JAG (1995–2005): Season 5, Episode 1 - King of the Greenie Board - full transcript
Harm not only flies but also serves as the legal officer for his squadron aboard a carrier; friction develops between him and a hotshot pilot. Mac prosecutes, and Mic defends, a Marine weapons instructor for carelessly firing a new weapon system while drunk. Administrative screw-ups accumulate at the JAG headquarters, so GySgt. Galindez joins the JAG gang to help. Against Harm's advice his hotshot shipmate destroys an armored vehicle containing whom he believes to be Serbians intercepting refugees on the ground and placing them in danger, but who prove to be Russian peacekeepers; he kills three Russian senior officers. A Russian admiral is aboard the carrier at the time. [To be continued.]
Badman One, this is Red Crown.
We have a pop-up on the surface
bearing two-five-zero
at seven miles.
Request you investigate.
Red Crown, Badman One is on it.
Cameras ready?
Just point and shoot.
Smile for the birdie.
What was that?
Bird strike
in the port engine.
I'm shutting it down.
We're losing fuel.
Gas pump, this is Badman One
declaring an emergency.
Port engine is shut down.
We're losing fuel.
Request priority.
Badman One be advised, we
have only one point five to give,
and X-Man is at the
pump. X-Man's breaking off.
Tanker's all yours, Pappy.
Don't cut your
fuel short, X-Man.
We can share and wait
for the next tanker up.
You take it all, Pappy.
You're leaking like
my '65 Mustang.
Thanks, X-Man.
If you're low on fuel, don't
wait around for me, X-Man.
That's okay, Pappy.
I'm good to the boat.
Badman, this is
War Paint Strike.
Dirty up at three miles
and shift to Paddles.
War Paint, Paddles,
this is Badman.
Gear down.
Single engine approach.
Ball manual, zero point five.
On the flight deck.
Damaged airplane in the groove.
All unnecessary
personnel clear flight area.
Paddles, get them
on the first pass.
He'll never make it
around for a second.
Badman one, Ball.
Roger, Ball.
You're a little low.
A little low.
You're below the glide path.
Pick it up.
Pick it up!
Power! Power!
Badman One, Ball.
Roger, Ball.
You're a little low.
A little low.
You're below the glide path.
Pick it up.
Pick it up!
Power! Power!
Whew!
Badman Two, take it
around one more time.
Checking plane and landing
area. This is Badman Two.
Can't do that, boss,
I'm sucking on fumes.
Get that Tomcat out of here!
We got another
bird with bingo fuel.
Clear the deck!
Badman Two, Ball.
God, he just lost
the port engine.
All right!
Hard landing. Check the port
main mouth of that Tomcat.
Give me a good
postflight, Griggsy.
Right away, sir.
Thrill a minute up there, Pappy.
You all right?
It wasn't exactly your
classic X-Man trap.
The sun got in my eyes.
Really? I thought it was
that port engine you lost.
Did I lose an engine?
Yeah. That's what happens
when you run out of fuel.
He's the best little guy.
Aren't you, A.J.?
Aren't you the best little guy?
Actually, he'd be
better than the best
if he spent his nights sleeping
instead of testing
his lungs all night.
Cheer up, mate.
Maybe your midnight warbler
will be the next Mick Jagger.
Oh, is that a new recruit I see?
Oh, Colonel... congratulations
on your promotion.
Thank you.
Want to hold him?
Oh, there you go, sailor.
Ah, you must be why girls
go for a man in uniform.
I'm sorry I missed
your wetting down,
but A.J. had the croup.
Oh, being a mom comes first.
Lieutenant Sims.
Maybe you know where the file is
for the last command inspection.
Yes, sir. It's right
over here, sir.
At least it's supposed
to be right here, sir.
I'm sure I put it there.
Unless I filed it under "C".
Well, Tiner, maybe you should
look for it.
Yes, sir.
It's supposed to be right here.
Oh. And what is
your weekly schedule
doing with the
special request chits?
I was wondering where that was.
You know, Lieutenant,
since you've been
on reserve duty,
this office is a bigger mess
than a sack full of damn cats.
Ah, it's good to see
that somebody's
squared away. Hmm.
All right, my friend,
the time has come.
Are you ready?
Give me what you got.
Head's up, everybody!
Behold! The first turd
on X-Man's record.
Can you believe it?
After all those greens.
We are talking 14 in a row.
The greatest streak
since DiMaggio
and suddenly... splat.
The king of the greenie
board, the master
of the three-wire,
an alien if there ever was one,
steps in the same sorry stuff
as the rest of us.
That is impressive!
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just think, if I snag the
one wire ten more times
I'd be even with the
rest of you sluggos.
Hey, Buxton!
Take another look
at the Greenie Board.
Someone's gaining on you.
Yeah!
Oh, oh.
You mean the senior citizen
I helped out across
the street today.
Six straight greens.
Six straight happy landings.
He still won't catch
the uncatchable me.
Attention on deck.
As you were,
people. Before I start
this briefing, Buxton,
what were you
trying to prove today?
That you're good
to the last drop?
No, sir.
I was just trying
to help Commander Rabb, sir.
My bird ate too
much seagull, CAG.
The X-Man saved my six.
And damn near lost his.
Next time, you both
take on some fuel
then wait for the
next gas station.
Aye, aye, sir.
Aye, aye, sir.
I know Commander Imes is
trying a court-martial in Pensacola.
So why does the watch Bill
say she's on duty this weekend?
There must be a mistake, sir.
It's not the only one, Tiner.
I can't seem to find
Commander Mattoni's name
on here anywhere.
I believe that's because
he's on leave, sir.
I know that, Tiner,
but for the whole damn month?
Now it seems Lieutenant
Sims has disappeared.
Actually, she's changing A.J.
Uh, the baby, sir.
Perfect metaphor for the moment.
You know, Lieutenant, I
wish we could clone your wife.
She obviously did a hell of
a lot more around this office
than just raid the refrigerator
when she was pregnant.
Hey.
You two are catching
cases, right?
Uh, no, sir.
We have a
plea-bargaining session
on the Winrow case.
If my client doesn't like
Colonel MacKenzie's
counter-offer,
the court-martial
starts tomorrow.
It's supposed to be
on the docket, sir.
Is something wrong, Admiral?
No. No, nothing that
couldn't be fixed by...
a good, old-fashioned lobotomy.
Tiner.
Two years in the
brig, or six months.
Which sounds better to
you, Corporal Winrow?
Neither one, ma'am.
Well, from where I'm sitting,
those look like the only choices
you're going to get.
But I know how to fire the
Brimstone 2000, ma'am.
When you're sober.
I had some drinks the
night before, yes, ma'am,
but I got my sleep.
Not enough to keep you
from missing your target
and burning down 227
acres of woods at Quantico.
Now, that's not what
the Marine Corps expects
from its weapons instructors.
I'm aware of that, ma'am.
I just don't understand
how it happened.
Commander, can you
make your client
listen to reason?
Put yourself in
his shoes, Colonel.
Even with a lesser sentence,
he's still facing a bad
conduct discharge.
He shouldn't
expect anything else
after what he did.
Give us a minute.
Do you want
to reconsider?
No, sir.
We'll fight it.
Colonel...
you never told me
how you celebrated
your promotion.
Uh... privately.
Well, if you ever
want to go public,
I'll be honored to
take you to dinner.
Don't you have a
court-martial to lose?
Begging your pardon, ma'am,
but I believe you're being
a tad overconfident.
Mic, your chances
would be better defending
Mrs. O'Leary's cow.
The great Chicago fire. Yeah.
And the cow wouldn't
have looked so bad
if the fire engine had
gone to the right address.
Oh, thanks for enlightening me.
Okay, so you wouldn't
care to have a wager
on poor Winrow's
fate, would you?
