaning the shitters." "Keep it up." "Just keep it up." "Go ahead." "Oh, that's personal." "That's personal." "That's personal." "Sergeant King, I just saw Michelle's tits." "Congratulations, Private." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, titties?" "All right, Steve, deal with that car." "Eyeball, take your post." "Come on." "All right, all right." "Whoa!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Hold your fire!" "Two Apache gunships are on their way for support." "Do you copy?" "We have two men wounded, one killed." "We need emergency medevac immediately." "Over." "Checkpoint two, we confirm your transmission." "Medevac is on its way." "Sending a Quick Reaction Force to your pos at this time." "Roger." "Quick Reaction Force for position, over." "Make it quick. I have two men shot up!" "I need help, now!" "Units are on their way." "All right." "Send them through." "Get out of here." "Get out of here." "Mount up!" "Mount up!" "Let's go!" "We're requesting a Quick Reaction Force." "Over." "We are pursuing insurgents in a white taxi north through the city." "Over." "Frank, do you see anything up there?" "North!" "He's turning north!" "All right, he's on our 11." "He's on our 11." "Rico!" "You see it?" "Fuck!" "Damn!" "Steve, you stay on them." "Can we hit him on the.50?" "Not yet, there are too many civilians." "We cannot fire." "I got them on my 11." "You okay, Tommy?" "Hold on, here we go!" "Look for a clear shot, Frank." "I will give you an order." "Fuck!" "Randy, Frank, cover high." "Come on." "Roger." "Open door left." "Psych it up." "Go!" "Straight ahead!" "I got stairs!" "Stay there!" "Stay there!" "Stay calm." "Stay calm." "Adjacent room." "Rico, clear?" "Clear!" "Clear!" "Stay calm!" "Coming out!" "Rico, coming out!" "Shrive, that's a dry hole!" "Coming out!" "All right, move!" "Tommy, let's move." "Go, move." "It's an ambush!" "Let's prepare to move back!" "Ready!" "Move back!" "I got two Hajis right across the street!" "Smoke!" "Smoke!" "Preacher, call in!" "Tell them we need immediate extraction!" "Tell them we've taken enemy fire!" "Two went down!" "Shadow 6, this is Shadow 3," "Lollipop Quebec Romeo 1-3-3." "We're pinned down." "We need immediate extraction." "Move!" "We have two kia." "Over." "RPG!" "Preacher, are you hit?" "l got two guys up front." "Rico's hit!" "l need help!" "ls he all right?" "Come on!" "Preacher, get Tommy!" "Tommy, come on." "Get up!" "Get him out of the street!" "Come on, get against the wall." "You okay?" "Rico, no sleeping on the job, buddy." "Come on." "Contact in the front of the street!" "Somebody get some smoke in that alley!" "Get that door open!" "Stay with me." "Can you look at me?" "ls he breathing?" "Yeah, he's breathing." "Eyeball, help me get him in here." "Preach?" "Preacher?" "Preacher's hit!" "Get him out of there!" "Tommy!" "Get your ass inside, right now!" "Come on." "Tommy!" "Tommy, get your ass in there now!" "Get down!" "Get down!" "Steve, don't go in there!" "God damn it." "Steve!" "Steve!" "Man, I'm hit!" "I'm hit!" "l'm on my last mag!" "How many?" "Got a guy at the top of the stairs!" "There's another guy at the end of the fucking hall!" "Coming straight up." "Steve?" "Steve!" "You all right?" "l'm all right. I'm all right." "All right, Steve-o." "Let's get you out of here." "l'm all right." "Come on." "l'm all right." "You got it." "Look at you, man." "All right, we're coming down." "We're gonna need cover." "Sergeant Shriver, I saw your last range scores." "You ever thought of sniper school?" "l used to." "I'm getting out. i'm getting married, sir." "You're a hell of a shot." "l know, sir." "Thank you, sir." "Puffing on Boot's cigar pretty hard, ain't you?" ""l know, sir." "Thank you, sir." "I know, sir." "Thank you, sir."" "All right, men, listen up!" "We have a bit of a surprise for you." "The good folk of Sergeant King and Sergeant Shriver's hometown, Brazos, are