All Ye Faithful - 169

[This was one of the most superbly written episodes, a parody, of the entire JAG saga] The story all happened on the way to a Christmas eve party at the Roberts home. Turner assisted "Mary and Joseph" Tenny, who were evicted from their apartment in a misunderstanding over "drumming." Mary was imminently pregnant and Chegwidden loaned his office to them for comfort while they attempted to resolve the situation. Mary went into labor and C delivered her baby, Jason, in the office secondary to an ambulance failure.

There were three Kuwaiti lawyers on their way to JAG headquarters in a rented car for a site visit that the SECNAV had authorized. Through the show they became lost and finally called C who "talked them in" on phone. He told them "look for the radio tower beacon light" through the fog and they finally arrived, after Mary's baby was born, in full "wise men dress" and being overjoyed, gave gifts: a silver coin, incense and an apartment with a view, from one of their 16 apartment buildings.

Coates came to JAG and Tiner began "sparking" her. He had never been around an infant and brought a stuffed sheep and a swaddling blanket to the baby Jason who was sitting in the firelight in his mothers arms with his father and the Kuwaiti "wise men" standing by. H notified b that he might be late to the party as they were flying a Tomcat home. Co asked Mac "if there was a problem" and she said "only if there is no aspirin." M opened her gift from H which was a photograph of them in Afghanistan- and M said that her present to H was a picture frame of the identical size. Meredith told C that he encouraged pregnancy and labor. She cited: Harriet, Singer, and the lady today- "you're a facilitator" she said.

Bud & Harriet had not been paid in a month and were hurting financially, especially since they needed to buy food for their party that night. They went to see "Scoggins," a scrooge like disbursing officer, who was rude and unhelpful to them. Harriet cursed him with "I hope the ghost of Jacob Marley drags chains on your foot," as she was ill from what they supposed to be food poisoning from five day old Chinese food. B drove her to the ER where a pediatrician took sympathy on them and came, in a Santa costume, to their aid. He informed them that it wasn't food poisoning after all, rather pregnancy. After B & H left his office, the scrooge Scoggins" experienced eerie happenings at work and showed up at the Roberts house, just before guests were to arrive, with food, saving them from needing Big Bs credit card at a restaurant.

H and Boone were on a carrier heading back home, hopefully in time to make the Robert's party. Their ride home broke a tail hook and couldn't land. H found that there was a Tomcat which was supposed to be delivered to the states that evening but he had to bribe the pilots with an introduction to Jennifer Lopez in order to get them to switch with he and Boone. H confessed to Boone that he saw Jennifer Lopez two times a year for many years as his dental hygienist. But the ships CAG was hateful to H saying that the plane H had dumped into the ocean "was my ride" and was "ok when I flew it." Boone told harm "he doesn't like you." At the last minute an unexpected inspection kept all the ships pilots onboard so the CAG allowed them to fly the Tomcat to the states. When H tried to "make nice" with the CAG he told him "I won't allow you to undermine a perfectly valid level of resentment with me" and said he would "yank Hs wings" if he did "anything except go to the assigned destination." They were flying in a storm and were requested to divert in order to assist a "broken" C130 to land in the fog. They couldn't see the C130 through the fog so H wanted to get closer despite the regs. "How many people do you plan to piss off today," Boone asked him. "Everyone but you," H replied. H descended and hit a weather balloon throwing them nearly out of control. They finally met the C130, which they found to be on toys-for-tots run. They "led" the big plane down letting them follow their "red tail lights" to "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer music."

After landing H went to the Vietnam wall with Boone, who had flashbacks of Rabb Sr going down on Xmas eve. M called, worried, and they told her they would be there shortly. They met Lt. "Clarence," a graduate of flight school who had left in an emergency before his "winging" ceremonies in order to help a friend on suicide watch. Winging was normally done by an admiral so H had Admiral Boone do it using Hs wings. Boone asked Clarence was his goals were and was told "to be a Blue Angel" just as a bell rang on a wreath.

FINALLY, all were gathered at the Roberts. Meredith offered to play the piano for them to sing carols and C desperately tried to dissuade her. Everyone was completely surprised that it was a skill which she actually did have. At dinner, Bs toast (holding up his designer crutch) was: "God bless us, every one."

The Killer - 168

Inspector Pietro Gianinni of Interpol requested JAG assistance investigating four serial killings in Italian cities wherever the destroyer USS Gillcrest was in port. Harm was diverted from the Seahawk to Italy and Manetti was sent to meet him because she was the only one in the office who had taken an FBI "profiling" course. She had never actually profiled a case before but was told to follow Hs lead. H walked in on her only wearing a towel in his room (while hers was being cleaned). She hit if off with Gianinni because she spoke Italian from her heritage. With Cmdr Amanda Waller, ships captain, and PO Marshall, they narrowed the suspects down to duty section four, the only one ashore during all four murders. Manetti gave the profile as a young man with female authority figure issues. They uncovered two previously unknown crimes but they both had alibi's. PO Lester Petrosky was with a prostitute who turned out to be a transvestite and got so upset he beat him up. PO Benjamin Holt's initial alibi didn't pan out but H eventually tricked him into admitting that he had raped a girl. Feeling they had failed they saw PO Marshall saying goodbye to his new wife who met him in his port's of call. They then started looking for a dependent of a crew member and the Waller told them of her step son Peter who had been under psychiatric help for anger and violent behavior after his father died. They had to subdue him but found a sailor's uniform in his suitcase.

B was found unfit for full duty by the physical evaluation board so he began conditioning w/ Turner's help while he requested a formal hearing. S was back and rebuffed all attempts at friendship of the staff. Ht obsessed at S's intended abortion and forced herself on S about not having one and advised that pregnancy was "a gift.". Later S came to Ht's house and AJ called her the wicked witch. S asked why she cared. Ht told her "I know what it's like to loose a child." "Sometimes it's not what you do that's hard, it's living with it afterwards." S said goodbye and that she was taking 30 days leave to "sort things out."

When the Bough Breaks - 167

Bud is preparing to return to JAG. He routinely Emails Coats, still aboard the carrier Seahawk with Singer, standing up "for practice." Ht, still worried about B "overdoing it," whined to Meredith about it when she was visiting Chegwidden. So Meredith came up with "sit down" busy work to coerce C into coercing B to do: reading 6 major volumes of work by Shakespeare. C was very concerned not to make B feel like his own choice of reading (comic books, star trek stuff) wasn't "good enough" but Meredith persisted. B was able to rapidly return the books because he said he "already knew the stories." Macbeth was "Dagger of the mind," Tempest was "Requiem for Methuselah" and Hamlet was "conscience of the King" all Star Trek episodes. He said that he was writing a fan fiction story himself for a web magazine based on Richard the Third called "Picard the Third."

Singer had wanted to become indispensable to the Captain by studying continually. "All work and no play makes Lauren a dull girl," Coates told Mac. Her vomiting, "sea sickness," had subsided and she since has been eating ravenously such that she had her uniform let out at the waist. She was watching on the catwalk when an arresting cable snapped killing a Boatswains mate trying to remove some FOD from the deck prior to a Hornet landing. After her heavy handed interviews she wanted to court-martial "all men that had a hand in putting those men in that position," seven in all including the Air Boss, LSO and Pri Fly lens operator. Captain Johnson was astounded and requested a "second opinion" from C. And, after S got light headed on the bridge he ordered her to sick bay, found that she was pregnant and filed conduct charges against her. So C sent H to give the second opinion and M to investigate S.