Oh, let me guess.
Um... loser
buys dinner.
Great minds think alike.
Not if you think we're
going to call it a date.
All SDOs report to flight
line and see the air boss.
I'm quoting from the
rules of engagement.
"elements of command
Battle Group 63
"may exercise proportional
force only in order to disengage
"from units demonstrating
hostile intent
"or committing hostile acts
"and only for the
duration of the hostile acts.
"The battle group will pass
requests for use of force
to the NATO force commander."
And if I have to scratch my six,
do I need to phone
the president?
Lock it up, Lieutenant.
Obviously, these
rules of engagement
are somewhat restrictive.
But... we're facing a
difficult situation here
trying to keep the Yugoslavians
in line without antagonizing
any of our allies,
especially the Russians.
Now, I'll be happy to answer
any questions you have.
Yeah, I was just wondering,
since you are the
gentleman from fleet JAG,
if you would be so kind
as to give us a translation.
I thought I just did that.
So, if I get locked on by a MiG,
I can shoot, then?
When hostile
intent is perceived,
you are permitted to exercise
only a proportional response
while asking for guidance
from a higher authority.
Help me, Lord.
But if they fire a missile,
we can rap their knuckles?
Firing a missile is
clearly a hostile act.
So, what? We're
just meat on the table
until then? Is that
what you're telling us?
Attention on deck!
Thank you, Lieutenant Aldridge.
That'll be all.
Aye, sir.
Take your seats.
Moan and groan all you like,
what you just heard
is the letter of the law
But if a MiG is
maneuvering to your six,
you will see a missile
come off its rails
before they have
the chance to fire one.
Harm, you're our
resident lawyer.
Any problem with that?
It's always a
judgment call, CAG,
but a MiG wouldn't be
there to send you flowers.
So, is that a yes or a no?
We're the good guys, X-Man.
We didn't get that
way by firing first.
Whose side are you on, anyway?
Ours or that legal weenie's?
His designator
is the same as yours, X-Man.
That ought to be
answer enough for you.
All right. There are no
changes in our boundaries.
Waterloo Yellow
remains 42 kilometers.
Waterloo Red is
still 20 kilometers.
You go past Red,
you're violating the rules
of engagement.
Commander Saunders
has been designated
to take the
reconnaissance package in.
Schmidt, you're
search and rescue.
Suppression of enemy
air defense is Papadakis.
Carlson, you're the tanker king.
Flight leader, division one...
Harm, I'd like you to take
over from Lieutenant Buxton.
Aye, aye, sir.
All right.
Let's go fly.
MacKENZIE: Corporal Jennings,
that depth charge you're talking about...
It isn't used to blow
up submarines, is it?
Uh, no, ma'am.
It's a drink.
A little more specific, please?
Well, first you have
a mug of beer, see?
And then you have
a shot glass full of...
Well, I don't know...
Me and Winnie,
uh, Corporal Winrow...
We went with bourbon.
Then you dropped the shot glass
in the mug of beer...
And voilà, a depth charge.
So how many of these concoctions
did Corporal Winrow drink
that night in the
boom-boom room?
Objection.
The government
has just established
that the witness was drinking.
That hardly qualifies him
as someone capable
of counting drinks.
I'll treat it as an
informed estimate,
Commander Brumby.
Overruled.
Go ahead, Corporal.
We were there from 9:00
until they closed at 2:00, ma'am.
Probably a drink an hour.
Maybe two, once or twice.
I mean, our buddy had
orders for Pendleton.
We wanted to send
him off right, ma'am.
I'm sure you did.
No further questions.
Corporal Jennings,
you're a weapons instructor
at the basic school
with Corporal
Winrow, is that correct?
Yes, sir. I've worked with
him the past ten months, sir.
What is your opinion of him
as a Marine, not a drinker?
Well, sir, Corporal
Winrow is the best, sir.
He cares most about
the men we train.
Puts in the longest
hours, performs better
on all the tests than the
rest of us combined, sir.
I mean, he's hard-core, sir.
Thank you.
Tensions continue
to fester in Kosovo
despite the supposed
cessation of hostilities.
NATO sources are
reporting increased activity
by rogue factions
of the Serb army,
who continue to terrorize
returning refugees
in border areas.
Meanwhile, there are
more and more indications
that much of the
Yugoslavian air force
survived last spring's bombing.
Ranking members
of the U.S. military say
that Yugoslav fighter squadrons
possess enough Russian-made MiGs
to cause "significant
mischief" in the no-fly zone.
Makes you wonder how Commander
Rabb is doing, doesn't it, sir?
Well, Lieutenant, I try
to look at the big picture.
"problems of one person
not amounting
to a hill of beans"
and all that, but,
yes, Commander,
it does cross my
mind now and then.
Living his dreams, set
free from the courtroom,
unshackled from his desk
and the mountains of
paperwork that plagued him.
Oh, geez.
Could be worse, Harm.
You could be trying to sleep
on all these files
you put up here.
Oh, I'm sorry, Tuna.
I thought I put everything back.
How could you tell?
What are you writing there?
The sequel to Moby Dick?
A letter to a computer company
that's trying to harpoon
one of our troopers
for a modem he's
already paid for.
Unhappy with your collateral
duty, Commander Rabb?
I've got an opening
for a substance
abuse control officer
if you'd rather
watch aviators pee.
Not really my field
of expertise, sir.
Guess you're stuck
being the wing legal officer.
Here.
It'll be a while before
I get to this, CAG..
Put it on top.
Buxton brought charges
against his plane captain.
Gentlemen.
Flight deck move
out 142 and 200.
Nobody feels worse about
what happened than I do, sir.
Well, an apology isn't going
to help your case
any, Airman Griggs.
It was a $90,000
piece of equipment
that dropped off this aircraft.
Yes, sir, but you've
got to understand.
I've got the Navy
in my blood, sir,
just like my father
and my grandfather.
And the only place I want to be
is on that flight deck
and working on
Lieutenant Buxton's Tomcat.
He's the best, you know, sir.
Well, that's the
general consensus.
You want to tell
me what happened?
There was a new pod,
sir, an infrared sensory unit.
We hooked it onto
the lieutenant's wing
and then I signed
off on the job,
but that was the first time
I'd ever seen one
of those things, sir.
It's unfortunate, but
it doesn't relieve you
of responsibility.
Get the training,
learn the equipment...
It'd be great if it really
worked that way, sir.
But we're undermanned
and I never got the training.
You did receive a
manual instructing you
how to install the
pod, didn't you?
Yes, sir, I did.
Do you still have it?
I can find it for you, sir
but there's one thing
that manual won't tell you.
The pod's a Murphy.
It slides on the right way,
but, oh, yeah, it slides
on backwards, too.
So what?
It's his job to know
which way is up.
You checked the pod
yourself on preflight?
Just like the checklist
says, Commander.
You didn't notice any problems?
The X-Man does
not have X-ray vision.
Well, I'll make a note of that.
You know, there
wasn't anything funny
when that pod fell off.
I'd just launched and I was
making my clearing turn.
Losing that store
disrupted airflow
over the horizontal tail.
I was below flight-deck
level, skimming the water.
The air boss was
yelling, "Eject."
You didn't eject.
That's because I'm
an above-average aviator, sir.
If I wasn't, that kid
would be up on murder charges.
So do your job, Commander.
MacKENZIE:
Mr. Tennyson, when you say
your company builds the
Brimstone 2000 to be used
under less than
optimum conditions,
what are you referring to?
Combat, of course.
The weapon may have
to take a beating
to give a beating.
That's what I always say.
Did the Widmark Corporation
test the Brimstone 2000
under such conditions?
Absolutely, Colonel.
There's never been
a shoulder-fire and
anti-tank weapon
as light and powerful.
We made sure it was as good
as we told everybody it was.
