The presentation and use of military personnel in "Forever War" by Joe Haldeman and "Halo: The Fall of Reach" by Eric Nylund illustrate how science fiction portrays these individuals as disposable and replaceable. Negative treatment of soldiers can lead to various mental problems and unnatural relationships if conditions remain the same. Although the characters in these stories are fictional, the mistreatment of military personnel can lead to future problems when the time comes for them to return to civilian life. In "The Forever War", the value of a soldier's life was not as important as the value of a soldier's life. mission to accomplish, sacrifices were therefore deemed necessary. When the recruits were first introduced to their new base, the main character, Sargent Mandella, questions his superiors' decisions, thinking, "They had spent all that money on us just to kill us in training." ? " (Haldeman 13), which "immediately clarifies the military's view on human life, which is similar to that of Charles Darwin in natural selection. Sargent Mandella's introspection suggests that the military is setting them up for failure and that only the elite will survive. During a training exercise, soldiers were told, “The dead will have a last meal tonight and will receive no more rations starting tomorrow” (Haldeman 31). By losing this exercise, the soldiers would be severely punished. The purpose of this exercise was to toughen the recruits and reinforce the idea that failure is not an option on the battlefield. This may be true, but by physically punishing the losing team, their morale and health may be affected. Similarly, in "Halo: The Fall of Reach", the treatment of soldiers was harsh, but at a much younger age. When children...... middle of paper......for soldiers to form healthy bonds with others, since sex was considered an act of instinct rather than love and passion . The purpose of an army is to protect civilian life against any threat; If the soldiers in the stories mentioned above continue to be treated harshly, the resulting effects could be detrimental to their performance on the battlefield. Works Cited Haldeman, Joe. The eternal war. New York, NY: St. Martin, 1974. Print. Morley, Christopher and Brandon Kohrt. “Impact of peer support on PTSD, hope and functional impairment: a mixed methods study of child soldiers in Nepal.” Journal of Assault, Abuse and Trauma. 22.7 (2013): 714-734. Internet. April 14, 2014. Journal of Assault, Abuse, and Trauma&rft.issn=10926771>.Nylund, Eric. Halo: Fall of Reach. New York, NY: Del Rey, 2001. Print.