The most noble fate a man can endure is to place his own mortal body between his loved home and the war's… — Robert A. Heinlein

There was no god but the Lieutenant and SGT Jelal was his prophet.

Basic truths cannot change and once a man of insight expresses one of them it is never necessary, no matter how much the world changes, to reformulate them. This is immutable, true everywhere, throughout all time, for all men and all nations.

In a mixed ship, the last thing a trooper hears before a drop (maybe the last word he ever hears) is a woman's voice, wishing him luck. If you don't think this is important, you've probably resigned from the human race.