Stephanie misses her brother terribly and feels useless at home while serving in the army. In fact, he says, "All I wanted was for someone to shout orders in my face, anything to break the silence with some clear directions" (100). Dustin was her only friend and although she compares her life to Dustin stating, “I knew the army had to be hard work, but being left behind seemed even harder” (99). Before her eighteenth birthday, Stephanie decides to enlist. Stephanie trains and studies intensely for the Armed Forces Aptitude and Drum Test, as well as the Physical Test. She passes the test with flying colors and is placed in her first choice career, bridge crew member, just like Dustin; Stephanie is deployed