Did any of your test involve
having the weapon
fired by someone
who'd been drinking
heavily a few hours before?
Objection. Overruled.
You may answer the
question, Mr. Tennyson.
Uh, no, Colonel, no
one who was inebriated
has ever tested
the Brimstone 2000.
Would you ever let anyone
who was inebriated
fire the weapon?
No. Never.
Thank you.
Mr. Tennyson, how many weapons
has your company developed
over the past ten years?
A dozen, maybe more.
And in testing
these weapons, have any
of them ever gone off course?
During testing? Yes.
And when that happened,
was it because the
operators were drunk?
No.
Thank you.
One last question
Mr. Tennyson.
Since it became operational
have there been
any other mishaps
with the Brimstone 2000?
No. None at all.
Cheer up, Mic.
It's almost over.
Is that your final witness?
Gunnery Sergeant
Victor Galindez...
The Marine's own expert
on the Brimstone 2000.
I'll prep him, put
him on the stand,
and, uh... how
does Calisto's sound
for that dinner you're
going to owe me?
Pricey.
Perfect.
Check out all the brass.
Looks like feeding
time at the zoo.
It's Admiral Lacady Yakushkin
from the Russian Navy.
He's our new resident liaison.
A dancing bear, huh?
Hey, they are our allies.
This week.
Let's get to work.
Badman one, this is Red Crown.
We have an unknown contact
squawking a garbled
commercial airline code.
Bearing 350 at 45 miles.
Angels 15.
Low speed.
Red Crown, Badman will take it.
Badman Three, North
Cap is your responsibility.
X-Man is on it.
Keep an eye on him, Skates.
Copy that.
X-Man, we've got intermittent
hydraulic system lights.
We'd better turn back.
You need an escort home, Boomer?
Negative.
Pappy, this is X-Man.
Boomer's heading
home on a precautionary.
I'm pressing on
with the intercept.
Negative, Badman Three.
Wait till I get there.
Tuna, join up on Boomer
and escort him home.
Roger, Pappy.
Unknown contact.
Angels 15.
Speed 200 knots.
Doesn't sound
like he's much fun.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
What's the problem?
Contact just went to 300 knots.
Now he's at 400.
Bandit! Bandit!
MiG-29. He's running.
I am engaging.
Badman Three, this
is Badman leader.
MiGs always travel in pairs.
One is all I see.
Badman Three, Red Crown.
You're at Waterloo Yellow.
Disengage. I repeat: disengage.
No way.
Harm, I've got a second MiG.
Bearing 045.
Closing on X-Man.
Badman three, you got
a second MiG on your six.
He's got me locked!
He's got me locked!
I can't shake him.
I'm on him.
Take him out! Take him out!
Why did he break off?
Guess he wanted to live
more than he wanted you to die.
Let's go home.
It's not a video game up
there, Lieutenant Buxton.
You do realize that, don't you?
Yes, sir. I was just
trying to exercise initiative
the way I've been taught, sir.
You weren't taught that way.
You ignored a Waterloo call.
You neglected to remember
that MiGs travel in pairs,
and you most definitely
would've been killed
if Commander Rabb hadn't
been there to save your ass.
They were playing the same game
the Iraqis run in
the Gulf, CAG...
Drag you in with one bogie,
clean you off with the other.
But the Yugoslavs have
something the Iraqis didn't.
Intel tell us there's
a spy plane up there.
You walked right
into their trap, Buxton.
I want aggressive
pilots, but you can't be
all plumbing and no forehead.
In the lieutenant's
defense, sir,
what he did
was not an error of integrity.
Oh, what was it?
I call it more
a misguided sense
of urgency, sir.
Oh, it was misguided all right.
I'm as much to blame
as the lieutenant, sir.
I was division leader.
Then teach him judgment.
I always thought you had it.
Yes, sir.
Pay attention to
the man, Buxton.
Up there in the twilight zone,
judgment equals survival.
Yes, sir.
I guess I'm supposed
to say thanks.
You wouldn't if you knew
how hard that was for me.
Well, why didn't
you just tell the CAG
that I'm a selfish,
irresponsible glory-hound
if that's what you think?
He already knows it.
No. What he knows, Commander,
is how damn good I am.
You see, Buxton,
that is your problem...
You confuse reality
with your score on
the greenie board.
Actually, the greenie
board is reality.
Catching three-wires
are one thing, pal,
flying smart is
something else altogether.
So how come you think
you know so much about me?
'Cause I used to be you.
MacKENZIE: Gunnery Sergeant
Galindez, how many of your
17 years in the Marine
Corps have you spent
handling weapons or instructing
people in the use of them?
Just about all of them, ma'am.
But you're about to
retire, is that correct?
Yes, ma'am. I'm
taking an early out.
At present, I'm
on terminal leave.
Have you begun a new job yet?
I have, as training technician
for the Widmark Corporation.
That's the manufacturer
of the Brimstone 2000?
That's correct, ma'am.
I instruct people on its use.
Which is what you
did as a Marine.
So, in the course of your
duties with this weapon,
did you ever encounter the
defendant, Corporal Winrow?
I supervised his
instruction, ma'am.
Did he ever have any
problems with the weapon?
None whatsoever.
Corporal Winrow became
an expert very quickly.
So, unless Corporal Winrow
were somehow impaired,
he should have no
problems with this weapon,
isn't that correct,
Gunnery Sergeant?
No, ma'am.
Excuse me?
What happened had
nothing to do with the corporal.
The weapon is faulty.
Maybe I misunderstood
you, Gunnery Sergeant,
but didn't you say
that Corporal Winrow
never previously experienced
problems when firing the weapon?
Yes, ma'am.
And that was when he
was not hung over, correct?
To the best of my
knowledge, ma'am.
No further questions.
Gunnery Sergeant Galindez,
I'm intrigued by
your description
of the Brimstone
2000 as being faulty.
Would you tell us what you mean?
Basically, sir, its
guidance system
is unreliable in hot weather.
Explain, please.
Widmark makes
all kinds of claims
about the Brimstone's accuracy,
but in tests it
conducted privately,
the weapon flew
outside the range fan
when the temperature was
over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
They're still trying
to fix the problem.
Which means what in terms
of Corporal Winrow's situation?
On the morning of his
mishap, we were at Black Flag,
the first hot day after the
weapon arrived at Quantico.
He would have set
those woods on fire
no matter what
condition he was in.
How do you know
this, Gunnery Sergeant?
I visited Widmark's research
department after hours,
and I found the documents.
You entered surreptitiously?
Yes, sir.
After Corporal Winrow's
problem, I got curious.
Thank you.
That sounds very exciting.
It's no big deal, Admiral.
You're low on fuel,
you shut down one
of your engines.
Of course, my RIO
was a little puckered,
weren't you, Duke?
Hey, Harm.
Admiral, this is the fella
I told you I helped out.
Oh, come join us,
please, Commander.
You must obey.
I am Admiral.
Well, I never
argue with rank, sir.
So, I understand that you
owe your life to Lieutenant
Buxton here, yes?
Really? Well, all I thought I
owed him was a tank of gas.
Oh, you Americans...
You make joke about
everything, even danger.
The admiral here
is real interested
in how we do things.
I'll bet he is.
Right now, sir, if
you'll excuse me
I have a lot of reading to do.
Harm, it looks
more like you're taking
up some weight lifting.
Hmm?
A dark day for
semper fi, eh, Colonel?
Is there a reason
you're here, Commander,
or did you just
come by to gloat?
About the surprising
Gunnery Sergeant Galindez?
Never. No, I came
by to ask about dinner.
You owe me one, remember?
Your Corporal Winrow
was in no condition
to be firing that weapon.
Uh, the judge
said it didn't matter.
What can I say?
So, Calisto's, is it?
No, sorry. I've got to
prep the McCarthy case.
