47 pages • 1-hour read
Redeployment
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summaries & Analyses
Plot Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Reading Tools
Story 5: “OIF”Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Story 5 Summary: “OIF”
A narrator tells the story of traveling with a convoy when it is hit with an IED. Just before the explosion, he and a friend joke that it would be exciting to hit an IED as long as no one is killed. The Private First Class (PFC) in his unit is killed, and the narrator is awarded a NAM: Navy Achievement Medal. When he returns home, he decides to redeploy and leave his girlfriend behind. He tells himself that this time when he goes back, he will be terrified in the convoys, and he will remember his friend.
“OIF” Analysis
“OIF” is the briefest story in Redeployment and is heavily laden with military acronyms and jargon. The final paragraph contains the acronyms “HMMWV,” “5 PX,” “SITREP,” “KIA,” and “WIA.” The narrator earns an award known as a NAM without giving an explanation of what it stands for or why he receives it. Even when he expresses survivor’s guilt and vows to be more afraid and vigilant on his next deployment, he does so in a way that only another Marine would understand. The author shows the Marine Corp as an insular group that speaks its own language. Much of the book presents the difficulties that veterans have communicating with their civilian friends and families. “OIF” (which is also not defined but which stands for Operation Iraqi Freedom) is the most literal example in Redeployment of how hard it can be for veterans to make themselves understood in a society that has not experienced their time in war.
Unlock all 47 pages of this Study Guide
Get in-depth, chapter-by-chapter summaries and analysis from our literary experts.
- Grasp challenging concepts with clear, comprehensive explanations
- Revisit key plot points and ideas without rereading the book
- Share impressive insights in classes and book clubs