"Hoot": When I go home people'll ask me, "Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What, you some kinda war junkie?" You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the men next to you, and that's it. That's all it is.
Pilla: Colonel, they're shooting at us! Colonel, they're shooting at us!
McKnight: Well shoot back!
[voice-over, spoken with the credits]
Shughart: My love, stay strong and you will do well in life. I love you and my children deeply. Today and tomorrow let each day grow and grow. Keep smiling and never give up even when things get you down. So in closing my love, tonight tuck my children in bed warmly. Tell them I love them, then hug them for me and give them both a kiss
goodnight for daddy.
[after the briefing]
Matthews: What's the matter Danny? Something you don't like?
McKnight: No Spectre gunships, daylight instead of night, late afternoon when they're all fucked up on Khat, only part of the city Aidid can mount a serious counter-attack on short notice...
[chuckles]
McKnight: What's not to like?
Harell: Life's imperfect.
McKnight: Yeah, for you two, circling above it at five hundred feet it's imperfect. Down in the street, it's unforgiving.
Eversmann: Look, these people, they have no jobs, no food, no education, no future. I just figure that we have two things we can do. Help, or we can sit back and watch a country destroy itself on CNN. Right?
Steele: Sergeant, what's the meaning of this?
[Thinking he's talking about the unauthorized pig picking]
"Hoot": Just a little aerial target practice, sir. Didn't want to leave 'em behind.
Steele: I'm talking about your weapon, soldier. Now Delta or no-Delta, that's still a hot weapon. Your safety should be on at all times.
"Hoot": This is my safety, sir.
[He holds up his index finger and bends motions as if squeezing a trigger and then walks off]
Sanderson: Let it alone, sir. He hasn't eaten in a few days.
[Captain Steele has caught Sgt. Pilla mocking him]
Steele: Quick word, Specialist.
Dominick Pilla: Sir.
[Steele puts Pilla in a headlock, while Pilla surreptitiously gives the middle finger to the other Rangers]
Steele: Tell me, Pilla. You understand why we have a chain of command, don't you?
Dominick
Pilla: Roger that, sir.
Steele: 'Cause if I ever see you undermining me again, you'll be cleaning latrines with your tongue 'til you can't taste the difference between shit and french fries. Are we clear?
Dominick Pilla: Hoo-ah, sir.
Steele: What's this Sargn't? Another taxpayer-funded Delta safari?
Sanderson: Not if General Garrison's askin'.
Steele: No, I'm askin'.
Sanderson: Have a nice meal, captain.
McKnight: [over the radio] How are things going? Things okay there, Struecker?
Struecker: I don't wanna talk about it now, Colonel. I'm busy!
[Pilla is shot and falls into the humvee]
Thomas: Sergeant Pilla's hit! Christ, he's fucked up!
McKnight: Is anybody hit? Struecker, talk to me!
Struecker: It's Sergeant Pilla!
McKnight: What's his status? What's his status?
"Hoot": He's dead!
Struecker: He's dead. Pilla's dead, sir.
McKnight: C2, this is McKnight, we have a KIA: Dominick Pilla, over.
Harell: Roger that.
Struecker:
Get on that fifty! Someone get on that fifty!
"Hoot": It's mine!