Getting a pizza delivered would
be the best I could do tonight.
Pepperonis and black olives?
Sausage and green peppers.
Mmm.
Ah, we could
order half and half.
I don't know. I think you're
getting off cheap, Colonel.
I accept.
Well, the F-18's
right over it...
This was three
feet off the ground...
Why is Griggs back
on the duty roster?
CAG's dropping
charges against him
on my recommendation.
You're letting him slide?
What, were you going
to tell me about this?
Yeah, I was, in private.
Oh, I don't mind.
You can tell me now, sir.
Sure about that, Lieutenant?
Yes, sir.
Airman Griggs installed
the pod backwards,
but he wasn't the
only one at fault.
Oh, I don't believe this.
Flight ops were
incredibly intense that day.
The ordinance chief
didn't have time to do
his final inspections.
Well, terrific. Is
there anybody else
you'd like to blame, Commander?
Yeah... you.
I inspected the damn pod
the way I was supposed to.
What did you want me
to do, hook it up myself?
The old wiggle-waggle wasn't
going to cut it on this pod.
If you'd read the specs,
you would have known
to move it forward
and backwards.
It would have
fallen off at your feet.
Oh, so now this is my fault?
Partly, yeah.
Doesn't seem fair to
make Griggs shoulder
the entire
responsibility, does it?
Griggs... is not going back
to work on my plane, sir.
Griggs is a good man.
He thinks you're the greatest
pilot that's ever pulled a "G."
He can think whatever he wants.
You're making another mistake.
You know, if you think
Griggs is so damn great,
he can be your
plane captain, sir.
Fine.
He's too good to be yours.
Excuse me, sir.
X-Man?
X-Man, hang on.
What?!
You crazy running
your mouth off like that?
You want to get court-martialed?
Why not? I've been shafted
every other way they can think of.
Nobody's shafting you.
Then how come Rabb
is leading my division?
Your division?
Look, Tuna, your
roommate will do
anything he can to bury me
because he knows
he can't outfly me.
Give it a rest, Buxton.
What, you don't
think I'm the best?
I didn't say that.
But that's what
you were thinking.
Call yourself the
best all you want.
There's no way
you'll ever prove it.
Oh, yeah?
Well, you just watch
me the next time I'm up.
All right, let's just
skip over the part
where you say I didn't
ask the right question
when I interviewed you.
That's fine with me, ma'am.
Why did you wait until you were on
the stand to deliver the bad news?
It's nothing personal, ma'am,
but I didn't know
if I could trust you.
Something about my
shifty eyes, Gunny,
or are you just suspicious
of officers in general?
It's negative to the first part
of your question, Colonel.
As for the second part, it looked
like you were buying the company line.
I didn't know if you wanted
a conviction or the truth.
If I didn't care about
the truth, Gunny,
you wouldn't be here.
Yes, ma'am. I'm aware of that.
Obviously, the truth
is important to you, too,
or you wouldn't
have put yourself out
of that cushy civilian
job you lined up.
Well, you know what
they say, ma'am?
"Lie down with dogs,
get up with fleas."
I'll find somebody
else to work for.
How about lawyers?
What kind of lawyers, Colonel?
JAG lawyers. 'Course,
you'd have to pass up
that early retirement.
What exactly did you
have in mind, ma'am?
We're looking for
someone to run the office.
Colonel, I'm not a clerk.
No, I doubt anyone would
mistake you for one, Gunny,
but you were a policeman, right?
Yes, ma'am. Deputy sheriff
back home in New Mexico.
Did it for three years
after my first enlistment
and then came back to the
Marine Corps as a retread.
You might be able to help
us out with investigations.
When I'm not counting
paper clips, ma'am?
That's right, Gunny...
When you're not
counting paper clips.
The war crimes commission
has received reports
of possible mass grave sites
at Alpha, Bravo and Charlie.
So, in addition to
your normal patrols,
we want to fly low
and take pictures.
Maybe help put
these butchers in jail.
How do you want
to handle it, Harm?
Two two, CAG.
Two tarp-configured
aircraft with cameras,
two armed escorts.
Fine.
One other wrinkle...
Our snooper is back.
A Lear flying under
an international flag,
supposedly from a news agency.
Our surveillance says
it is carrying a telescope
that is gyrostabilized
and radar-guided.
Any of you seeing
Peeping Tom out there
are advised to
smudge his windows.
Time for target practice.
Can I help you, Admiral?
I was just being curious
to see how our good allies
operate in such sensitive times.
Please continue.
We're just wrapping
things up, sir.
Unless Lieutenant Buxton
feels the need to hear
the rules of engagement
one more time.
Not necessary, CAG.
Are you sure of that?
Yes, sir.
Very well.
Let's fly.
Fan tail repair crew,
make ready to cease
operation until further notice.
Fan tail repair crew...
I hope your will's in
order, Commander.
Everything squared away?
Standing tall, sir.
I've got your power and
alignment cables hooked up
so you can inspect them.
You do good work, Griggs.
Your plane's got my name
on it, sir.
Gunnery Sergeant Galindez,
it says here that
you did some boxing.
Closer inspection of my
nose would confirm that, sir.
Is your nose any
indication on how you did?
I held my own, sir.
Especially when I
was fighting SEALs.
At ease, Gunny.
Well...
I can, uh, think of one you
might have some trouble with.
Now that you've established
a common interest, Admiral,
I was, uh, hoping
you'd be intrigued
by the breadth
of the gunnery
sergeant's experience.
Primary M.O.S. infantry.
Secondary M.O.S.
criminal investigation.
Gunny at the basic
school the past 18 months.
So, why did you leave
the sheriff's department
to return to active duty?
I was shot, sir.
Go on.
We were busting a meth lab
outside Albuquerque.
Things got a little hairy with
the biker who ran the place,
and one of our guys panicked.
He put a bullet in my rear end.
One of, uh, your guys.
That's why I came back
to the Marine Corps, sir.
Better breed of people.
Navy, too?
I wouldn't know, sir.
Well, there are Navy
personnel in this office.
If you're going to
be the gunny here,
you're going to have
to deal with them.
If I'm going to be the
gunny here, Admiral,
they're going to
have to deal with me.
Badman One, this is Red Crown.
Peeping Tom bearing
025 at 65 miles.
Inbound mother.
Got him.
We have a contact.
Red Crown, Badman One.
Contact.
We'll take it from here.
Badman Three, Tuna
and I are going hunting.
The photo mission is yours.
Bring Boomer home
in one piece, huh?
You know I will.
Tuna, combat spread.
Cover my six.
Roger.
Nothing visual yet, Skates.
Check right ten degrees.
Ten miles.
Eight miles.
Start your turn now.
Tally ho! Tom's in sight.
Let's go say hello.
Knock, knock, knock.
I think he's ignoring us.
464-Charlie-Lima,
be advised: we are
conducting hazardous
flight activity.
You are standing into danger.
Turn north immediately.
Maybe he's deaf.
Let's find out if
he's blind, too.
Looks like he's
going to hang in there.
Him and a telescope that
can see for a hundred miles.
Okay, we do this the hard way.
Fuel dump!
All right!
Think he'll make it back
to wherever he came from?
Oh, yeah, and he'll
stay there a while, too.
Red Crown...
Badman One.
Say good-bye to Peeping Tom.
Red Crown copies.
Bravo Zulu, Badman One.
Roger.
Switching back
to recon frequency.
Badman Three, Badman
One, requesting mission status.
Pappy, I've got a pop-up.
Armored vehicles converging
on inbound refugees.
Suspect refugees in danger.
Badman Three, if you
haven't been shot at
and photo bird is clear,
recommend disengage.
I can't. They're going
after those refugees.
Tuna, close formation.
I smoked them good, Boomer.
Oh, you are the man, X.
