Ready or Not - 166

H defended Marine Maj Gen Lucas West (red team) charged with disobeying orders of Army Lt Genl Anthony Manzarek (joint ops leader) when he won a war game that he claimed was "rigged." West used small zodiac boats, troops had shoulder fired missiles and corporate jets were loaded with fuel and TNT and they ran directly at the battle group and disabled it. Manzarek wanted to put a punitive letter in West's record but he refused wanting his day in court. Blue team admiral Tucci whined that he was "killed" unfairly so he had to be "reconstituted" to finish the game. "West," he said, "had targeted their communications which is what the games had been scripted to test." Manzarek claimed he had disobeyed orders to stand down, but West said they had no communications as they were being jammed. Col Haller, West's chief of staff, told harm that they did have an emergency channel to communicate only "real world" emergencies. Turner brought up a previous incident of West's 10 years earlier when his battalion killed a column of Republican Guard who were "retreating" after having fired on West's men, after the cease fire had been called but before he had received the message. Harm found that Manzarek had testified against him back then as well and was angry when West had been cleared. West sent an Email to Oliver North who ranted about it on his radio talk show.

Mac was the judge for this trial and she dogged Hs standard courtroom procedures to the point that he said "I know, sustained" before she had the chance to do it. She let Turner get away with things that she wouldn't allow H. H tried to deal with Turner but he wouldn't. Haller then brought H a copy of West's complete battle plan that he had surreptitiously given to Manzarek 5 months before the game- a spy. He said he had originally been told West was a loose cannon but had now changed his mind. H reamed Manzarek on the stand and made him look like a fool . It was obvious that he had rigged the game to get rid of "an officer which he had branded as corrosive and disruptive." West was found not guilty on all counts. T said he was glad this one was over and H said "you and me both and appeal before this judge would be murder."

Meredith nearly killed C in her car saying she had been to "rally school." During a dinner she admitted to wounding her male high school home economics partner with a knife requiring stitches & loosing his tennis scholarship. He had a great dinner with her and said "I can't believe it." She admitted to having purchased their dinner at a restaurant." C tried, but failed, to confront her about her penchant for danger.

B & Ht had an open-house where C told him that his coming back was up to the doctors. M said the crab cakes looked "dangerous" and H asked her if that was a "ruling or an opinion." B found Manetti in his old office and she called him a "legend around the office" and a "true northern gentleman." He was approved to return to limited duty. Full duty would be determined by the Physical Review Board (85% fail).