Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. In which country is Robin “Birdy” initially stationed outside of Iraq?

2. What is the role of the Civil Affairs team?

3. Why did Jonesy join the US Army?

4. Which team within the Civil Affairs Unit is Birdy a part of?

5. Who is in the First Squad?

6. What changes people’s perspective of the Middle East?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1.Summarize Birdy’s letter to his uncle. Why did he decide to join the US Army? How does Birdy feel about his commitment?

2. Describe Operation Iraqi Freedom. What are the four stages? In which stage is Birdy and his team?

3. Who are the “Hoodlums”? What are they responsible for and what has Marla Kennedy seen them doing?

Paired Resource

A Map of Iraq and Surrounding Countries

• A Britannica map of Iraq and its geographical neighbors
• How does Iraq's geographical location make it a strategic point of entry into the Middle East?

The Kurds

• A 2019 National Geographic article on the Kurdish ethnic group
• Why do the Kurds not have their own state? How does their statelessness affect politics in the Middle East?