M talked to many people and couldn't find anyone who even liked her "let alone …." But S refused to give any information about the father except that the incident occurred about 3 1/2 months ago before she came aboard the ship. Her refusal to talk made M suspicious but when she could find absolutely no one who might be the father she had to drop the case. H called Manetti and asked her to "nose around" about S telling her "you'll know what your looking for when you find it." Manetti found that the barman at Benzinger's recognized S as a "tag along" with those JAG people who seemed to not really want her along. He also saw her with a "nondescript, sandy haired man" acting very happy and sitting in the back booth for a long time shortly before she left. Harm thought it was Sergei but didn't say anything to M. On the way back to JAG, H told S that he thought it was Sergei and she said nothing except that she was going to have an abortion.

All the men refused to talk to H about the incident because S had "turned all your witnesses into suspects." S said that her shock at witnessing the death had nothing to do with the report she filed. She thought rules were black and white and didn't understand why the captain wouldn't take her word. H told her that he was sticking to the rules like she always did. When H told the captain that the men's silence spoke to a cover-up and charges being appropriately filed, Johnson became very upset thinking he was "loosing it." He made mistake jumping to conclusion S was guilty and then that his men were innocent so he said he was resigning. After that everyone started to talk to H. He called everyone together in a "show" to convince Johnson not to retire. A Tomcat made a heavy and off center landing but the LSO PO wrote it up as normal. The F18 "Super" Hornet landed but Pri-Fly misdialed for a Hornet, 8,000# lighter. It "added" the equivalent of 15 traps to the wire but it still was within navy guidelines. Chief Kaufenhaus realized excessive run out on prior landing to 184" but reg's don’t call for in depth inspection until 185". Technically ALL were responsible but no ONE person was to blame. He said he was filing an amended report and Johnson asked "who the show was for." H said he shouldn't resign and he replied that he found "arguing with attorneys was rarely a winning proposition." M stayed onboard to replace S for 2 weeks until reaching Norfolk.

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).

Need to Know - 165

[Captivating episode about the submarine USS Angel Shark going down with 129 men aboard during a "compartmentalized mission (black-ops)" in 1968.] Congresswoman "Lillian," who was the daughter of the Angel Shark's captain, told the new SECNAV, Edward, that "she wasn't asking for favors." She had helped him become "what he wanted" now she "expected" him to help her get the classification lifted to provide "closure" for the families. So he authorized C to hold a second board of inquiry into the incident (the published results of the first one being a lie.) C assigned H & M but also Turner, because of his extensive submarine experience, to be court council. Norman Watts, CIA Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) got in a power struggle with the SECNAV and assigned Catherine Gale, touted to be really "tough," to represent them.

As the CIA was the Original Classifying Agent (OCA) Watts had the upper hand and kept blocking inquiry at every angle by claiming that the new hearings were only "level ONE" security cleared and the operations were "level TWO" so no one could reveal anything. H found that even Gale didn't know why the ops were classified so asked her if she was BLINDLY doing her job "how she knew she was doing the right thing." She told him because "I'm doing my job right and that makes it the right thing." H talked to W, thinking they had at least a working relationship after the Kabir capture, and was told that Watts had given him a direct order to "keep out of it" and not even "see" H. Gayle dogged H, M & Ts every move with secrecy level rhetoric trying to intimidate their witnesses into silence. Gale even dogged W for information about how to "rattle" H, M & T. He told her that with H "what you see is what you get, he never quits" and to leave him alone as well.

B, who was recuperating in Harriet's two story home, found a cross reference on the internet that a CIA agent had "committed suicide" two days after the Angel Shark went down. Surmising that he had been a "double agent" T said that the Russians may have had a Victor-class Hunter-killer sub waiting for them. He also knew that if it had been a "cable tapping" mission they would have been in the Sea of Okhotsk- not where the CIA had lied about. The COMSUBPAC admiral, didn't even know the mission, except that the president approved it! The then CNO admiral did know & did want it released but couldn't say anything- except let it slip that they did search for, and found, the ship due to its having released a radio buoy before it went down. H was masterfully unruffled in the hearing and with every avenue closed by Gale finally called Director Watts. It became much more clear that it really was a "pissing" contest between him and SECNAV so H asked for court order that they produce documents. Watts immediately classified even the recovery as "level TWO" to block Hs inquiry and had to admit that it wasn't the level of clearance but the "need to know" that determined who could see information; and, that with those rules he could even keep secrets from the president! W met H at the "wall of stars" in the CIA building representing those CIA agents who had died "anonymously." He said that he had been told by Watts to prevent H from "going to the press." H apparently effectively shamed him because W sneaked H a video tape of the burial at sea of recovered bodies that had been videotaped by the CIA. H surprised Gale with the tape which showed Watts himself to have supervised recovery! That conflict of interest was enough to get Gale to say she'd "talk to Watts about it. H suggested he could keep some of it secret, tell the surviving families, and show them the tape," which was done." The sub collided w/ a Russian sub which was tipped off by a CIA double agent. Immobilized and waiting for rescue they sent up the buoy and radioed but their pressure hull collapsed. They found the ship, secured the wiretapping devices, recovered bodies and videotaped the burial at sea.

Coates Emailed B that Singer had been "sick" continuously since coming on the ship but wouldn't go to the doctor. B struggled w/ rehab & eventually climbed stairs, in the house that Harriet went behind his back to have her daddy buy for them, to the upstairs bedroom where he then had to deal w/ Harriet's aversion to intimacy by saying "I'm not a freak. I just lost a bit of weight, finally." Watts was really pissed at W & reassigned him to Paramaribo, Surinan as deputy chief of station. He told H "it could have been worse, it could have been Canada." Watching the videotape together Webb told Harm "it's better than stars on a wall."

Offensive Action - 164

Commander Beth O'Neil was charged w/ sexual harassment by Lt. Cursey who she had given a poor fitness report. H & Manetti defend but differ in their assessment of O'Neil. Manetti believed she was innocent, H that she was hiding something. Cursey claimed that she had called him into her BOQ in the evening, commented on his girlfriend, and paused before she signed his report. He believed she was waiting for him to offer sexual favors and she wouldn't sign it although she never actually said anything of the kind. He told M "I don't know how to say this w/o being vain but I've been approached by women before, a lot." He never actually warned O'Neil before filing charges. During the case others testified that O'Neil had seemed inappropriate to them referring to male personnel. Lt. Murtaugh wanted to testify that she "danced with him." Lt Cdr Nancy Yorkin said O'Neil asked if she had ever fantasized about sleeping with Cursey. Manetti pursued the answer until Yorkin admitted "yes" but never acted on it- then understood that O'Neil probably never acted either. O'Neil said that she only talked about Cursey costing 14hrs of flying time and missing a Japanese sub by carelessly deploying sonar buoys. She paused to see if he had understood and he just glared back. She said this one was too important to let go.

