Defensive Action - 11

CAG Boone and wingmen Lt's Painter and Entwhistle were over Bosnia trying to "send a Serb Hind helicopter back home" when Painters Tomcat suffered catastrophic failure and blew up. They both ejected but the Hind swung around and CAG saw it strafing the chutes. He took it out. Serbs claimed they were "rendering assistance" and postured to break the "peace accord" so the State Department called for an investigation of Boone. Harm, who had just received cigars from the SECNAV for his promotion to Lt Commander, and Meg went to the Seahawk to investigate. Lindsey had said that State, trying to maintain the peace accord, may put CAG in the middle and sacrifice him in the name of peace; and, without even waiting for Hs report CINCFAIRMED ordered a court-martial. Krennick was assigned by "state" basically to railroad the CAG. DePalma, of the press, had been shooting "B roll" when the Hind came over the hill and exploded so it was shown over and over in the media. He hinted to Mg that there may have been more than was shown and Mg was going to have dinner with him to find out but CAG stood her down for "disgracing her uniform." She stood her ground and H had to tell him just to stay out of their way and let them do their jobs. Entwhistle's body was recovered and Krennick got the coroner to say that there were no bullet holes. H turned it back on him and revealed that there could have been more than one bullet that hit the many portions that weren't recovered; and tricked Krennick to objecting that no one could tell how many rounds the Hind fired that had missed. Deceitful Krennick, wanted to talk alone to CAG and stupid CAG dismissed H. She said State was claiming that the Serbs were "prepping" across the border and that they knew they could "diffuse" it if CAG would resign "for the good of the navy." When he finally spoke to H he said that Krennick wouldn't have talked to him if she wasn't worried.

Painter was in Bosnia, injured, trying to avoid Serb patrols and had lost his beacon radio. He eventually set it off, but De Palma told H that State wasn't going to allow a rescue mission until after the trial because it hadn't "been verified." Again H had to stand the CAG down from going back to the Seahawk to "climb the captains six" for a rescue. H turned case over to Mg - forcefully, as she didn't think she could "handle" the CAG. H ordered an over-flight as a "JAG officer defending a client" & parachuted himself in to rescue Painter. He found that Painter was not injured by bullets but couldn't remember even punching out including the helicopter firing. CAG wanted to speak to the court-martial board but Mg said only lawyers can to it so he fired her. He told the board that he had over11,000 flight hours (900 combat) and knew gunfire when he saw it. The board found him not guilty by 4 to 3 vote. H rescued Painter and brought back a piece of his chute. There were bullet holes in it. CAG said he "knew who the 3 (guilty votes) were" so they could see their faces!