Plus, you get all the luck.
Oh, yeah.
Is this the man?
Is this the man?
Something wrong, CAG?
Lieutenant Buxton,
did you attack vehicles
on the highway east of Zlata?
Yes, sir. Serb
armor about to cut off
a group of refugees, sir.
Those Serbs, Lieutenant Buxton,
were Russian peacekeepers.
You killed three of
their senior officers.
We have a pop-up on the surface
bearing two-five-zero
at seven miles.
Request you investigate.
Red Crown, Badman One is on it.
Cameras ready?
Just point and shoot.
Smile for the birdie.
What was that?
Bird strike
in the port engine.
I'm shutting it down.
We're losing fuel.
Gas pump, this is Badman One
declaring an emergency.
Port engine is shut down.
We're losing fuel.
Request priority.
Badman One be advised, we
have only one point five to give,
and X-Man is at the
pump. X-Man's breaking off.
Tanker's all yours, Pappy.
Don't cut your
fuel short, X-Man.
We can share and wait
for the next tanker up.
You take it all, Pappy.
You're leaking like
my '65 Mustang.
Thanks, X-Man.
If you're low on fuel, don't
wait around for me, X-Man.
That's okay, Pappy.
I'm good to the boat.
Badman, this is
War Paint Strike.
Dirty up at three miles
and shift to Paddles.
War Paint, Paddles,
this is Badman.
Gear down.
Single engine approach.
Ball manual, zero point five.
On the flight deck.
Damaged airplane in the groove.
All unnecessary
personnel clear flight area.
Paddles, get them
on the first pass.
He'll never make it
around for a second.
Badman one, Ball.
Roger, Ball.
You're a little low.
A little low.
You're below the glide path.
Pick it up.
Pick it up!
Power! Power!
Badman One, Ball.
Roger, Ball.
You're a little low.
A little low.
You're below the glide path.
Pick it up.
Pick it up!
Power! Power!
Whew!
Badman Two, take it
around one more time.
Checking plane and landing
area. This is Badman Two.
Can't do that, boss,
I'm sucking on fumes.
Get that Tomcat out of here!
We got another
bird with bingo fuel.
Clear the deck!
Badman Two, Ball.
God, he just lost
the port engine.
All right!
Hard landing. Check the port
main mouth of that Tomcat.
Give me a good
postflight, Griggsy.
Right away, sir.
Thrill a minute up there, Pappy.
You all right?
It wasn't exactly your
classic X-Man trap.
The sun got in my eyes.
Really? I thought it was
that port engine you lost.
Did I lose an engine?
Yeah. That's what happens
when you run out of fuel.
He's the best little guy.
Aren't you, A.J.?
Aren't you the best little guy?
Actually, he'd be
better than the best
if he spent his nights sleeping
instead of testing
his lungs all night.
Cheer up, mate.
Maybe your midnight warbler
will be the next Mick Jagger.
Oh, is that a new recruit I see?
Oh, Colonel... congratulations
on your promotion.
Thank you.
Want to hold him?
Oh, there you go, sailor.
Ah, you must be why girls
go for a man in uniform.
I'm sorry I missed
your wetting down,
but A.J. had the croup.
Oh, being a mom comes first.
Lieutenant Sims.
Maybe you know where the file is
for the last command inspection.
Yes, sir. It's right
over here, sir.
At least it's supposed
to be right here, sir.
I'm sure I put it there.
Unless I filed it under "C".
Well, Tiner, maybe you should
look for it.
Yes, sir.
It's supposed to be right here.
Oh. And what is
your weekly schedule
doing with the
special request chits?
I was wondering where that was.
You know, Lieutenant,
since you've been
on reserve duty,
this office is a bigger mess
than a sack full of damn cats.
Ah, it's good to see
that somebody's
squared away. Hmm.
All right, my friend,
the time has come.
Are you ready?
Give me what you got.
Head's up, everybody!
Behold! The first turd
on X-Man's record.
Can you believe it?
After all those greens.
We are talking 14 in a row.
The greatest streak
since DiMaggio
and suddenly... splat.
The king of the greenie
board, the master
of the three-wire,
an alien if there ever was one,
steps in the same sorry stuff
as the rest of us.
That is impressive!
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Just think, if I snag the
one wire ten more times
I'd be even with the
rest of you sluggos.
Hey, Buxton!
Take another look
at the Greenie Board.
Someone's gaining on you.
Yeah!
Oh, oh.
You mean the senior citizen
I helped out across
the street today.
Six straight greens.
Six straight happy landings.
He still won't catch
the uncatchable me.
Attention on deck.
As you were,
people. Before I start
this briefing, Buxton,
what were you
trying to prove today?
That you're good
to the last drop?
No, sir.
I was just trying
to help Commander Rabb, sir.
My bird ate too
much seagull, CAG.
The X-Man saved my six.
And damn near lost his.
Next time, you both
take on some fuel
then wait for the
next gas station.
Aye, aye, sir.
Aye, aye, sir.
I know Commander Imes is
trying a court-martial in Pensacola.
So why does the watch Bill
say she's on duty this weekend?
There must be a mistake, sir.
It's not the only one, Tiner.
I can't seem to find
Commander Mattoni's name
on here anywhere.
I believe that's because
he's on leave, sir.
I know that, Tiner,
but for the whole damn month?
Now it seems Lieutenant
Sims has disappeared.
Actually, she's changing A.J.
Uh, the baby, sir.
Perfect metaphor for the moment.
You know, Lieutenant, I
wish we could clone your wife.
She obviously did a hell of
a lot more around this office
than just raid the refrigerator
when she was pregnant.
Hey.
You two are catching
cases, right?
Uh, no, sir.
We have a
plea-bargaining session
on the Winrow case.
If my client doesn't like
Colonel MacKenzie's
counter-offer,
the court-martial
starts tomorrow.
It's supposed to be
on the docket, sir.
Is something wrong, Admiral?
No. No, nothing that
couldn't be fixed by...
a good, old-fashioned lobotomy.
Tiner.
Two years in the
brig, or six months.
Which sounds better to
you, Corporal Winrow?
Neither one, ma'am.
Well, from where I'm sitting,
those look like the only choices
you're going to get.
But I know how to fire the
Brimstone 2000, ma'am.
When you're sober.
I had some drinks the
night before, yes, ma'am,
but I got my sleep.
Not enough to keep you
from missing your target
and burning down 227
acres of woods at Quantico.
Now, that's not what
the Marine Corps expects
from its weapons instructors.
I'm aware of that, ma'am.
I just don't understand
how it happened.
Commander, can you
make your client
listen to reason?
Put yourself in
his shoes, Colonel.
Even with a lesser sentence,
he's still facing a bad
conduct discharge.
He shouldn't
expect anything else
after what he did.
Give us a minute.
Do you want
to reconsider?
No, sir.
We'll fight it.
Colonel...
you never told me
how you celebrated
your promotion.
Uh... privately.
Well, if you ever
want to go public,
I'll be honored to
take you to dinner.
Don't you have a
court-martial to lose?
Begging your pardon, ma'am,
but I believe you're being
a tad overconfident.
Mic, your chances
would be better defending
Mrs. O'Leary's cow.
The great Chicago fire. Yeah.
And the cow wouldn't
have looked so bad
if the fire engine had
gone to the right address.
Oh, thanks for enlightening me.
Okay, so you wouldn't
care to have a wager
on poor Winrow's
fate, would you?
Oh, let me guess.
Um... loser
buys dinner.
Great minds think alike.
Not if you think we're
going to call it a date.
All SDOs report to flight
line and see the air boss.
I'm quoting from the
rules of engagement.
"elements of command
Battle Group 63
"may exercise proportional
force only in order to disengage
"from units demonstrating
hostile intent
"or committing hostile acts
"and only for the
duration of the hostile acts.