M asked O'Neil if she had had any sexual encounters in 3 years since her divorce over Hs objections. O'Neil said no and M badgered her until the judge had to back her down. When both Manetti and H said they didn't believe her, O'Neil admitted that she was gay and had probably overcompensated in front of female personnel. M offered another deal to H which he couldn't take. In their discussions he told M that O'Neil was innocent (but of course he couldn't reveal how he knew). M said case was pure and simple; but, H replied that "the truth is rarely pure and never simple, Mac." Manetti gave H a ring from a cigar and explained that when young she would give the ring's from her daddy's cigars to her friends. H asked if she considered him a friend and she said she would "when you learn to trust me." He said that she should learn to trust him- they were both right: O'Neil was innocent and she was hiding something. H showed that Cursey was still making mistakes under his new commander and suggested that "perhaps you are so used to being defined by your looks" that he had overlooked the real story. He asked him if it was possible he had misunderstood and Cursey finally admitted that it was possible. The judge dismissed the charges. T & M argued: T- that Cursey was mistaken, M- that H had snowed Cursey into thinking he was mistaken. M asked "what was she hiding" and both H & Manetti answered at once: "don't ask."

Ht pulls away from intimacy with B. B walks out on Styles in a bar when Styles went to pick up a woman with his prosthetic showing. B apparently seemed to think that Styles wasn't sufficiently ashamed of not being whole. He then started malingering in his rehab. Finally Styles came to confront B with hurting his feelings and B surprised to see that Melissa had actually found Styles interesting.

C sent Meredith flowers and she responded with an embarrassing videotape. H complained to C that Meredith had been leaving messages on his answering machine but C wouldn't give him any suggestions on what to tell her. She cooked fish for C leaving a bone which he choked on. She gave him at least 2 heimlick's and had a fire in the kitchen. Then she forced a back massage on him, called herself a "professional" and broke his rib.

In Thin Air - 163

H investigated the death of Cdr Phil Zuzello by asphyxiation due to LOX (liquid oxygen) system failure. He was the RIO and long time friend of Lt Sam Albrecht. When H said that "things didn't add up" Albrecht said that Zuzello had "barely passed his O2 demonstration" and it was his last mission. Then a Sr Chief told H to "look at" PO Moritz, the plane captain, who had been fouling up a lot recently. Moritz admitted that he had used graphite to get the LOX bottle to attach to the plane because it always stuck but didn't get any in the fitting. Apparently H didn't believe him because he recommended charging Moritz when tests revealed graphite in the LOX system.

M was sent for a JAG consult to the widow who eventually had to decide to "pull the plug" which raised the charge to negligent homicide. Then C assigned H to defend Moritz over Hs vehement objections- but was told that Moritz had specifically requested him on the recommendation of one of Hs previous clients. But H didn't do a very thorough job of defense and Moritz finally requested that C appoint someone else. C "severed" H and gave the case to Turner. When H pointed out that he had been forced into the assignment in the first place C informed H that the assignment had been "a test" to see if he could be impartial and trusted for judgeship. T took over and recalled witnesses and did the thorough job that H should have done. He saw M & H talk about the case despite being severed & when M used "aviator talk" in court he claimed misconduct. T & H traded sarcasms when C talked to them about it. H said that he believed that Moritz should have to take the whole blame and would like to prove it. C asked if "this involves a trip to a carrier" then told H "not to press his luck" while he waits for the judges ruling on Ts charge. H convinced Albrecht to replicate the flight looking for a roll-sas failure and "wing rock" but uncovered that Albrecht had vertigo which nearly killed them both. Zuzello had told his wife that he had had "a close call" before he died.

M, seeking the truth, helped T discover that Albrecht had been using his backup O2 for 4 minutes before he reported the oxygen failure and began a slow descent and had also been a LOX tech before becoming a pilot. He had killed Zuzello to prevent him from reporting Albrecht's problem. Moritz apologized and thanked H for what he had done. T heard it and asked if H would be "as easy on him." H said he would if T bought him a drink.

Ht manipulated & interfered w/ B behind his back. She said she would take him to rehab and he said he had a week off. Then she called the doctor behind his back to find that he had "overworked" his good leg and then indignantly accused B of lying to her. She told Tiner to stop sending a list of cases to B then to lie and say that it had been Cs new policy and C was out of the office. B found out & finally blew up at her over-protection. She claimed that all her manipulation was done "for him" prompting B to finally tell her "well it's MY life, so leave the DOING to me." B & Ht visited JAG bringing pizza.

Dangerous Game - 162

Harriet & B pulled up in front of their new two story house that daddy bought behind Bs back; in their new SUV that Ht pressured B to let daddy help them buy; into the den with a big screen TV that daddy bought and a piano that mommy thought would be good for AJs music lessons. She babied B until he complained to Coats by Email. Coats said Singer had thrown up every day since coming on board. AJ brought wine, Tiner Star Trek DVDs, Turner a submarine book, H an Enterprise CD and M a Seahawk model.

The SECNAV was "fired" and replaced by Sen. Sheffield who had been his accuser in previous hearings (blue screen footage w/ pres Bush in oval office for swearing in). SECNAV Sheffield forced C to bring a "friend" into JAG- LT Cdr Tracy Manetti who's tobacco farmer father had contributed substantially to his election. She and her 3 brothers are all lawyers. When Sheffield showed familiarity w/ Manetti, she told C that she wasn't part of SECNAVs agenda and didn't expect special treatment. C told her "you won't be disappointed."

SEAL Lt Brad Reynolds & PO Pittman were on a training mission in the community of Somerville when Deputy Ray Gault clocked them speeding. He got instructions from his sheriff, who was watching smoky & the bandit, to give chase and was killed in rollover. Reynolds knew he wasn't speeding and thought the pull over was part of the exercise, like a previous time, and didn't stop. Manetti wanted to increase the charge to reckless endangerment from negligent homicide. When M called Reynolds arrogant he said "confident" because he "made myself that way." OP orders were to obey civil authorities. The 'Old boy sheriff, dishonest, arrogant claimed he didn't receive either the fax or telephone call notifying him of the training mission. H & Manetti showed that Reynolds had been involved in a bar altercation 10 days previously and had threatened the deputy. M told T that they wouldn't do any re-direct because "how can you patch the Titanic." They found that it was the sheriff who had instigated the bar incident by shaming Gault in front of the SEALs that he had washed out. They found that the sheriff had lied and did receive fax. Also that another deputy had called the sheriff in the office twice: both before and 5 minutes after the SEAL office had made their direct phone call notification. phone log show sheriff was in office. The radar gun was miscalibrated 10 MPH fast. They intimated that the states attorney would have questions with the sheriff when they were through. Reynolds took a plea so he could stay in navy. Turner told H that Reynolds had volunteered to take a "career hit" because he felt he should be "held to a higher standard as a SEAL."

