Tuesday, October 9, 2001

The Measure of Men - 137

Mac (M)and Gunny (G)are still on the Guadalcanal in her self imposed exile. Capt Huddleston disliked marine Major Lasley, who he considered "an arrogant SOB who is incapable of admitting that he is wrong," and ordered M to investigate when a man was killed during a severe-storm training exercise that Lasley refused to cancel. M suggested an article 32 hearing but Huddleston demanded an unusual special court-martial so he wouldn't have to give up control and therefore might be able to force Lasley off his ship. Neither M nor G liked Lasley's pattern of avoiding responsibility. Harm (H) requested the defense because M had ignored his many calls and the assignment would put him back on the same ship. Even though H kept pressing, M kept pushing him away, then said: "Brumby gave up country and navy for me, are you willing to give up Renee?" H danced around stupidly trying to make her commit to a position first, so M, frustrated, said she "was tired of the dance." H finally said "yea, I would giver her up" but by that time M had already stormed out and didn't hear him say it. Without telling H, Lasley hired Larry Kaliski (a civilian attorney who "beat" M previously) to perform his defense. Kaliski wanted H to continue second chair to which H only reluctantly consented. Kaliski threatened H with filing a grievance on him if he didn't act appropriately subservient. He nearly lost the case until H recreated the boats course showing that the accident happened due to inaccurate maps and Huddleston's own insistence on a delay which washed away the marker buoys. M finally got Lasley's XO to admit that others "may have" taken the heat for Lasley in the past. H finally negotiated a settlement with M if Lasley would take the stand and admit his portion of blame; but, he was still too arrogant and refused to do so. He was found guilty of dereliction of duty. M didn't even say goodbye to H when he flew back to JAG.

Chegwidden's (C)teen goddaughter Lisa Rossbach ran away from her aunt and came to his house. She refused to let him call her mother so they could talk. C did call her mother, Merrill, who was deployed as skipper of a ship, and offered to keep Lisa for a week over the holiday's. Lisa pretty much did whatever she wanted and acted rude, childish and demanding to C whenever she didn't get her own way. C, eventually, could only prevent her from going out in the evening to meet an unknown boy by saying that he would follow her everywhere she went. She stormed into her bedroom but then ran away from his house too during the night. Finally her mother had to take leave during deployment to solve her daughters issues.

Sturgis Turner (T)tricked Bud (B)into jogging with him 8 miles to his apartment, ostensibly "for Bs career's sake" and to ameliorate his weight problem and doughnut fetish.

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