Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Jarhead 5

Comments-
1. Dettmann, on Swofford's watch, woke siek up at 0630 when they were supposed to leave the bivouac at 0500.
2. Swofford is punished by being exercised for hours, he has to clean out all of the latrines, and he is demoted to lance corporal.
3. A few days later, Swofford is cleaning his M16 with Dettmann and he loads a 30 round magazine into the M16 and puts it to Dettmann's head.
4. The M16A2 is an air assisted gas rifle that fires a 5.56mm ball projectile.
5. Swofford talks about the technical specifics of the M16 rifle.
Questions-
1. Why was Dettmann far away from the bivouac?
2. Why did Meyers act like he didn't see what Swofford was doing?
3. Why did Swofford over-react by almost executing Dettmann?
4. Why did Swofford discuss the ballistic possibilities with Dettmann?
Vocabulary-
1. bivouac- a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire.
2. Bloviate- To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner.
3. Reticence- The state or quality of being reluctant.
Literary Terms-
1. Setting- This section takes place in Saudi Arabia.
2. Exposition- It starts off with Siek yelling at Swofford because they woke up 2 hours late.
Outline-
1. First Siek punishes Swofford because they woke up 2 hours late. Then for the next week Swofford had to burn the wastes in the latrines. After that, Swofford loads an M16 and puts it to Dettmann's head and he explains the technical specifics of the M16A2. Then he releases the magazine and discharges the round from the chamber and forces it into Dettmann's mouth.

Jarhead 4

Comments-
1. Swofford bought a five gallon jug of alcohol from an S-2 marine.
2. Swofford burned all of the letters that he received from his girlfriend.
3. The wall of shame is where jarheads post photos of unfaithful women.
4. Siek came back at 2300 and no-one was on firewatch.
5. There are 6 new members of STA platoon, handpicked by Siek and Captain Thola.
Questions-
1. How did the S-2 marine have access to alcohol?
2. Why did Siek order a uniform inspection on their day off?
3. Why did they ignore the list of maintenance tasks that Siek left them?
4. Why did Siek obtain 6 new members for STA platoon?
Vocabulary-
1. Multilingual- using or able to speak several or many languages with some facility.
2. Multilevel- having different levels or planes.
3. Flabbergast- to overcome with surprise and bewilderment.
Literary Terms-
1. Setting- this section takes place in Saudi Arabia and in Twentynine Palms.
2. Exposition- it starts off with Swofford explaining how people have different opinions on how many people should be in STA platoon.
Outline-
1. First he explains peoples' different opinions on STA platoon and how he thinks that STA should only have the best of the best. Then, He buys alcohol from another marine and he explains the wall of shame. After that, Siek comes back with 6 new marines for STA platoon.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Jarhead 3

Comments-
1. Swofford's sister is in a mental institution.
2. A marine found out that his wife was cheating on him so he went on an emergency-leave.
3. In the event of a proper head shot, the result is called pink mist or the medulla oblongata shot.
4. Troy walked in when Swofford had the muzzle of an M16 in his mouth.
5. A few years after the Gulf War, Troy was killed in a car accident.
Questions-
1. Why didn't Swofford like going to the rear-rear?
2. Why was the marine allowed to go on the emergency leave?
3. Why was Swofford attempting to shoot himself?
4. Why didn't the marines go to jail for beating up the men in the bar?
Vocabulary-
1. Preordained-to ordain beforehand.
2. Serendipity- an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
3. malaise- a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease.
Literary Terms-
1. Setting- This section takes place in Saudi Arabia and in Michigan.
2. Exposition- This section starts off with Swofford saying how he hates the rear-rear.
Outline-
1. First he says how he hates the rear-rear even though it is like a paradise. Then he talks about his sister's life and how he attempted to kill himself but another marine caught him. After that, he explains how that marine died in a car accident a few years after the war.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Jarhead 2

Comments-
1. Swofford told the Colonel about his history with drugs so he had to do 100 pushups.
2. Swofford faked a stomach flu at Camp Pendleton.
3. The term sniper was first applied by British Army personnel in the 18th century.
4. During World War 2, Marine snipers used M1903A4 Springfield rifles equipped with a German scope.
5. For every 15,000 rounds fired by a grunt, the United States scored 1 fatality while for every 1.2 rounds fired by a sniper team, the United States scored 1 fatality.
Questions-
1. Why did Swofford want to be a bugler where he would only be able to carry a sidearm?
2. Why did Swofford tell the Colonel about his drug history?
3. Why was Swofford told that he could only trust 3rd platoon?
4. Why was Swofford put in 3rd platoon and then transferred to take the STA Indoc?
Vocabulary-
1. Paradox- a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
2. Inquiry- a seeking or request for truth, information, or knowledge.
3. Memorabilia- matters or events worthy to be remembered.
Literary Terms-
1. Setting- This section takes place in boot camp and at Camp Pendleton.
2. Exposition- This section starts off with Swofford talking about how he had confessed to using drugs to the Colonel.
Outline-
1. First, Swofford talks about Barracks Duty School and how he had confessed to using drugs. Then he talks more about how Drill Instructor Burke beat him up and made fun of him. After that, he talks about snipers, what rifles they use, when the weapon systems were created, how accurate the sniper is.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Jarhead 1

Comments-
1. Swofford was a lance corporal in a USMC scout sniper platoon.
2. He calls himself a jarhead because of the regulation high and tight haircuts.
3. Vann and Swofford were caught throwing a football so the whole STA 2/7 platoon had to play a football game in full MOPP suits.
4. In boot camp Swofford was selected for the platoon scribe position so when Drill Instructor Burke found out that Swofford couldn't draw, he put Swofford's head through the chalkboard.
5. Swofford's father served in vietnam in the Air Force from 1969 t0 1970.
Questions-
1. Why didn't Swofford throw the ball into the straddle trench like Vann told him to?
2. Why did Swofford's platoon burn their MOPP suits?
3. Why wasn't his platoon issued new gas masks?
4. Why didn't Swofford report Drill Instructor Burke to the Senior Drill Instructor?
Vocabulary-
1. Debark- to disembark.
2. Billow- to swell out or puff up.
3. Moniker- a nickname or alias.
Literary Terms-
1. Setting- This section takes place in Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base, Saudi Arabia, and Swofford's house.
2. Exposition- This section starts off with Swofford going into his ruck and taking out his cammies, a brass bore punch for an M40A1 sniper rifle, a handful of .50 caliber projectiles, patrol books, and letters.
Outline-
1. Swofford first starts to talk about whats in his ruck and then it leads on to when he first learned he was going to be sent to Saudi Arabia. He then starts saying what happened when he arrived and he said what he did on his daily routine in Saudi Arabia. After that, he starts to tell stories of his experiences at bootcamp and how his Drill Instructor would beat the recruits.