Who is Captain Sherman Stott from The Forever War and what is their importance?

Captain Sherman Stott is the company commander in charge of the first campaign against the Taurans and is also Cortez' direct superior. During training on Charon, Stott chastises Mandella and the other privates for not showing a "will to live" when they respond to a percieved attack by dropping flat on the ground, an instinctively self-preserving act. Although he had hated him when he had decided to stay on the ship rather than take his chances in the battle with the Taurans, Mandella cannot help but feel sick of the resemblance between him and Stott when he has his own command.