"The battle group will pass
requests for use of force
to the NATO force commander."
And if I have to scratch my six,
do I need to phone
the president?
Lock it up, Lieutenant.
Obviously, these
rules of engagement
are somewhat restrictive.
But... we're facing a
difficult situation here
trying to keep the Yugoslavians
in line without antagonizing
any of our allies,
especially the Russians.
Now, I'll be happy to answer
any questions you have.
Yeah, I was just wondering,
since you are the
gentleman from fleet JAG,
if you would be so kind
as to give us a translation.
I thought I just did that.
So, if I get locked on by a MiG,
I can shoot, then?
When hostile
intent is perceived,
you are permitted to exercise
only a proportional response
while asking for guidance
from a higher authority.
Help me, Lord.
But if they fire a missile,
we can rap their knuckles?
Firing a missile is
clearly a hostile act.
So, what? We're
just meat on the table
until then? Is that
what you're telling us?
Attention on deck!
Thank you, Lieutenant Aldridge.
That'll be all.
Aye, sir.
Take your seats.
Moan and groan all you like,
what you just heard
is the letter of the law
But if a MiG is
maneuvering to your six,
you will see a missile
come off its rails
before they have
the chance to fire one.
Harm, you're our
resident lawyer.
Any problem with that?
It's always a
judgment call, CAG,
but a MiG wouldn't be
there to send you flowers.
So, is that a yes or a no?
We're the good guys, X-Man.
We didn't get that
way by firing first.
Whose side are you on, anyway?
Ours or that legal weenie's?
His designator
is the same as yours, X-Man.
That ought to be
answer enough for you.
All right. There are no
changes in our boundaries.
Waterloo Yellow
remains 42 kilometers.
Waterloo Red is
still 20 kilometers.
You go past Red,
you're violating the rules
of engagement.
Commander Saunders
has been designated
to take the
reconnaissance package in.
Schmidt, you're
search and rescue.
Suppression of enemy
air defense is Papadakis.
Carlson, you're the tanker king.
Flight leader, division one...
Harm, I'd like you to take
over from Lieutenant Buxton.
Aye, aye, sir.
All right.
Let's go fly.
MacKENZIE: Corporal Jennings,
that depth charge you're talking about...
It isn't used to blow
up submarines, is it?
Uh, no, ma'am.
It's a drink.
A little more specific, please?
Well, first you have
a mug of beer, see?
And then you have
a shot glass full of...
Well, I don't know...
Me and Winnie,
uh, Corporal Winrow...
We went with bourbon.
Then you dropped the shot glass
in the mug of beer...
And voilà, a depth charge.
So how many of these concoctions
did Corporal Winrow drink
that night in the
boom-boom room?
Objection.
The government
has just established
that the witness was drinking.
That hardly qualifies him
as someone capable
of counting drinks.
I'll treat it as an
informed estimate,
Commander Brumby.
Overruled.
Go ahead, Corporal.
We were there from 9:00
until they closed at 2:00, ma'am.
Probably a drink an hour.
Maybe two, once or twice.
I mean, our buddy had
orders for Pendleton.
We wanted to send
him off right, ma'am.
I'm sure you did.
No further questions.
Corporal Jennings,
you're a weapons instructor
at the basic school
with Corporal
Winrow, is that correct?
Yes, sir. I've worked with
him the past ten months, sir.
What is your opinion of him
as a Marine, not a drinker?
Well, sir, Corporal
Winrow is the best, sir.
He cares most about
the men we train.
Puts in the longest
hours, performs better
on all the tests than the
rest of us combined, sir.
I mean, he's hard-core, sir.
Thank you.
Tensions continue
to fester in Kosovo
despite the supposed
cessation of hostilities.
NATO sources are
reporting increased activity
by rogue factions
of the Serb army,
who continue to terrorize
returning refugees
in border areas.
Meanwhile, there are
more and more indications
that much of the
Yugoslavian air force
survived last spring's bombing.
Ranking members
of the U.S. military say
that Yugoslav fighter squadrons
possess enough Russian-made MiGs
to cause "significant
mischief" in the no-fly zone.
Makes you wonder how Commander
Rabb is doing, doesn't it, sir?
Well, Lieutenant, I try
to look at the big picture.
"problems of one person
not amounting
to a hill of beans"
and all that, but,
yes, Commander,
it does cross my
mind now and then.
Living his dreams, set
free from the courtroom,
unshackled from his desk
and the mountains of
paperwork that plagued him.
Oh, geez.
Could be worse, Harm.
You could be trying to sleep
on all these files
you put up here.
Oh, I'm sorry, Tuna.
I thought I put everything back.
How could you tell?
What are you writing there?
The sequel to Moby Dick?
A letter to a computer company
that's trying to harpoon
one of our troopers
for a modem he's
already paid for.
Unhappy with your collateral
duty, Commander Rabb?
I've got an opening
for a substance
abuse control officer
if you'd rather
watch aviators pee.
Not really my field
of expertise, sir.
Guess you're stuck
being the wing legal officer.
Here.
It'll be a while before
I get to this, CAG..
Put it on top.
Buxton brought charges
against his plane captain.
Gentlemen.
Flight deck move
out 142 and 200.
Nobody feels worse about
what happened than I do, sir.
Well, an apology isn't going
to help your case
any, Airman Griggs.
It was a $90,000
piece of equipment
that dropped off this aircraft.
Yes, sir, but you've
got to understand.
I've got the Navy
in my blood, sir,
just like my father
and my grandfather.
And the only place I want to be
is on that flight deck
and working on
Lieutenant Buxton's Tomcat.
He's the best, you know, sir.
Well, that's the
general consensus.
You want to tell
me what happened?
There was a new pod,
sir, an infrared sensory unit.
We hooked it onto
the lieutenant's wing
and then I signed
off on the job,
but that was the first time
I'd ever seen one
of those things, sir.
It's unfortunate, but
it doesn't relieve you
of responsibility.
Get the training,
learn the equipment...
It'd be great if it really
worked that way, sir.
But we're undermanned
and I never got the training.
You did receive a
manual instructing you
how to install the
pod, didn't you?
Yes, sir, I did.
Do you still have it?
I can find it for you, sir
but there's one thing
that manual won't tell you.
The pod's a Murphy.
It slides on the right way,
but, oh, yeah, it slides
on backwards, too.
So what?
It's his job to know
which way is up.
You checked the pod
yourself on preflight?
Just like the checklist
says, Commander.
You didn't notice any problems?
The X-Man does
not have X-ray vision.
Well, I'll make a note of that.
You know, there
wasn't anything funny
when that pod fell off.
I'd just launched and I was
making my clearing turn.
Losing that store
disrupted airflow
over the horizontal tail.
I was below flight-deck
level, skimming the water.
The air boss was
yelling, "Eject."
You didn't eject.
That's because I'm
an above-average aviator, sir.
If I wasn't, that kid
would be up on murder charges.
So do your job, Commander.
MacKENZIE:
Mr. Tennyson, when you say
your company builds the
Brimstone 2000 to be used
under less than
optimum conditions,
what are you referring to?
Combat, of course.
The weapon may have
to take a beating
to give a beating.
That's what I always say.
Did the Widmark Corporation
test the Brimstone 2000
under such conditions?
Absolutely, Colonel.
There's never been
a shoulder-fire and
anti-tank weapon
as light and powerful.
We made sure it was as good
as we told everybody it was.
Did any of your test involve
having the weapon
fired by someone
who'd been drinking
heavily a few hours before?
Objection. Overruled.
You may answer the
question, Mr. Tennyson.
Uh, no, Colonel, no
one who was inebriated
has ever tested
the Brimstone 2000.
Would you ever let anyone
who was inebriated
fire the weapon?
No. Never.
Thank you.
