As the story of the Silver Star awardee Boatswain's Mate 1st Class James Williams is told to them over the speakers they mentally prepare to shoot. They know a low score will kill them, and too many kills will sink them. As they prepare to reach for the M-16 simulator they are suddenly ordered to don gas masks. Any recruit found wearing the mask improperly is dead. Division 109 suffers casualties before a shot has been fired.
Recruits shoulder rifles and the scenario continues.
But when the hatch is thrown open he jerks back as if he had walked into a brick wall. Dense white smoke pours out of the space. Visibility is zero. The recruit slowly shuffles in, and the two teams follow. The smoke, lack of sleep, and difficulty communicating are too much.