The Escalating Mission Count

Colonel Cathcart's repeated increases in required combat missions, driving the men to despair.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Initial twenty-five missions

The Original Tour The Standard When Yossarian first arrives, a tour of duty is twenty-five missions. Hungry Joe finishes his first tour and waits to go home. The men believe they will be rotated after completing the required number. Colonel Cathcart Takes Command Colonel Cathcart replaces Colonel Nevers. He immediately raises the missions to thirty to make his group stand out. Hungry Joe unpacks his bags. The pattern begins. The New Normal The men realize that Cathcart will keep raising the number. Yossarian sees that finishing missions only leads to more. The goalposts keep moving.

Raise to forty missions

The First Increase The Announcement Doc Daneeka tells Yossarian that Colonel Cathcart now wants fifty missions. Yossarian has forty-four. He protests but is told to obey. The catch is that he must follow orders even if they contradict higher headquarters. The Effect Morale drops. Men who finished thirty-five are now back on combat status. Hungry Joe's nightmares worsen. Yossarian begins to plot ways to escape. The Pattern This increase sets the precedent. Cathcart will continue to raise the number whenever he feels the need to impress superiors or when men get too close to finishing.

Raise to fifty-five missions

The Second Increase The New Number After the Bologna mission, Cathcart raises the requirement to fifty-five. Yossarian has fifty-one. He goes to Major Major for help, but Major Major says there is nothing he can do. The Trap Yossarian visits ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen, who confirms that Twenty-seventh Air Force only requires forty missions, but Cathcart's order supersedes. Catch-22 applies: he must obey his commanding officer. Desperation Yossarian feels trapped. He considers desertion or murder. Dobbs proposes killing Cathcart, but Yossarian hesitates. The pressure mounts.

Raise to sixty missions

The Third Increase The Announcement After the Avignon mission and Snowden's death, Cathcart raises missions to sixty. The chaplain protests but is brushed off. Yossarian is now more determined than ever to stop flying. The Men's Reaction Many men have finished fifty-five and are waiting to go home. They are forced back into combat. Dobbs becomes frantic and renews his murder plot. Yossarian still refuses. The Chaplain's Attempt The chaplain tries to intervene with Cathcart, but fails. He then goes to Major Major, who also fails. The system seems unassailable.

Raise to sixty-five and seventy

The Tragic Increases Kid Sampson's Death McWatt accidentally kills Kid Sampson with his propeller while buzzing the beach. McWatt then flies into a mountain. Cathcart, upset, raises missions to sixty-five. Doc Daneeka's Death Doc Daneeka is listed as a passenger on McWatt's plane, though he is not aboard. He is declared dead. Cathcart raises missions to seventy. The Absurdity The increases are arbitrary and cruel. The men see that death only leads to more missions. Yossarian's resolve to refuse strengthens.

Raise to eighty missions

The Final Increase Nately's Death Nately is killed in a mid-air collision over Spezia. Cathcart, seeing an opportunity, raises missions to eighty. Milo's scheme to have others fly his missions contributes. The Breaking Point Yossarian has flown seventy-one. He refuses to fly any more. The men are demoralized. Cathcart and Korn realize they must deal with Yossarian or face mutiny. The Deal They offer Yossarian a way out: go home a hero if he cooperates. This is the culmination of the mission-count thread, leading to Yossarian's moral crisis.

Before Colonel Cathcart's arrival

After Yossarian returns from hospital, before Bologna

After Bologna, before Avignon

After Avignon, before Nately's death

After Kid Sampson's death and McWatt's suicide

After Nately's death at Spezia