throwing them a getting-out parade." "You represent the United States Army." "I expect every one of you to be on your best behaviour." "Here's a list of things you will not do while on leave." "You will not drink and drive." "You pick up a young lady, let her drive." "Let her get the dui." "You will not beat up civilians!" "You will not fuck anyone underage." "I say again, you will not fuck anyone underage." "You will not beat your wife, you will not beat your kids." "You will not kick your dog." "Am I understood?" "Okay. I'll see you in Monday's formation, 0700." "That's it." "Enjoy your stay in Brazos." "Did you get her on tape, man?" "No, I didn't get her on tape." "lt's incriminating." "She said she was 18, so fuck all y'all." "Welcome home, Brandon!" "Welcome home, Steve!" "Well done, Shriver!" "Guys, welcome back." "Welcome home." "Thank you." "Hey, baby!" "Hey, baby!" "Welcome back, soldier!" "Hey, Michelle." "Come here." "Beauty." "God bless the USA!" "Two boys from Brazos, best friends since they were kids, distinguished themselves by leading Brazos High football to a memorable, barn-burning division championship..." "All right, Steve!" "...and have gone to war and returned as heroes." "Staff Sergeant Brandon Leonard King." "We honour his exceptional courage, loyalty and selfless service with this Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valour." "Let's hear from one of Brazos' own." "Yeah!" "Speech, Brandon, speech." "Speech!" "Speech!" "Speech!" "Come on, Brandon." "Sign them up, Sergeant." "Come on, Brandon." "I wasn't..." "I wasn't planning on giving a speech." "I was just... I was just over there trying to do my job, like everybody else." "Trying to bring my men back safe." "You know, most of my men ain't from Texas." "It's kind of hard for me to describe to them what I love most." "Ribs at Smitty's, or the way they keep the beer in tubs at the Ajax Bar, being out at the ranch with my folks." "On the bus ride over here, I saw a truck hauling onions." "And I couldn't get the window down, 'cause I..." "I wanted to smell them." "See, onions smell like home to me." "They smell like Texas..." "That's right, Sergeant King." "We're over there killing them in Iraq so we ain't got to kill them in Texas!" "For purple mountain majesties" "Above the fruited plain" "America, America" "God shed His grace on thee" "And crown thy good with brotherhood" "Tony, how are you, son?" "Brandon." "Ma!" "Oh, God!" "Let me see you." "Oh, you're home now, baby." "l'm home." "Let him breathe, lda." "Oh, he can breathe." "Dad." "Good to have you back, Son." "Thank you, sir." "Thank you." "It's good to be back." "Brandon King!" "Yes, ma'am." "Mr King!" "Good to see you, sir." "Sergeant King!" "Good to have you back." "Yeah, well, baby." "Hey, Thomas?" "You going with us?" "Yeah, I'll be there in a second." "l am real proud of you, son." "Hello." "I'm pulling some strings, trying to move your Private Rodriguez from the hospital in Germany to an Army hospital stateside." "Anything else you need, you call me." "Thank you, sir, I will." "I'm real grateful about Private Rodriguez." "I plan on seeing him when I get out." "If you come to Washington, you call me." "I'll take you around Capitol Hill and show them what a real Texas hero looks like." "I'd love that. I'd love that." "Private Rodriguez's family could use a word of encouragement." "We are going to take very good care of your son." "Thank you." "Your brother's gonna be fine, just fine." "Thank you." "All right, Augustin." "You stay out of trouble." "Shorty Shriver!" "Hey, Brandon." "I got some making out to do." "Sorry." "Y'all so cute." "Have a seat." "Welcome back, baby." "Thank you." "We missed your fine ass." "Oh, man." "Here, soldier." "Get you some tequila." "Oh, look, it's Brandon, King of Texas." "Come on, Brandon." "Oh, my lord." "You back in Texas now." "l love Texas!" "I love Texas!" "Welcome