Chris is in the thick of the war effort, manning a desert patrol vehicle in a unit tasked with keeping the Iraqis from destroying their own oil reserves. His initial excitement, though, does not last. Chris’s commanding officer is unwilling to take the chance of incurring casualties and thus keeps Chris and the other subordinate soldiers out of combat. Yet Chris wants to put his life on the line for his country; he is motivated in part by an abiding sense of patriotism and duty, and in part by his desire to destroy an enemy army known for its debasement of Islam and its general contempt for human life.

During this time in Iraq, Chris also has a few disconcerting experiences that call attention to his own vulnerability and mortality. At one point, he is tasked with digging up a basement; he uncovers the bodies of several soldiers, recognizes one of them as a marine, and, in a panic, begins to wonder if his brother, a marine, is among the dead men. Chris’s brother is alive and well, yet Chris faces the prospect of his own death later on, during an intense firefight. Here, he is saved by the last-minute arrival of supporting forces just as the action reaches a critical point.