Meredith coerced C to coerce H to take her flying. H asked it "it was an order" but then was shamed to agreeing to "gas up Sarah." C thought Hs plane was named after M but it was named after his grandmother. Like the scatterbrained, buffoon she is, Meredith pushed the stick into a power-dive and was oblivious to the ground and Hs shouting "let go of the stick." Then smashed into the rudder looking over the side and was oblivious to the plane flipping over and Hs shouting "get off the rudder." She offered to "help" H land and was oblivious to his emphatic "NO" then told C that she "couldn't wait until the next 'lesson'."

Family Business - 161

Singer was shipping out. Everyone was extremely polite, had a party, but were gone so fast with excuses she couldn’t even finish her "goodbye and thanks for the party" speech. M told H that the reason she was happy was because of her dream of "seeing S on television 'standing on the Seahawk.'" T told her that he had two presents: one- he wouldn't tell about her being Jewish lie as long as she acted the part and as far as he was concerned she was Jewish; and two- he gave her a Mezuzah that she was supposed to put up on "the doorway of her quarters."

DNA testing was inconclusive so Sergei didn't get citizenship. He told H that he was lonely most of the time and that he had decided to go back to Russia. H had tried to warn him about Singer to which he "blew up" claiming H was trying to overprotect him. S charmed Sergei who told H that she was "Russian in spirit, and deeper than he realized." When H was a bit late to take him to the airport Sergei ended up calling S who gave him ride. Sergei told H that "I will miss you and that is all you need to know."

The Pres accepted the SECNAVs resignation. Cpl Shawn Stiles (amputee) was dogging B in rehab where B was "giving up." Mk had to shame BB into visiting B. B whined at Stiles [at least you've got your fathers support]. B finally recognized the folly of his ways after H talked to him. He went down to rehab by himself and fell while trying to walk on the bars but was caught by Mk and BB who had finally come to visit.

H defended Gunny Sgt Akers on a murder charge for shooting his wife. M prosecuted and refused to talk about a settlement and went for "premeditation." Akers claimed "self defense" as his wife was an alcoholic who had "abused" him before. Akers also refused to let H talk to his 10 y/o son Tommy & said that he had not reported either his own previous broken arm and scalding by his wife or her abuse of Tommy because he considered it "family business." When M revealed that Akers had been previously charged with "assault" of his wife H blew up at Akers stating that "the death penalty just came into play." Because he knew Akers was lying to him H discussed the case w/ B. During the discussion he realized that Tommy had shot his mother and his father was covering up for him. H told B "there is a God" cause "he only took your leg not your head." H then found that Tommy had a knife wound on his back where he was attacked by his drunken mother. Tommy fled and tried to hold her back with an (unregistered) gun from a drawer but when she came at him he shot her. Akers told Tommy that she was just wounded and he would try to calm her down. Then wiping Tommy's fingerprints off the gun he stabbed himself to make it look like self-defense and shot her in the shoulder to make it look like Tommy was the one who only wounded her. When finally confronted with all of this he claimed he was trying not to have Tommy go through life knowing that he'd killed his mother. He was found "not guilty" but the judge told him he hadn't acted worthy of a marine.

The Promised Land - 160

B came home in a wheelchair as was met at the airport by C, T, M, H, Mk, Ht, aj (No BB). C came to the hospital and tried to give him a purple heart but he wouldn't receive it. B refused rehab while Harriet was there ostensibly because he didn't want her to see his stump. Harriet wasn't talking to B about his injury ostensibly because she "was being supportive." After C confronted Ht she and B began talking about him loosing his leg. Finally she demanded to pin the Purple Heart on him and he demanded to stand up to receive it. BB made excuses and refused to visit B. B finally called him and said "I love you" to which BB didn't respond.

Chegwidden began dating Meredith Cavanaugh who, besides being a Shakespearian scholar and college professor played a complete fool. She brought him food "thinking she could cook" but it tasted foul; she made a fool of herself by taking over the piano players microphone in a fancy restaurant (NO karaoke bar) and wailed apparently oblivious to the winces of the patrons. She did give C insight about how to handle his sensed resentment from Harriet. C described her to H as "the brightest most perceptive woman he's met. There's nothing that doesn't interest her and nothing that she's afraid of trying. Her capacity for expanding herself is becoming an issue. She is remarkably unskilled but doesn't know it. She has no sense of her own limitations - and she wants H to teach her to fly!" C asked Ht point blank "Do you resent me?" Harriet didn't answer. When he asked "do you hold me responsible?" she said "Yes." Then she said that "if Bud had to choose between his leg and having you in his life HE would choose Cs leadership."

H & M together defended an deserter cpl Peter Mars who was found fighting in the Israeli army after: becoming Jewish; being rejected by his mother & his Jewish fiancé; and being relieved as fire team leader after breaking cpl Fogal's nose when Fogal threatened w/ him with circumcision. The (I'm better at obeying orders than you) T prosecuted along with S as co-council. S "shut H up" by claiming to be Jewish herself and never feeling "put upon" in the service enough to desert." When T questioned her about her "hiding" her religion she lied even deeper. Mars was found guilty but received a light sentence. During the case T asked the jury: "what is ultimately the moment of truth? It is the intersection of what you want for yourself and what is expected of you."

C told S of her new assignment to the Seahawk to replace Bud. T told S that "it saved him from requesting to never be partnered with her again" & he's "considering revealing her lie" (he had checked her service record and revealed her lies). S asked what she could do. "Anyone else but you I'd tell to pray."

Critical Condition - 159

[Continued from last season] B in critical condition from an accident with a land mine where he lost his leg. Coats saved him w/ a tourniquet and by forcing immediate transport to a field hospital rather than waiting for paramedics to arrive. Dunston of ZNN reported. C notified Ht and sent her home w/ Tiner. He also got Mikey back from the academy to stay with Ht. Big B nowhere to be found. Surgeon Ferarro amputated below the knee but B continued to deteriorate and they had to go back to remove more non-viable tissue. On the table he "crashed" and they found that he also had a ruptured spleen as well. They tried resuscitation but failed and pronounced him dead at 21:04. Just at the same time back in Bethesda little AJ stopped playing with uncle Mike and went to stand in the corner. The camera cut back and forth between a zoom into Bs eye and AJ. Then AJ called out "daddy" and said "daddy come home." At the same time Ferraro was telling Coates that B had died B "jump started" himself back to life and the resuscitation resumed. They finished his surgery and reported to M & H that he was stable and had a good prognosis. [Highly accurate representation of cardiac arrest management.] H seen w/ tears in eyes when notified that B had rallied and would survive; M snuggled with him in the corridor. [Patrick Labyorteaux still has both legs]

T flew into the Seahawk from the Watertown where he had helped route Kabir and the "dirty nuke" missile he shot from a Russian sub. When they all three heard about B they called C who said that only one of them could stay- as his temporary replacement. T volunteered to return but neither H or M could decide who should stay so they both did. C was "pissed" and told Tiner to draw up willful disobedience papers. When T asked who for, then pointed out that only one was technically disobeying orders, C told him to use his law school knowledge and decide who to charge. T pointed out to C that Tiner would never be able to decide and C just grinned. C, H, M & Mikey have flash backs about episodes with B and all feel "guilty" about him being there.

