Private Mandella, Chapter 3 Summary

After completing training on Earth, Mandella and the rest of the company head for Charon, the planet where the rest of their training will occur. The three week journey, a large majority of it spent in double gravity, results in exhaustion for all and injuries such as broken bones for many. The rest of the trip is spent in half gravity, which causes at least half of the crew to be constantly motion-sick while the other half follow them around, cleaning up the mess. Once they reach the base on Charon, Mandella and his shipmates meet Captain Sherman Stott and Sergeant Octavio Cortez, their company commander and first sergeant. After his introduction, Captain Stott tells them two things: First, that this is to be considered a combat situation; and second, that capital punishment is the only punishment on Charon...