Lieutenant Parnell lived the Army values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, integrity, honor, and personal courage:.
1. Loyalty.
Parnell knew what his unit could do. He didn't doubt their abilities when in combat and put 100 percent into them. .
2. Duty.
If his job was to defend an OP when outnumbered, he did it. He didn't back away from the challenge. His job was to play along with the village elder, and even though he knew the elder was corrupt, he did it. .
3. Respect.
Parnell was a walking example of respect. Everyone he encountered got respect, even if they didn't deserve it. .
4. Selfless Service.
This is self-explanatory. Even when he was injured he still did all he could to help his platoon out of that firefight. He yelled at a captain to get his men treated. He lived for his men, which got them to fight for him in return. .
5. Honor.
Parnell was honorable throughout his entire tour. Honor is more of a characteristic of quality. Living out the other Army values shows honor and visa-versa. .
6. Integrity.
Parnell didn't abuse his power. He knew his limits and knew what he should and shouldn't do. That is what integrity comes down to. .
7. Personal Courage: he knew where ambushes would be, but knowing he could handle the danger and fights, he drove right into them. Some might think he was being reckless with his soldier's lives. But they trusted him and he knew they could handle it. That's part of the job of being an Officer.
Parnell always placed the mission first. When he was injured, he could have gotten away from the fight. But he knew he had to push through. He knew his men were counting on him and he was counting on them. When Abdul was killed, Parnell, along with every other soldier who knew Abdul, wanted nothing more than to avenge his death. But there is a time and place for that. They knew they would get their chance later, so they held in their anger. It's almost easier to say there wasn't a single time he didn't place the mission first.