Sen. Sheffield held hearings on the nuclear missile firing incident and C & S were called to testify. S was criticized for being at the "point" of the operation and having "no prior experience." C was criticized for being the lead of the operation whose "skills are rusty at best." He was asked under whose orders he was at the lead and he replied "the SECNAV." Then the director of the CIA was called and whined that the SECNAV intentionally excluded the CIA from "the loop" except for one field agent who "instigated the contact." He claimed that the SECNAV also intentionally kept the Naval Intel out because they would have told the CIA. The SECNAV was flabbergasted at the accusations to no avail and C turned to S saying "you've just watched a SECNAV loose his job."

Enemy Below - 158

[The season Finale - the resolution to a sub-plot covering several episodes; and, a cliff hanger involving Bud] JAG was "on point" in a nuclear crisis with Chegwidden, Singer and Turner taking the lead, per the SECNAVs instructions. Vice Adm Holt was in charge of the operation. Mustafa Atef's (a terrorist who was tried, found guilty and committed suicide) brother Kabir was found recruiting Capt Mikael Yerastov (Russian submariner) for an Iranian mission. Webb bugged Ahmad Hakim's Pakistani Embassy office with a cigar box then Baited him with information that the US knew he was a double agent with the Iranians, and that they also knew of their $250 million payment for the submarine Najvayi. He also said that they knew it had been retrofitted for ss-25 cruise missiles. In a play on "Hunt for red October" Yerastov was the only commander to have ever eluded the US boats who were trailing her; AND, fortunately Turner was the only sonar operator who had never lost Yerastov! So Turner was sent to the Seahawk battle group's submarine, the Watertown, to assist captain Flagler and act as the "wildcard" that Yerastov didn't expect. Yerastov, T said, had made a study of Flagler, knew what he would do and would capitalize on that knowledge. When Flagler tried to argue with him over a next step, T told him "I am Alec Baldwin."

Harm and Mac were still investigating the nuclear weapons disappearance in Afghanistan and found a truck driver with radiation poisoning which lead to his town where many Chechen's were also dying. They deduced that a previous episodes' Cmdr Aiken had been killed by a Chechen, who's confession then led to the recapture of 30 kilos weapons grade uranium bound from Russia. But they realize that they may not have recaptured it all.

Bud was assigned by Capt Johnson to redo the rules of engagement for submarines. Bud presented his plan for a "rolling sovereignty" (Cordone Sanitare) around the battle group with authorization to shoot if any ship entered into it. It was accepted through JAG, 5th fleet, CENTCOM, SECDEF and the Joint Chief's! (all in one episode!) The Seahawk set the perimeter initially at 10 miles but when JAG people started piecing all the puzzle together and they realized it was armed with a missile, the captain extended it. T deduced that the Najvayi was heading for the Arabian gulf and began trailing it. Flagler initially didn't follow Ts advice and nearly got them killed.

Harm was then announced as the all time "missile X" champ (shooting down missiles using a jet) so he went up as "wing" with Lt Cdr Chaidez. The Watertown did finally torpedo the Najvayi; but, it was just after it shot its cruise with the "dirty nuke." The Russian men on the Najvayi were dying of radiation sickness because the missile wasn't shielded. Chaidez didn't get the target until it was too close to the Watertown to take the shot, so Harm let the missile target onto his own jet and chase him past the ship until it flamed out!

To make it a cliff hanger Bud and Coates investigated the collateral damage to a school of a military operation and got the navy to rebuild it. When they went together to the ribbon cutting ceremony B saw a boy playing in the mine field and tried to save him. He was shown getting blown up and severing his right leg as the episode closed.

In Country - 157

[A follow-up to the previous stories where nuclear material was stolen from Russia, a Russian submarine captain was recruited by Kabir, and Kabir's brother committed suicide after being tried for terrorism by Harm and Mac - with Chegwidden defending.] Gunny is in Afghanistan working black ops with Clayton Webb trying to find Kabir and accidentally called in a strike against a civilian vehicle. The family was to have been warned to stay home by Gunny's eight month native friend, Fareeza, who was documenting Afghan genealogy, so they didn't suspect anyone but Kabir would be on the road. The SecNav sent Harm and Mac back to Afghanistan to "keep a watch for the navy's interests." They elicited Gunny's help to keep tabs on Webb. A local warlord and informant, Zumai Fureeq, tried to get Webb to take out his competition by giving false location of Kabir; but, Webb realized it and didn't follow through with the payment. H & M found that the village had not been warned by Fareeza, then found a young boy who recognized her picture as being with a "man with one brown and one blue eye," Kabir. Going back to camp M swerved to miss a goat and hit a land mine with their HumVee's tires throwing H out of the vehicle into a mine field. On the way back he stepped on a mine which would detonate when he lifted his foot. M slid an ammo box over it so H could stand on it then jump to safety. They needed to hike back to camp and ended up "sharing body heat" sleeping under the stars on a bluff overlooking a small group of huts - which would be hit later that night by a strike called in by Webb. Back at JAG headquarters Singer appeared to Harriet to be gloating over H & M being missing so called her a "coward" and suggested they "remove their bars." Harriet took her into closed office and decked her. Later Singer told Chegwidden that she had walked into door and that she would "respond, but not in a way that the admiral needed to be concerned about."

Bud and Coates, on board the carrier, sparred with Dale Woodley, a CIA agent who was using inappropriate tactics in interrogation. Woodley stormed out telling B that "this one is all yours." B was able to get the location of Kabir's camp from the US trained, captive terrorist by talking star trek. Webb called in the massive strike and wouldn't listen to Gunny who tried to get him to change it into a rescue mission (of Fareeza)… so gunny decked him to get his attention. Finally Webb listened but couldn't get the strike changed. Webb told Gunny of a woman he knew in South America before an uprising, intending to commiserate with Gunny but claimed what happened to her was "classified." Bud was shown advising the captain and legally "approving" the strike which nearly took out H & M, who were sleeping on the bluff. The next day H & M were found walking down the road and taken to the village where W and G were helping sift through the body's and Commander Teresa Coulter was helping with forensics. They pulled Fareeza from the rubble and before she died she said that she had run into Kabir at the first house she went to warn but he had convinced the family that she was actually a CIA agent and they needed to flee in the same direction he was going. Of course they were the ones who were killed by Gunny's attack and Kabir escaped. Webb quoted the words: Nuestro amor de es el nino del padre (our love is the child of a cruel father), to the grieving Gunny. A few of the dead also had "radiation poisoning" and one of the huts was still "hot." They found a severed finger with a ring inscribed to Kabir and initially thought he was dead; but, Coulter discovered that it had been cut off and not blown off. At the end Kabir was shown waving goodbye to a truck with a bandaged hand.

