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"]