home, boy." "It's good to be home." "All right." "Y'all listen up." "To Steve and Michelle." "Oh, my gosh." "Finally!" "Give it a spin on the dance floor." "Come on." "Yeah." "l want to dance." "l formally release him" "into your custody." "Thank you." "I'm all right." "Don't worry about old Steve." "Are you okay?" "No, you go ahead." "I'm gonna sit this one out." "But we ain't danced yet, babe." "I know." "Just..." "You go." "I'm gonna sit this one out, all right?" "You and Brandon kill a bunch of those Iraqis over there?" "Yeah, Steve, we winning this thing?" "Look." "What we need to do is just drop a 10,000-pound bomb on one of their cities every time they hit us." "No more of this urban combat bullshit." "I'm tired of going and killing a Haji in his kitchen and his bedroom." "Fucking-A." "When you going back, Steve?" "I'm done." "Me and B.K. are getting out." "You know, but if I had to do it again, I'd be a fucking sniper." "One shot." "One kill." "Let me be the faceless enemy." "I'd go back tomorrow to get that Haji bastard that killed Preacher." "Preacher was Tommy's best friend over there." "I fucking loved that guy." "He took a round in the face." "It blew his jaw all the way off." "Then he took one in the neck." "Hey, Steve." "He was dead before he hit the ground." "Yes, sir?" "Just take out Haji and his whole fucking family." "Send them right back to Bible times." "What about you, darling?" "No, thank you." "Sure?" "I'm one hell of a dancer." "No. I don't doubt it, but..." "Hey." "Hey, my wife said no." "You fucking deaf?" "I get it, man, no problem." "You're the hero." "Tommy!" "Tommy!" "Tommy!" "Ah, shit. lt's on!" "Get him, Tommy." "Oh, shit." "Tommy!" "No, Tommy!" "At ease, soldier." "You hear me?" "You hear me?" "Soldier, at ease." "Fucking ease!" "Listen to me!" "All right, you good?" "You good?" "Huh?" "You hear me?" "All right." "Calm down, let's get a drink." "Come on, man." "Hey, it ain't a party without a fight!" "Oh, snap!" "Tommy." "Okay. lt is midnight, and all the shit the US Army done issued to your ass still ain't accounted for." "And when you turn all the rest of this shit in, you gonna have to owe about $1000." "Oh, Eyeball, I am getting out." "Man." "That's what's up, man." "Except I'm keeping this." "Good choice." "Good choice, as your face has been known to scare kids and make dogs bark." "You're funny." "Where's my phone?" "Hello." "Bran?" "Hi, Mich." "Yeah, I'll be right over." "Dude, come on." "You all right?" "He's got a gun." "What you doing, Steve?" "What the fuck do you think?" "You hitting the rack?" "Yeah." "Do you want to know what..." "What pisses me off is just..." "Soon as I get dug in, those fuckers are gonna move us out." "I'm gonna have to do this shit all over again." "Roger that." "What the hell?" "Your mama made all these by hand." "She loves you like a daughter." "Steve was yelling at them like they're alive." "Then he kicked over the table." "A lady at the base said not to rush the fooling around." "But you know Steve." "He'd been drinking." "He couldn't..." "He hit you?" "He got rageful." "Did he hit you?" "I caught a backhand." "I told him, "Get the hell out."" "He's so goddamn drunk right now, he thinks he's on a mission outside the wire." "You know he loves you more than anything." "What up, Tommy?" "Hey." "I just woke up and I was here." "What are you guys doing?" "Fucking RoboSoldier dug a ranger grave in Michelle's front yard." "You want a beer?" "Yeah." "Ain't it time you and Jeanie open your wedding presents?" "Jeanie threw me out until I get my shit together." "I was wondering, maybe I could stay out at the ranch, just a couple days." "I was thinking maybe we'd all go, get out of town for the day." "What about RoboSoldier?" "Fucked that one!" "That's my boy." "Read the card." ""Uncle Vern and Aunt Tilly" ""hope you and Jeanie get a bun in the oven soon."" "Out of the way!" "You know, it