Thank You For Your Service

Schumann is the person whom we follow the closest, beginning when he returns home on a mental health evacuation. He is gaunt at his point, 26 years old, married to Saskia, and father to Zoe, his 4-year old. Two years later, he has a newborn son, Jaxson, and has regained 25 pounds He has a tattoo depicting his wife’s name, the letters comprised of various sexual positions. He is considered by all a good guy, a good leader, and a good soldier: “He’s the one people are drawn to, who they root for, smart, decent, honorable, good instincts, that one” (10). 

Schumann enjoys hunting and fishing. He is full of guilt and feels weak and like a failure. He keeps most of his pain, anger, and guilt to himself, and typically people don’t notice it. We see his caring for those he loves through small gestures, such as rubbing Saskia’s hair or tickling her when she’s experiencing road rage. He sells his guns to save Zoe’s puppy, and helps fellow veteran Emory get dressed and takes him fishing. We watch him progress through treatment to get past wanting to kill himself, which had been a daily thought. His story begins and ends the book.