Defending His Honor - 156

[Interesting story, tantalizing back-story about Webb and Terrorists, annoying soapbox opera between Bud and Harriet] The substitute ranking officer, Singer, welcomed Chegwidden back from his absence with a list of her "make work" accomplishments which made Harriet tell him that everyone is "extremely" grateful that he was back. Singer then, intentionally fomented discord between them by telling Harriet about Coates being on the ship with Bud -- and B about Hts buying a new house; neither of who had told the other. Singer's intent was that she might get Bs billet if he decided to come home. Turner volunteered to 2nd chair Mac against Harm's defense of Judge, Capt Seibring (Sb), for the involuntary manslaughter of Jennifer Wilson's baby, Ruby, during some of his "road rage." Sb refused to plea bargain with M on his principles saying that he didn't do it. Chegwidden testified that Sb had the patience of a saint so M went after a time when Sb's son had run away from drug rehab and Sb used "tough love" by throwing him out of the house. Sb told H to "drop it" when H tried to explain it away in redirect. Then, when H went ahead anyway, Judge Helfman had to gavel Sb down when he "lost it." A disgruntled nurse, Fran Masters, came forward to give M an answering machine tape where she was chastised by Sb after she had left her job at his house early, leaving his seriously ill wife alone. He had fired Masters. Although M told H that the plea bargain was still on the table but H declined and went to see Nora Moran, a close friend of Wilson. She gave H information that Wilson had seen a doctor for depression. H re-cross examined Wilson who lied about not being depressed, then that the anti-depressant pills were from "after" the accident, then that the pharmacist had mistakenly identified her, then that the lab had mixed up her post accident blood test with someone else. H skillfully pushed her not only into the lies but breaking down and confessing that she had decided to commit suicide and take the baby with her. She had intentionally run off the road herself. The charges were dismissed.

H connected Webb with Alexi (of the KGB who had helped prevent the assassination of Putin with him) when Webb wanted to track Kabir Atef. Captain Mikael Yerastov was seen accepting a gift from Kabir aboard his ship in Murmansk by another captain who had been approached earlier to help in an action against the US. Yerastov was described as a legend, the last cold warrior, who taught strategy and tactics at the Kuznetsov Naval Academy. When they went to find Yerastov they found that they he had disappeared. Later Kabir and Yerastov were shown in a convoy of three jeeps on the border of Iran and Afghanistan. Kabir gave Yerastov a satchel of money and left the jeeps saying that he would meet Yerastov in Bander Abbas. Kabir is a blue and brown eyed Iranian.

Tribunal - 155

A very rare military tribunal was held aboard the USS Seahawk, of Mustafa Atef (MA), an al Qaeda leader. Chegwidden didn't get anyone to volunteer to be defense counsel, so he did it himself; then, Turner volunteered to be his his 2nd chair. A disagreement over who was 1st chair for the defense was settled with a coin toss. Mac chose "tails" and became 2nd to H. Capt Sebring presided with 6 others. MAs Involuntary confession was obtained by Webb during psychological duress and was not allowed. A local warlord, Gen. Hassan Abdullah, was leading a detention camp of Taliban and al Qaeda captives. He tipped off army Cpt Dale Alexander, who captured MA, but first running into a lone sniper. T had to bodily stop C from choking MA after MA had said that those who died in 9/11 "got what they deserved." W and M went to the detention camp to see if MAs brother, Kabir, the sniper, was there. Mac was taken hostage at knifepoint by the detainees and was saved by the Gunny (who was also there at the camp) and W. H played on MAs vanity during the trial and he arrogantly testified, admitting to being "the Mohandes" who had trained men and planned 9/11. He was convicted but committed suicide in his cell before he could give info about Kabir or the future al Qaeda attack involving russia and payment of $250 million.

Singer was left in charge during Cs absence and abused Harriet with work until she finally told S that: leadership "is not a power trip". Our stripes "give us authority, but it's what's inside which makes us a leader and you would know that if you had it!"

Port Chicago - 154

Turner defended retired Chief Aubrey McBride who was charged, along with 49 others, with mutiny when they refused to go back to loading ammunition during WWII after 320 men were killed in an explosion at Port Chicago. The chief, a black man pensioned after 30 yrs of service, said he "owed his buddy Randall Winston" who had just died; so, he demanded "his day in court." He said that it had been a racial issue. C assigned Singer to prosecute; but, when she became hatefully vindictive he assigned Mac to 2nd chair in order to "tone her down." M said that she'd "rather have the electric chair." When the SECNAV was convinced that it would look bad on him he offered the chief a deal. The chief turned down the offer of: an apology to all the men, that racial prejudice had influenced assignments, conditions had been hazardous and discriminatory, a presidential pardon for 50, and congressional exoneration. So, S widened the charges. H advised T, who was defending Aubrey, to make S deal with the racial conditions. He got his father, Chaplain Turner, to testify. The "secret meeting" that was observed being held by the black men in the brig, was to get the men to OBEY their orders. The men had asked for safety changes but they only recieved GLOVES! The Chief was found not guilty on all counts.

H tried to fix Harriet's refrigerator, then she begged him to help her buy a house. He agreed on the condition that she told B that she was accepting her fathers money for the house. She lied to H and didn't tell B. B was also not telling Ht about Co being his legal man.

First Casualty - 153

Reporter Stuart Dunston was involved in an ambush when he was "tag along" with a SEAL team who were after Mustafa Atef, an Al Qaeda leader, and sustained both military and civilian casualties. Harm eventually found that Dunston had had made a satellite phone call (with GPS coordinates) before the ambush despite being told not to. The SECNAV reamed H and Mac for "harassing" the press. He overturned the field commanders negative decision and allowed Dunston to go on the missioin. "Title 10, Article 802" allowed Dunston to be court-martialed with president (GW Bush) as the convening authority. [The show cited previous cases of the press compromising military efforts and being court martialled; however, neither Lincoln or Gen Andrew Jackson actually had completed the prosecution.)

Turner vehemently argued with H and defended Dunston. The SECNAV testified that he was guilty for not listening to the field commanders. It was shown that Dunstons GPS electronics couldn't have been the give-away; but, M overheard Dunston's assistant speaking Farsi the she lied about it when confronted. The assistant had tipped off her Al Qaeda cousin in Pakistan after Dunston had called in his report to her. Dunston then plead guilty and apologized. T admitted that he was wrong; H admitted being wrong; and M said "I wasn't wrong about anything." Bud is on the USS Seahawk and is keeping secret about PO Jennifer Coates being his "legal-man." Singer is still snotty and jealous of him and continued pressing C for an overseas assignment.

Hero Worship - 152

[a well crafted episode] The SECNAV ordered Chegwidden to send Harm and Mac to investigate the captain of the old destroyer, USS John Cooper, for a "lack of leadership" under the guise of investigating a galley fire. Seaman Tim Holley of sick bay, a 4th generation "squid," was trying to live up to his fathers accomplishments and saved seaman Todd Raff's life from a fire. Raff admitted to smoking in the galley. M reccommended an article 32 but the captain wanted to handle it merely with a captain's mast. Adm Albrecht, of SURFLANT, wanted "to send message to the captain" so took authority himself and ordered the article 32 hearing. H eventually showed that a sparking electrical short could have caused the fire. M, the prosecutor, said that "Albrecht wanted Raff out to teach the captain a lesson." H then found an Oxygen tank leak from sickbay had acted as an accelerant causing flash over. Raff wouldn't let H use it however, out of loyalty to Holley's career. So he was sent to court-martial. H told M that it was out of the "price of Loyalty."