Mr. Tennyson, how many weapons
has your company developed
over the past ten years?
A dozen, maybe more.
And in testing
these weapons, have any
of them ever gone off course?
During testing? Yes.
And when that happened,
was it because the
operators were drunk?
No.
Thank you.
One last question
Mr. Tennyson.
Since it became operational
have there been
any other mishaps
with the Brimstone 2000?
No. None at all.
Cheer up, Mic.
It's almost over.
Is that your final witness?
Gunnery Sergeant
Victor Galindez...
The Marine's own expert
on the Brimstone 2000.
I'll prep him, put
him on the stand,
and, uh... how
does Calisto's sound
for that dinner you're
going to owe me?
Pricey.
Perfect.
Check out all the brass.
Looks like feeding
time at the zoo.
It's Admiral Lacady Yakushkin
from the Russian Navy.
He's our new resident liaison.
A dancing bear, huh?
Hey, they are our allies.
This week.
Let's get to work.
Badman one, this is Red Crown.
We have an unknown contact
squawking a garbled
commercial airline code.
Bearing 350 at 45 miles.
Angels 15.
Low speed.
Red Crown, Badman will take it.
Badman Three, North
Cap is your responsibility.
X-Man is on it.
Keep an eye on him, Skates.
Copy that.
X-Man, we've got intermittent
hydraulic system lights.
We'd better turn back.
You need an escort home, Boomer?
Negative.
Pappy, this is X-Man.
Boomer's heading
home on a precautionary.
I'm pressing on
with the intercept.
Negative, Badman Three.
Wait till I get there.
Tuna, join up on Boomer
and escort him home.
Roger, Pappy.
Unknown contact.
Angels 15.
Speed 200 knots.
Doesn't sound
like he's much fun.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
What's the problem?
Contact just went to 300 knots.
Now he's at 400.
Bandit! Bandit!
MiG-29. He's running.
I am engaging.
Badman Three, this
is Badman leader.
MiGs always travel in pairs.
One is all I see.
Badman Three, Red Crown.
You're at Waterloo Yellow.
Disengage. I repeat: disengage.
No way.
Harm, I've got a second MiG.
Bearing 045.
Closing on X-Man.
Badman three, you got
a second MiG on your six.
He's got me locked!
He's got me locked!
I can't shake him.
I'm on him.
Take him out! Take him out!
Why did he break off?
Guess he wanted to live
more than he wanted you to die.
Let's go home.
It's not a video game up
there, Lieutenant Buxton.
You do realize that, don't you?
Yes, sir. I was just
trying to exercise initiative
the way I've been taught, sir.
You weren't taught that way.
You ignored a Waterloo call.
You neglected to remember
that MiGs travel in pairs,
and you most definitely
would've been killed
if Commander Rabb hadn't
been there to save your ass.
They were playing the same game
the Iraqis run in
the Gulf, CAG...
Drag you in with one bogie,
clean you off with the other.
But the Yugoslavs have
something the Iraqis didn't.
Intel tell us there's
a spy plane up there.
You walked right
into their trap, Buxton.
I want aggressive
pilots, but you can't be
all plumbing and no forehead.
In the lieutenant's
defense, sir,
what he did
was not an error of integrity.
Oh, what was it?
I call it more
a misguided sense
of urgency, sir.
Oh, it was misguided all right.
I'm as much to blame
as the lieutenant, sir.
I was division leader.
Then teach him judgment.
I always thought you had it.
Yes, sir.
Pay attention to
the man, Buxton.
Up there in the twilight zone,
judgment equals survival.
Yes, sir.
I guess I'm supposed
to say thanks.
You wouldn't if you knew
how hard that was for me.
Well, why didn't
you just tell the CAG
that I'm a selfish,
irresponsible glory-hound
if that's what you think?
He already knows it.
No. What he knows, Commander,
is how damn good I am.
You see, Buxton,
that is your problem...
You confuse reality
with your score on
the greenie board.
Actually, the greenie
board is reality.
Catching three-wires
are one thing, pal,
flying smart is
something else altogether.
So how come you think
you know so much about me?
'Cause I used to be you.
MacKENZIE: Gunnery Sergeant
Galindez, how many of your
17 years in the Marine
Corps have you spent
handling weapons or instructing
people in the use of them?
Just about all of them, ma'am.
But you're about to
retire, is that correct?
Yes, ma'am. I'm
taking an early out.
At present, I'm
on terminal leave.
Have you begun a new job yet?
I have, as training technician
for the Widmark Corporation.
That's the manufacturer
of the Brimstone 2000?
That's correct, ma'am.
I instruct people on its use.
Which is what you
did as a Marine.
So, in the course of your
duties with this weapon,
did you ever encounter the
defendant, Corporal Winrow?
I supervised his
instruction, ma'am.
Did he ever have any
problems with the weapon?
None whatsoever.
Corporal Winrow became
an expert very quickly.
So, unless Corporal Winrow
were somehow impaired,
he should have no
problems with this weapon,
isn't that correct,
Gunnery Sergeant?
No, ma'am.
Excuse me?
What happened had
nothing to do with the corporal.
The weapon is faulty.
Maybe I misunderstood
you, Gunnery Sergeant,
but didn't you say
that Corporal Winrow
never previously experienced
problems when firing the weapon?
Yes, ma'am.
And that was when he
was not hung over, correct?
To the best of my
knowledge, ma'am.
No further questions.
Gunnery Sergeant Galindez,
I'm intrigued by
your description
of the Brimstone
2000 as being faulty.
Would you tell us what you mean?
Basically, sir, its
guidance system
is unreliable in hot weather.
Explain, please.
Widmark makes
all kinds of claims
about the Brimstone's accuracy,
but in tests it
conducted privately,
the weapon flew
outside the range fan
when the temperature was
over 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
They're still trying
to fix the problem.
Which means what in terms
of Corporal Winrow's situation?
On the morning of his
mishap, we were at Black Flag,
the first hot day after the
weapon arrived at Quantico.
He would have set
those woods on fire
no matter what
condition he was in.
How do you know
this, Gunnery Sergeant?
I visited Widmark's research
department after hours,
and I found the documents.
You entered surreptitiously?
Yes, sir.
After Corporal Winrow's
problem, I got curious.
Thank you.
That sounds very exciting.
It's no big deal, Admiral.
You're low on fuel,
you shut down one
of your engines.
Of course, my RIO
was a little puckered,
weren't you, Duke?
Hey, Harm.
Admiral, this is the fella
I told you I helped out.
Oh, come join us,
please, Commander.
You must obey.
I am Admiral.
Well, I never
argue with rank, sir.
So, I understand that you
owe your life to Lieutenant
Buxton here, yes?
Really? Well, all I thought I
owed him was a tank of gas.
Oh, you Americans...
You make joke about
everything, even danger.
The admiral here
is real interested
in how we do things.
I'll bet he is.
Right now, sir, if
you'll excuse me
I have a lot of reading to do.
Harm, it looks
more like you're taking
up some weight lifting.
Hmm?
A dark day for
semper fi, eh, Colonel?
Is there a reason
you're here, Commander,
or did you just
come by to gloat?
About the surprising
Gunnery Sergeant Galindez?
Never. No, I came
by to ask about dinner.
You owe me one, remember?
Your Corporal Winrow
was in no condition
to be firing that weapon.
Uh, the judge
said it didn't matter.
What can I say?
So, Calisto's, is it?
No, sorry. I've got to
prep the McCarthy case.
Getting a pizza delivered would
be the best I could do tonight.
Pepperonis and black olives?
Sausage and green peppers.
Mmm.
Ah, we could
order half and half.
I don't know. I think you're
getting off cheap, Colonel.
I accept.
Well, the F-18's
right over it...
This was three
feet off the ground...
Why is Griggs back
on the duty roster?