used to be, the protocol for a busted marriage was to return the wedding gifts, Thomas?" "Read the card, Shorty." ""To Tommy and Jeanie, for a long and happy life together." ""From Tom and Charlotte."" "Out of the way!" "There she is!" "Morning, sweetheart!" "Oh, yeah, baby." "What's the matter, Robo?" "You wake up on the wrong side of the spare tyre?" "Shorty, read the card!" "Hey, princess, don't throw up in there, man." "I'm gonna need a beer in a minute." "Shorty, read it!" ""From Steve and Michelle."" "Can we fucking cease fire for a little while?" "Yeah, sure." "God damn it!" "l'm sorry." "Brandon, you motherfucker." "God damn!" "An old granddaddy rattler!" "Right where you would have stepped, cousin." "I should've let it bit you." "God damn!" "Good shooting, B.K." "She's beautiful." "I'm used to that shit, baby." "Just 'cause y'all are so busy..." "Careful." "Careful." "Mr T. -"l pity the fool."" "I pity the fool that let Preacher cut their motherfucking hair." "All right." "You've been busting my fucking balls all day." "How are you gonna explain that black eye in safety brief on Monday, huh?" "I walked into a door." "You and Michelle walk in the same door?" "Look, I fucked up." "I don't even know what happened." "Okay, I kind of blacked out." "All I know is I remember waking up in the trunk of Tommy's fucking car." "Well, it ain't gonna happen again." "You copy me?" "Do you copy me?" "l said I know and I said I fucked up." "Come on." "Watch the venom." "You watch it." "Don't fucking touch me with that shit." "Watch the venom, man!" "I think I broke skin." "l'm gonna fuck you up." "Come on." "Look at y'all." "Crazy." "It's over now, baby." "What are y'all doing over here?" "Tommy?" "You all right?" "I shouldn't have shot that shit up." "Sarge Shriver." "Sarge King." "Man, I'm gonna miss blowing shit up." "Next." "Gas mask." "Check." "Poncho liner." "Check." "Sergeant King." "Waterproof bag." "Check." "Did you cover for me in formation?" "Come here." "Look." "Me and Steve are getting out." "It's up to you and Eyeball to lead the recruits." "All right." "This new squad leader, he's a Baptist." "I'm a Baptist." "All right." "He's a real Baptist." "Listen, man, you got to get a fucking grip." "You smell like a fucking brewery." "Come on." "That's 'cause we were drinking last night." "Tommy." "Wait!" "Come on." "Okay." "You're all good to go." "Says here you have orders to report to the First Brigade." "Not me. I'm getting out today." "Brandon Leonard King?" "Yes." "Out to the First Brigade on the 22nd." "This is a mistake." "It's all there." "You leave on the 22nd, shipping back to Iraq." "Sub-section 12305, Title 10." "By the authority of the President." "You've been stop-lossed." "Lieutenant Colonel?" "Sergeant King." "I teed you up for a recruitment pitch in Brazos, and you gave me an onion patch." "lt's what came to mind, sir." "What's your problem, Sergeant?" "I'm supposed to be getting out today." "Now they're shipping me back to Iraq." "You understand why it's important we win over there?" "Why we need good soldiers like you?" "Yes, sir." "You have extenuating circumstances?" "You gay or pregnant?" "Sir, you know me." "I'm a squared-away soldier." "Because I have an extenuating circumstance, Sergeant." "It's called a war. lt's in Iraq." "I know, sir. I volunteered to fight in it." "I ran over 150 combat missions for you, no complaint." "Contract says stop-loss is only in a time of war." "This President said the war's over, so legally..." "You a lawyer, son?" "No, sir." "But after doing right by this Army, I'm getting burnt by some fine print in a contract." "Now the President himself said..." "The President is also the Commander-in-Chief." "I think he trumps you either way." "With all due respect, sir, fuck the President!" "Fuck the President?" "Yes, sir." "He's not over there fighting this war." "He's not there seeing his buddies burnt alive