who is Capt. Stewart and why is he important to the platoon?

Stewart is the leader of Alpha Company who is vying for a promotion to Major. He is obsessed with "body count" and often fudges the number of VC killed on a particular patrol to make himself seem more effective. Later, Sergeant Singer accuses Stewart of putting the Alpha Company soldiers at risk by volunteering them for the most dangerous missions simply to increase his kill count. Stewart's immoral tactics work, however, and by the end of the novel he has successfully been promoted to Major.