If you are wrong for this unit, then I need to send you back to your old unit. There won’t be any repercussions on that, trust me. But this unit can only afford certain types of candidates. I’d rather go on a mission short than with an unsuitable candidate. I’ll add that you’re going to be tested on some of the questions, if we have time. If we don’t and you’ve been anything other than perfectly truthful, you’re probably going to get people killed. Are we clear?”

“Clear, First Sergeant,” Berg said, wondering what the hell was going on.

“Have you ever suffered any form of the slightest anxiety at confined spaces?” the first sergeant asked. “For that matter, have you ever been in any confined spaces for any duration to test that?”

“I have never been in confined spaces for any significant time, First Sergeant,” the PFC replied. “I have spent small amounts of time in normal confined spaces and never had any anxiety.”

“Define normal confined space,” the first sergeant said evenly.

“I… I used to play around culverts, First Sergeant,” Berg said. “I’ve even gotten stuck in one. It didn’t worry me.”

“Not really what I’m looking for,” the first sergeant said. “Have you ever considered what it might be like to be on a submarine?”

“Yes, First Sergeant,” Berg said. “I don’t think I’ll have any issues.”

“Here’s a kicker,” the first sergeant said, leaning forward. “Have you ever considered what it would actually be like to be in space? Like being an astronaut in a space suit outside a ship? No air anywhere around for billions of miles and the only thing between you and a horrible death being a suit built by the lowest bidder?”

“Yes, First Sergeant, I have,” Berg said. “I considered trying to get in the astronaut program, but I’ve wanted to be a Marine for most of my life. I don’t see a tour in the Marines as necessarily standing in the way of that. Worked for John Glenn.”