in Humvees." "I lost three men last month, and I almost got the rest of us killed." "Those were my men, too, and I lost more than that." "You're an excellent leader, and you are going back." "For 1 1 more years?" "lt won't come to that." "How do you know?" "I think the President trumps you in this matter." "This, sir, is bullshit, and you know it!" "Lieutenant, you just heard Sergeant King disobey a direct order." "Yes, sir." "l also perceive him to be a flight risk." "Escort him to the stockade so he can readjust his attitude." "You're making a big mistake." "l'm doing you a big favour." "End of discussion." "Make sure he ships to the First Brigade when it goes out on the 22nd." "Roger, sir." "Come on, hotshot." "Don't you fucking touch me!" "Steve, I fucked up real bad." "Hey, man." "What?" "What'd you do?" "I put down a couple guys and now I'm AWOL." "What the fuck..." "l got stop-lossed back to Iraq." "Shit!" "Oh, okay." "Look, take it to Boot." "You're gold with him, he'll fix it." "Yeah, Boot was trying to send me to the stockade." "I shook loose and I took off in your Jeep, man." "You definitely have fucked up now." "l know." "I know, I just got triggered." "I lost my shit." "All right." "Wait, look." "All right, get a grip, calm down." "I'll try to figure out what's going on here, and cover your six." "Thanks, man. I knew you would." "I'll hit you later." "Come on in, Sheriff." "Ida, listen to this." "These MPs came to me and said Brandon's gone AWOL." "How in the hell can he be AWOL if he's getting out today?" "Boot's hopping mad." "He called me personally to put out a statewide APB." "Get Brandon to turn himself in and get this thing sorted out." "I don't understand." "They stop-lossed you?" "How can they do this?" "They're doing whatever they wanna do." "With a shortage of guys and no draft, they're shipping back soldiers who's supposed to be getting out." "It's a backdoor draft, is what it is." "What about Steve?" "Mich, I don't know." "Some of us are getting it, some ain't." "This cannot be happening." "No!" "You almost died over there." "What do you want to do?" "You want me to take you to Mexico till this blows over?" "No, no, no." "Out of the question, Mom." "I ain't dragging my tail across to Mexico." "I'm getting my keys." "Brandon." "Listen to me." "If you're spooked, it's okay." "There's no shame in that." "l ain't scared. I'm pissed off!" "This family is done fighting this war." "He ain't scared, Roy." "He's just being sensible." "I just don't want him to get in any deeper, is all." "Maybe ruin his whole life." "I ain't gonna let it go that far." "Ruin his life?" "How about getting himself killed?" "God damn it, lda." "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "The Senator said to my face if I ever needed anything, he'd help." "That is a big-ass mistake." "You go out of the chain of command, over Boot's head, you're doubling your trouble." "He's gonna make an example of you." "I ain't worried about Boot once I explain the whole thing to the Senator." "I just need to run up to DC right now and get this sorted out." "Okay. I'll take you." "You can't." "They're gonna be watching y'all." "They won't be watching me. I'll take you." "Michelle, Steve would have my ass if I let you get mixed up in all this." "He could be next." "Let's go." "This is wrong, Brandon." "Steve don't talk much about being over there." "Sand." "Fleas." "Flies." "Heat." "Boredom." "Or you can get shot at." "Or blown up." "That's pretty much it." "Sheep on the highway." "Where?" "In Iraq." "Big-ass flocks of them." "Yeah?" "Jeanie, it's me." "I need you to cover my shift at work tomorrow." "Sorry I woke you up." "No, I was up. I was up." "And covering your shift's no problem, since neither one of us has a fucking job." "What?" "Tommy drove his car into our work, drunk as fuck." "He got two DUls in the last two days." "What the hell's happening to these