“I always get the shakes before a drop.” 

Johnny Rico reports his nervous feelings before leaping out of a spaceship in orbit around an enemy planet and dropping down to the surface, where he and his platoon conduct a sweeping attack against the Skinnies. 

“I just want to remind you apes that each and every one of you has cost the gov’ment, counting weapons, armor, ammo, instrumentation, and training, everything, including the way you overeat—has cost, on the hoof, better’n half a million. Add in the thirty cents you are actually worth and that runs to quite a sum. […] So bring it back! We can spare you, but we can’t spare that fancy suit you’re wearing.” 

With dark humor and strictness, the sergeant reminds his men that their job is tough, demanding, deadly, and often thankless. The “suit” is a weapon, heavily laden with ordinance, powered and capable of flight, and difficult to destroy. With it, the soldier is deadly. 

“A soldier accepts personal responsibility for the safety of the body politic of which he is a member, defending it, if need be, with his life. The civilian does not.” 

In class, Johnnie recites the textbook answer to Mr. Dubois’ question about modern civic virtue. A soldier, risking one’s life for others, answers the highest possible call of duty.