C consulted with Carl Messing, a White House aide, in producing a white house dinner honoring all the surviving medal of honor recipients. One hero, Cpl. Henry Guernsey was excluded by the white house Chief of Staff because he had a pending court date for shoplifting. C went to meet Guernsey and found that he was over 80, confused and barely coping since his wife had died. Guernsey had held off 400 Japanese with 2 boxes of hand grenades, saving his platoon. Meredith forced C into a picnic on a lawn and made terrible tasting food, but gave C insight into helping Guernsey himself. C connected Guernsey with an organization to obtain a roommate, got him a uniform and arranged an alternative party specifically for him with his old 2nd platoon. C told Messing that "undervaluing their contribution because he's imperfect makes us look petty and thoughtless." The only persons so described were the president's COS and Adm Albrecht who both "got their own ways" but never found out just how petty they were. B was exonerated from his dereliction charges but C told him it was "not your finest hour." B & Harriet were trying to decide upon a next duty station to use his "second chance" to further his career.

Exculpatory Evidence - 151

[Continued from previous episode] Capt Proudy, Pax River commander, set aside Massuco's conviction due to Bud's "dereliction of duty." Turner investigated and recommended that Chegwidden hold an article 32 hearing on B. Harm defended, and was angry at T who wouldn't make an offer commensurate with alleged wrong doing. C suggested to B that "you find the same confidence in yourself and your ability as an attorney as I do." Mac was called to testify that Buds falling asleep, missing a filing deadline and not contacting a defense witness, Sandra Connor, was not up to standards. H got Connor to admit having an affair with Massuco; then, that Massuco had taken the exculpatory cover letter from Singers packet himself because he thought that all the other evidence was circumstantial and doing so would save his shakey marriage. So B was not court-martialed.

Sergei Zhukov was upset that Hs mother "wanted time" to think about giving Hs father's Vietnam letters to the immigration departe in order to prove his paternity which allow him citizenship. B asked Mac to "join the team" to stop H & M from fighting. C found that T, Leatham and H were setting him up with dates and told them off. C sent Meredith Cavanaugh home, incorrectly thinking that Mac was "puerile" too. C offered his "sincere apologies" to Meredith who retorted "what would an insincere apology look like." They quoted Shakespeare to each other and the episode ended with them staring at each other.

The Mission - 150

Harm & Mac were sent to the Seahawk to stop JAGs (Lt Cdr Jack Hillyard in particular) from preventing the prosecution of war by demanding 100% certainty of targets. When he got there H was asked by Capt. Johnson to fly missions with the ships' pilots to help refine the rules of engagement. H told M he was glad that she was there w/ him. In one mission H became flight leader due to mechanical problems which upset the "real" leader. Gen Taylor (anvil 22) assigned a target. The ground spotter refined the target to an old school where suspected senior Al Qaeda & Taliban leaders were located. M, acting as the JAG advisor, asked if there were buildings which would be collaterally damaged. The spotter said there were but it was night and he believed that it was unlikely that any civilians were there. M advised they might "prosecute the target" which surprised the AWACs crew who were used to prolonged deliberation and questioning. H took the target out & managed to avoid a stinger shot from the shoulder of a terrorist but he sustained damage to one engine which he needed to shut down. Then, when he tried to refuel, he didn't have enough power to stay attached to the tanker so he couldn't take on much fuel. He had to land w/ one weak engine and, despite paddles shouting "eject, eject," he didn't eject; and had just enough power at last second to land. When the Capt. asked Hillyard if he saw how it was done, Hillyard said that he would have requested more information. Johnson told him that "he may be a good attorney but you make a lousy wartime JAG" and said he was going to relieve him from duties.

Turner was assigned TAD to Latham as "someone I can trust" during budget hearings. They ended up talking about themselves and T said that he was in the navy due to his father. He said he had no regrets- he played in an army navy game and even saw the northern lights from a sub conning tower at the north pole. L was raised by her mother & 2 aunts. They were poor. L was worried about what she would say in the hearings so T prepared statements for her which he said were: "so obscure in wording they would sow confusion & dismay amongst enemies." L browbeat T into kissing her. Tiner was shown having passed his exams for PO 1st class.

Chegwidden offered Bud the option of overseas shore duty or aboard a ship for his career advancement and he didn't act too enthused. B & Ht discussed his reassignment then Ht told C she was ok w/ it but that it was B who was a bit reluctant for change. C told her that he had been helping coach high school baseball team for some time. He said he had been a pitcher and was drafted 2nd round by Cleveland but turned it down for an Annapolis appointment then the SEALs. He said he had never looked back - till now. S eavesdropped on B telling Ht about Cs offer and was so blindingly jealous that she demanded Tiner give her an audience w/ C. She told C she had heard the news from B (as they were very "tight") but that she was "a better lawyer than B." C did put her in her place: "you have a lot to prove to me as a lawyer & as a person" but as she was leaving he called after her "you'll get your chance." B was defending, and S prosecuting, PO Jeff Massuco for hit & run driving. She immediately told B she was going to "kick his ass" in the trial and proceeded to buried him w/ frivolous paper work. She opposed every request for witnesses, funds, and then even a continuance, so B could answer all her paperwork. B was portrayed as hapless and became sleep deprived simultaneously caring for little AJs flu to the neglect of his case. Then S buried an important witness in the middle of a list of 28 names and B fell asleep in court! Massuco was found guilty, no surprise. Then his convening authority got new evidence & believed that Bs defense was incompetent. C authorized inquiry into his defense as preliminary to article 32 hearings… [episode to be continued].

Head to Toe - 149

H & M in Saudi Arabia defending a "Condor" pilot, Lt Stephanie Donato, for disobeying DOD & her base commander's orders; namely: not wearing an abeya with a veil and driving herself (i.e. in front seat) in an automobile with a male escort. She was told that the Abeya and veil rule "would be reconsidered" when she was assigned to fly food drops. It wasn't, so she complained to her CO and eventually wrote 8 letters and openly petitioned the Secretary of Defense. A security guard caught her in the restaurant and ordered her into an abeya and into the back seat of his vehicle. She disobeyed hence the court-martial. Throughout the episode H & M several times worked out compromises with prosecutor Lt Col Sara Coffey; however, her temper & tongue dug her in deeper. She apologized to a Muslim cleric who was "offended" by seeing her in the restaurant. When he started to pontificate about American women "not thinking" she told him that "a man who doesn't treat females any better than camels in his garage doesn't deserve to be in their company."

Really trying to avoid publicity Coffey kept offering to "deal." She asked H & M to meet her in town where she was participating in a meeting. M had to wear an abeya and veil and was shown being knocked into by Saudi men who treated her as if she wasn't there. She finally tore it off and said that they "wouldn't deal." Harm finally got her to explain that "it diminishes a woman's ability to be taken seriously." Additionally Donato was determined to publicize the issue but they were loosing. While flying a mission Donato had to emergency land in the desert due to engine failure. When, instead of trying to help, a local policeman tried to embarrass her and force an abeya on her she elbowed him in the gut. Then the men in her unit joined her crusade stating that "The Saudi's instead of offering help tried to humiliate her" and that the regs were "inconsistent w/ rules of good order & discipline & erode unit cohesion." No one needs to salute a female officer in an abeya if they don't know what rank she was. The final finding was that she did disobey orders but with extenuating circumstances so no court-martial. Gen Sawyer said unless she disbanded crusade he would ground her. Coffey answered the press for Donato: "DOD must realize that short term solutions cause long term problems"; and that we "look forward to the day when not one member of armed forces will be forced to suffer disrespect as a price for victory."

