Rivalry

One of the dominant themes of the book is the rivalry between the services and within the Army between Airborne and Armor. This is especially evident during the missile crisis. Hanrahan believes that Special Forces should be involved and that they should be the pathfinders. The XVIII Airborne Corps believes their own pathfinders were capable and that they did not need the Special Forces. There was also dissatisfaction when Lowell was named Deputy Inspector General, Headquarters, U.S. Joint Assault Force (Provisional). He was sent to Fort Hood, Texas to solve the logistics problem of quickly moving the tanks and the equipment, or, as Hanrahan told him it would be an Airborne operation. Lowell solved the logistics and transportation problems even though he broke many regulations.

The rivalry between the branches is also evident when Dorothy Simms first meets Craig Lowell. Her husband was an Air Force aviator...