guys?" "Are you all right out here?" "I thought I saw somebody down by the drain." "You okay?" "Yeah, sure." "You should try and get some sleep." "I'll be all right, Mich." "I know what I'm doing." "Listen, Mich, you need to be getting home." "You need some dry clothes." "Michelle Overton!" "You taught me everything I know." "You made me everything I am." "Can't be anything else, sir." "I'm no good as anything else." "Then stop your drinking!" "l will, sir." "All I wanna be is a soldier." "I just want to go back to Iraq." "I'm gonna be better." "Hey, baby." "lf l ever..." "Put Brandon on the phone." "Put him on the phone!" "All right." "Hey, man." "Where the hell are you, man?" "I have a situation you need to step into right now." "I've been trying to reach you all night." "Where you been?" "I've been at the fucking jailhouse all night, trying to bail Tommy out of a dui shitstorm." "God damn it!" "Boot is about to kick Tommy out." "Squad leader is supposed to be here, and that's you." "Steve, I can't." "I'm on my way to DC to see the Senator." "You're what?" "You're fucking AWOL, and you're taking Michelle to fucking DC?" "I'm gonna cut her loose at the state line." "You haven't proved it to me yet!" "I need you to handle this until I get back." "Just a couple of days." "This better be the last time..." "lt can't wait that long." "...you drive drunk!" "And you, my friend, you are in deep fucking shit with Boot." "I'm gonna make this up." "It's all I got." "This is everything to me." "Army's my family." "I know I'm a little sideways, but give me one more chance, please." "What's up?" "Gonna head north on the 55 into Memphis." "Long way around." "There's something I got to do. I'll drive." "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." "Congratulations, man." "It'll take a lot more than water till I'm saved." "Thanks, man." "Attaboy, Preacher." "You saved him." "I think you need some more blessing, bro." "Preacher and the chaplain baptized a lot of guys over there." "Come on, sit down." "Just wanted to pay my respects, sir." "Very grateful that you came." "You said you had a bad feeling about Paul's last tour?" "Why'd he go back so many times?" "He was stop-lossed." "Couldn't find a way out?" "There were people right here in Memphis on the lay low." "Stop-lossed soldiers filing a lawsuit." "But he wouldn't listen." "Excuse me." "And how would someone find these guys with the lawsuit?" "Depends on who wants to know." "I'd like to know." "It started out just like any other day." "We were manning a checkpoint, but we came under attack." "And standard operating procedure is to pursue the attackers, and..." "Go on, we want to know." "We followed them into an alley." "I led my men into an alley." "Preacher, Paul, was covering our flank." "We got hit from both rooftops." "RPGs, small arms, bullets, explosions... lt was an ambush." "Leading your men into an ambush is standard operating procedure?" "That's enough, Michael." "I remember... I was yelling at him across the alley." "And he got on the phone to call for reinforcements, and he must have seen somebody drawing down on Thomas, 'cause he fired a few shots in that direction." "And his rifle jammed." "That's when..." "That's when he got hit." "Did our son suffer?" "No, ma'am." "No, he was..." "It all happened real fast." "My brother's life was wasted over there." "Your brother died doing what he knew in his heart was his duty." "And he died in the arms of his best friend." "I can tell you that." "He's the one that sent the picture right after we lost Paul." "Read the back." "He calls, sometimes, late at night." "I think he's been drinking." "You keep that." "Thank you, sir, I will." "We want to thank you, Sergeant King, for coming." "Because I know that these meetings must be very difficult for you." "Yes, ma'am." "Thank you, Sergeant." "Thank you for coming." "Thank you." "Good luck getting out."