CAG's dropping
charges against him
on my recommendation.
You're letting him slide?
What, were you going
to tell me about this?
Yeah, I was, in private.
Oh, I don't mind.
You can tell me now, sir.
Sure about that, Lieutenant?
Yes, sir.
Airman Griggs installed
the pod backwards,
but he wasn't the
only one at fault.
Oh, I don't believe this.
Flight ops were
incredibly intense that day.
The ordinance chief
didn't have time to do
his final inspections.
Well, terrific. Is
there anybody else
you'd like to blame, Commander?
Yeah... you.
I inspected the damn pod
the way I was supposed to.
What did you want me
to do, hook it up myself?
The old wiggle-waggle wasn't
going to cut it on this pod.
If you'd read the specs,
you would have known
to move it forward
and backwards.
It would have
fallen off at your feet.
Oh, so now this is my fault?
Partly, yeah.
Doesn't seem fair to
make Griggs shoulder
the entire
responsibility, does it?
Griggs... is not going back
to work on my plane, sir.
Griggs is a good man.
He thinks you're the greatest
pilot that's ever pulled a "G."
He can think whatever he wants.
You're making another mistake.
You know, if you think
Griggs is so damn great,
he can be your
plane captain, sir.
Fine.
He's too good to be yours.
Excuse me, sir.
X-Man?
X-Man, hang on.
What?!
You crazy running
your mouth off like that?
You want to get court-martialed?
Why not? I've been shafted
every other way they can think of.
Nobody's shafting you.
Then how come Rabb
is leading my division?
Your division?
Look, Tuna, your
roommate will do
anything he can to bury me
because he knows
he can't outfly me.
Give it a rest, Buxton.
What, you don't
think I'm the best?
I didn't say that.
But that's what
you were thinking.
Call yourself the
best all you want.
There's no way
you'll ever prove it.
Oh, yeah?
Well, you just watch
me the next time I'm up.
All right, let's just
skip over the part
where you say I didn't
ask the right question
when I interviewed you.
That's fine with me, ma'am.
Why did you wait until you were on
the stand to deliver the bad news?
It's nothing personal, ma'am,
but I didn't know
if I could trust you.
Something about my
shifty eyes, Gunny,
or are you just suspicious
of officers in general?
It's negative to the first part
of your question, Colonel.
As for the second part, it looked
like you were buying the company line.
I didn't know if you wanted
a conviction or the truth.
If I didn't care about
the truth, Gunny,
you wouldn't be here.
Yes, ma'am. I'm aware of that.
Obviously, the truth
is important to you, too,
or you wouldn't
have put yourself out
of that cushy civilian
job you lined up.
Well, you know what
they say, ma'am?
"Lie down with dogs,
get up with fleas."
I'll find somebody
else to work for.
How about lawyers?
What kind of lawyers, Colonel?
JAG lawyers. 'Course,
you'd have to pass up
that early retirement.
What exactly did you
have in mind, ma'am?
We're looking for
someone to run the office.
Colonel, I'm not a clerk.
No, I doubt anyone would
mistake you for one, Gunny,
but you were a policeman, right?
Yes, ma'am. Deputy sheriff
back home in New Mexico.
Did it for three years
after my first enlistment
and then came back to the
Marine Corps as a retread.
You might be able to help
us out with investigations.
When I'm not counting
paper clips, ma'am?
That's right, Gunny...
When you're not
counting paper clips.
The war crimes commission
has received reports
of possible mass grave sites
at Alpha, Bravo and Charlie.
So, in addition to
your normal patrols,
we want to fly low
and take pictures.
Maybe help put
these butchers in jail.
How do you want
to handle it, Harm?
Two two, CAG.
Two tarp-configured
aircraft with cameras,
two armed escorts.
Fine.
One other wrinkle...
Our snooper is back.
A Lear flying under
an international flag,
supposedly from a news agency.
Our surveillance says
it is carrying a telescope
that is gyrostabilized
and radar-guided.
Any of you seeing
Peeping Tom out there
are advised to
smudge his windows.
Time for target practice.
Can I help you, Admiral?
I was just being curious
to see how our good allies
operate in such sensitive times.
Please continue.
We're just wrapping
things up, sir.
Unless Lieutenant Buxton
feels the need to hear
the rules of engagement
one more time.
Not necessary, CAG.
Are you sure of that?
Yes, sir.
Very well.
Let's fly.
Fan tail repair crew,
make ready to cease
operation until further notice.
Fan tail repair crew...
I hope your will's in
order, Commander.
Everything squared away?
Standing tall, sir.
I've got your power and
alignment cables hooked up
so you can inspect them.
You do good work, Griggs.
Your plane's got my name
on it, sir.
Gunnery Sergeant Galindez,
it says here that
you did some boxing.
Closer inspection of my
nose would confirm that, sir.
Is your nose any
indication on how you did?
I held my own, sir.
Especially when I
was fighting SEALs.
At ease, Gunny.
Well...
I can, uh, think of one you
might have some trouble with.
Now that you've established
a common interest, Admiral,
I was, uh, hoping
you'd be intrigued
by the breadth
of the gunnery
sergeant's experience.
Primary M.O.S. infantry.
Secondary M.O.S.
criminal investigation.
Gunny at the basic
school the past 18 months.
So, why did you leave
the sheriff's department
to return to active duty?
I was shot, sir.
Go on.
We were busting a meth lab
outside Albuquerque.
Things got a little hairy with
the biker who ran the place,
and one of our guys panicked.
He put a bullet in my rear end.
One of, uh, your guys.
That's why I came back
to the Marine Corps, sir.
Better breed of people.
Navy, too?
I wouldn't know, sir.
Well, there are Navy
personnel in this office.
If you're going to
be the gunny here,
you're going to have
to deal with them.
If I'm going to be the
gunny here, Admiral,
they're going to
have to deal with me.
Badman One, this is Red Crown.
Peeping Tom bearing
025 at 65 miles.
Inbound mother.
Got him.
We have a contact.
Red Crown, Badman One.
Contact.
We'll take it from here.
Badman Three, Tuna
and I are going hunting.
The photo mission is yours.
Bring Boomer home
in one piece, huh?
You know I will.
Tuna, combat spread.
Cover my six.
Roger.
Nothing visual yet, Skates.
Check right ten degrees.
Ten miles.
Eight miles.
Start your turn now.
Tally ho! Tom's in sight.
Let's go say hello.
Knock, knock, knock.
I think he's ignoring us.
464-Charlie-Lima,
be advised: we are
conducting hazardous
flight activity.
You are standing into danger.
Turn north immediately.
Maybe he's deaf.
Let's find out if
he's blind, too.
Looks like he's
going to hang in there.
Him and a telescope that
can see for a hundred miles.
Okay, we do this the hard way.
Fuel dump!
All right!
Think he'll make it back
to wherever he came from?
Oh, yeah, and he'll
stay there a while, too.
Red Crown...
Badman One.
Say good-bye to Peeping Tom.
Red Crown copies.
Bravo Zulu, Badman One.
Roger.
Switching back
to recon frequency.
Badman Three, Badman
One, requesting mission status.
Pappy, I've got a pop-up.
Armored vehicles converging
on inbound refugees.
Suspect refugees in danger.
Badman Three, if you
haven't been shot at
and photo bird is clear,
recommend disengage.
I can't. They're going
after those refugees.
Tuna, close formation.
I smoked them good, Boomer.
Oh, you are the man, X.
Plus, you get all the luck.
Oh, yeah.
Is this the man?
Is this the man?
Something wrong, CAG?
Lieutenant Buxton,
did you attack vehicles
on the highway east of Zlata?
Yes, sir. Serb
armor about to cut off
a group of refugees, sir.
Those Serbs, Lieutenant Buxton,
were Russian peacekeepers.
You killed three of
their senior officers.