Leatham told H that she wanted to be kept "in loop" on the women's issue. C counseled T to "have some fun." So T took Leatham on a date to an Afghan restaurant where she didn't like either the food or sitting on the floor. She then suggested that they go to a Salsa club which he didn't like. B & Ht arrived late at the restaurant w/o reservations due to babysitter problems & joined their "not talking to each other" first date. T apologized to B & Ht for putting them in the middle and Ht counseled him to "try again." He did, and convinced Leatham to meet him at a "neutral place" to try again and took her to baby-sit little AJ to give B & Ht another chance at a date.

Odd Man Out - 148

Harm (H)defended corpsman Terrance Shaw for the premeditated murder of Cpl Mark Duquette which was prosecuted by Mac (M). Bud (B) was called to be on the jury. The evidence was all circumstantial but pointed to Shaw's guilt. M had a "watch cap" excluded from evidence, which B saw and interpreted as "reasonable doubt." Everyone on the jury felt Shaw was guilty and only B thought "not guilty." Over many hours of debate and evidence reconstruction, B convinced everyone else of the reasonable doubt. Then B was surprised when H wouldn't shake hands with Shaw after the verdict. H then told B that he really "didn't want to win." Then M & B tracked down more evidence against Shaw and they will attempt a retrial in civilian court.

Turner (T) was sent TAD to the submarine base New London. PO Derick Newton's wife Ellen had served him divorce papers a couple days before deployment. The Captain wouldn't let Newton go home, so T talked with Newton's wife; but, was unsuccessful. So T took Newton's place at work so Newton and several "navy wives" could go to where his wife worked and talk to her. She did finally relent and withdrew the divorce after he promised that they would have a baby when he got back so that during his next deployment she wouldn't be so alone.

Serge's application for citizenship was denied lacking proof of his parentage; but, H said they would try to get some DNA from his fathers letters. H teased M & T through the episode about him having 2 seats at super bowl. They both wanted him to take them; but, he strung them along. Chegwidden (C) knew about what H was doing, but wouldn't tell them either. All except H were at B & Harriet's super bowl party. H was actually flying "cover" for the super bowl in an F14 with Skates. He flew upside-down to take picture of the bowl so people would believe him.

Code of Conduct - 147

H defended a SEAL Lt Glenn Teague for retrieving the body of PO Tommy Modano despite orders; thereby allowing Lt. Jody Reese to be killed which angered his pregnant wife Mariel. Teague refused to talk to Mariel or take the stand (falling on his sword to keep a secret) until H manipulated them to be in the same room together. Teague had carried the wounded Modano during the first mission. When the helicopter came he gave him to Reese during the extraction. Before Reese had died he told Teague that he had accidentally let Modano fall 55 feet from the tether. Reese confessed he felt guilty. When they wanted to go back to retrieve Modano the "powers that be" said no. That's when they went anyway because of the SEAL code.

B found that GPS coordinates showed the fall didn't kill Modano and he had tried to move to safety so the rescue could have succeeded if it hadn't been delayed. Teague finally took the stand where he said that instead of being mutilated & left to rot like rebels do to their dead, Modano was in Arlington "occupying a space of his own in the land be died defending." Teague was found not guilty on dereliction but guilty on disobedience.

C was at a high school to give a speech when he tried to correct the insolent behavior of a cocky student James Oliphant which was caught on videotape. Defiantly Oliphant spit on C who reflexly slapped the boy. Because it fit into the SECNAV and Lindsey's vendeta against C (blaming C for Lindsey's failure through promotion board) he DEMANDED Cs resignation & threatened w/ a flag mast. C refused and Adm Drake held the mast w/ Lindsey "advising" and authorized to speak for both SECNAV & CNO. M forced her representation on C because he was "running on emotion & will loose." Oliphant lied on every aspect and said that his dad had died in Desert Storm. M didn't even cross examine. Lindsey agreed w/ M to drop the mast & the pressure to retire in return for a public apology to the boy. C said he had been "prepared to do that the first day - except the boy lied." ZNNs Stewart Dunston arrogantly dogged C. T forced his help on C preparing a press statement "to take control of the situation." C talked to Adm Thomas Boone, now working in SECNAVs office, about the mast that he had gone through. Boone said he wouldn't have slapped the kid he "would have slugged him." Angry Dunston started digging deeper into sources and found that Oliphants father was dishonorably discharged, abandoned his wife & was living in Florida. Dunston told C that he would be "leading with it the next day." The CNO back-peddled and dropped the mast. Boone met C afterwards in bar. The SECNAV came in & set w/ them. Both C and the SECNAV ordered Burbon but the aired episode ended w/o them saying anything to each other. [although the close caption said: "one bourbon 2 straws"]

Capital Crimes - 146

M thought she had dream of her own death until she had flashbacks. She drug a frustrated Turner around, and eventually found the body of Cdr Laura Aikin who was working on nuclear disarmament pact with them. M pointed to a map and police found Yuri Lentov, an itinerant Russian cab driver, who had Aikins pack, wallet and credit cards. T asked why M just didn't "get over" H and "move on." M blurted out "it wouldn't work cause I'm in love w/ him" - then swore T to secrecy.

After several misleads, increasingly frustrating to T, M said they made a good team because he was cerebral and compulsive and she "not." They found that Aikin was pregnant w/ the child of director Morgan Deitz of a disarmament company who had lied to her about leaving his wife. Also that she had been harassed by Deitz's wife after being discovered by her. They also found that she had uncovered some weapons grade uranium missing from her inspections of Nerpa shipyard in Russia. Later they discovered that Lentov had: called a security officer at Nerpa shipyard several times; smuggled arms to Chechen Islamic fundamentalist rebels; and converted to Islam while in the Russian army. When threatened with deportation Lentov eventually gave the whereabouts of his accomplices & a seal team captured the ship.

H went to the USS Patrick Henry alone to investigate an incident during a "vertical replenishment" in which the JAG Lt Yuen had recommended charging the captain and half the crew. As standard procedure when JAG is in the chain of command, H "started over" which aggravated Yuen. Capt Ingles had ordered replenishment into the dark in 18 foot seas. PO Horton, a signalman, was directing the helicopter in his 3rd consecutive shift. A blue shirt, Gladstone, may have not adequately discharged the static electricity before the load set down thereby sparking and setting off the magnesium flares which ignited the ammunition injuring rookie airman J Lurie. Finally, to shut off further involvement of crew, the Capt accepted blame; but, H decided the mishap didn't require further charges, which further angered Yuen. H thanked Ingles for rescuing him from his mishap and said that he wished he was back on the carrier.
S barged into Hs apartment when he was gone, went through mail, snooping, met Sergei - who thought she was "pretty lady" even with her hair in a "fist." M reminded T if he let slip their "secret - you won't have a six." He retored, "is this what it's like being friends w/ you?" She said, "It's just the beginning."