Sgt. William James has a reputation.

This is possibly the biggest understatement in the history of the Army. James having a "reputation" is very much like saying "America shot something at Japan in 1945."

James' reputation on the field of battle-his field, really, because when it comes to engaging ordnance, there is no one else who can rival him-is legendary, even for those who shudder to think that they may have to engage that field with him someday. There is no doubt that he is reckless, that he has an edge that will ultimately cost him his life, and that he plays hard and fast with the rules.

There is equally little doubt that those very qualities are what give him his reputation off his field of battle.

In the words of those lucky enough to share his bed: "He will ruin you for all other men."

You find this to be, well, impossible. No man is so superior a lover that he can make all men seem not only inferior but just plain inadequate. You're a journalist, after all, and you're only there to write about James and the near-constant rotations he puts himself into.

During your internship at Rolling Stone, you heard just about every urban myth about sex and rock-n-roll, and denounced at least a few of those yourself (it is nice, though, that Adam does remember to send you a birthday card each year to commemorate that one myth-making experience the two of you enjoyed that one time after way too much tequila down in Miami...).

So, while you're sure that your boss didn't send you over to get the full scoop on James' bedroom habits, you figure...it might be worth a shot-provided, of course, that he isn't completely hideous. After all, James is out with his team at the moment, apparently caught in a firefight in the middle of absolutely nowhere, and you haven't had a chance to view the man in person.

You, meanwhile, have been "in country" for less than a week and feel like you'll never eat again. Dysentery is hardly the word for what you're experiencing.

It is in the women's barracks that you learn of James' reputation. Tango Company currently only has nine women serving, so surveying the entire field of women is a question of moving between three rooms in the makeshift building.

You started with the women because they are going to be your bunkmates and possibly your lifeline to sanity for the next two weeks as you spend your time with Tango Company in general and James and his crew in particular.

Barker, a beautiful and muscular woman, is the first to get into the "girl talk" (and even here, in the Army, there is girl talk). "You want to know about James? It's simple: he's completely, bat-shit crazy."

"I think bat-shit crazy is going lightly on him," Andover, another Private, agrees. "He's out of his goddamn ever-loving mind. Makes for a great poker player, though, because you never know if he's bluffing or not."

Does he have a poker face?

"He's all over the place," Andover continues. "I mean, it's like watching footage of Jimmy Fallon outtakes sometimes. But it makes him deadly."

Deadly?

"All kinds of deadly." The woman speaking now is Haverly. You noticed earlier that she isn't one to speak up but rather someone who nods a lot in agreement. But there's this tone to her voice, a very knowing and informative tone, that zeroes in on your gut. She's clearly not talking about just poker.

Barker laughs. "You would know, wouldn't you? You still fucking him or not?"

Haverly looks off into the distance. "He knows my fiancé. Thought it might make bad blood, so it was only those couple of weeks."

"Luckiest damn bitch on the ground over here," Andover mutters.

Haverly looks at her with skepticism. "Lucky? He's ruined me for all other men."

Hyperbole much?

She looks you in the eye, and it's unnerving. This woman is not muscular like Barker, nor the would-be-pro-basketballer that Andover is. She is athletic, not slim, and somewhat attractive in that girl-next-door kind of way. Yet, the look in her eyes...it's a kick in the gut.

Because this woman knows how to inflict pain, and yet she seems to be drowning in it.

"Being with James...it's not exactly for the faint of heart. But yeah. I love my fiancé, and I know James goes back to his wife when he's not here, and he's completely ruined me."

What is it like to be ruined by a man? you wonder. These women, they are warriors. They are fierce and determined. And this one man can ruin them?

Damn any rules the AP has ever had.

Unless the man is completely hideous, you now have a new purpose for being here.