High Ground - 16

An arrogant marine Col Gordon transferred Gunnery Sgt Ray Crockett back to the front and wouldn’t even listen to him trying to protest that he had an arrangement with two previous commanders for the rest of his three years of service. So, to get his attention he borrowed a rifle from one of his men and shot at Gordon's rear view mirror some 1000 meters away. Gordon put him in the brig for court-martial of attempted murder. Chegwidden assigned Harm to investigate and try and save him if he could. C said that Crockett had been a sniper in Vietnam when C was pinned down in an ambush at night. He heard 18 shots and the next day found 18 dead NVA from Crockets rifle and that he was the best sniper the military ever had. Crockett had refused to let C buy him a drink. Krennick suggested that she accompany H and C told her "he's capable of doing it on his own." In the brig Crockett said that he didn't remember Chegwidden and assured H that he wouldn't be going to court-martial-- he just wanted his deal that he had been promised, he had done enough killing. He caught a fly in his hand which impressed H. Crockett's entire file was redacted so he called K for help. She made a big deal out of helping him and flew to Quantico with Crockett's "real" file including his kill book. H read and learned it all so he could talk to him about his defense. Gordon tried to stack the investigation against Crockett and refused to even listen to H either.

K told H that he had to finish the case by the weekend because he was expected at an "officer's retreat" at Cs beach house on Hilton Head-- and it would be just the two of them! Crockett escaped from the brig, got equipment and took to the hills. Gordon refused to let H go with the helicopter until H backed him down with treats of impeding an investigation. They traced what they thought was Crockett on infrared and found that it was only a staked out wild pig. Crockett got the drop on then and sent them back without their clothes. H was still out there and traced Crockett to his hideout but set off a booby trap flare. He just waited for Crockett to show up and tried to reason with him. Gordon brought another contingent to capture Crockett and the gunny got the drop on them too but just shot a beehive over their heads. H said he'd had enough and tricked Crockett to get the drop on him. Crockett escaped from H and they had to fight until H bested him with a knife. Crockett told H that he should "never let him see him in his scope" and then refused to even let H or Mg see him in the brig. Gordon still wouldn't listen to any reason and took every opportunity to malign JAG, the navy and H. K made a deal on her own with Gordon for: a sanity hearing, loss of benefits, resignation with bad conduct discharge. H gave them the affidavits of the deal that Crockett's former commanders made with him and when Gordon got puffed up again told him that "if Crockett had wanted to kill you, you would be dead!" H had to hold a shooting exhibition or Gordon wouldn’t believe it. K called C to try and help, and he came but only greeted Crockett and said "a fine day for a shooting exhibition." H retraced Gordon's path in the jeep and gunny again shot out the rear-view mirror. Gordon finally gave Crockett back his rank, fined him and honored "the deal." C told Crockett he was going to buy him that drink now and H whispered to Crockett that he still didn't remember C did he? Crockett said that a gunny didn't tell a two star that he didn't remember him. K dismissed Mg until Monday, thinking that she could follow through with her sexual harassment of H but C invited H to have the drink with them.