CNN
Marcus mentions that the men were more afraid of CNN, a news organization (who would put them "on trial for murder"), than the Taliban, who are capable of horrible atrocities, including killing people.
The Shepherds
The Shepherds, who looked and acted in a tremendously benign way (and who no one would expect to do harm), were responsible for the deaths of the Navy SEAL team.
The Pashtun
One would expect the Pashtun people, who lived under the constant threat of death by the Taliban, not to help Marcus survive because they would surely be put to death. However, they helped Marcus survive, risking horrible deaths.
Killers in Training?
It is ironic that Marcus says that many in Iraq and Afghanistan are brought up to be killers. Yet, he kills countless people during his tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Futility of War
The book has a deeply patriotic tone which often makes the argument that war is worth it. However, the content of the book suggests the opposite: that war is futile (after all, only one of 20 people involved in the mission survive).
