JAG (1995–2005): Season 9, Episode 4 - The One That Got Away - full transcript
Go, go, go!
MAN:
Pruitt!
Come on!
Coming through!
(screams)
Marine down!
You all right?
Yeah.
Looks like your rucksack
saved your ass.
Literally.
You need help?
You all right?
I got it. Get going.
Coming through!
CHEGWIDDEN:
It was a classic Force Recon
search-and-destroy mission.
Objective
was a fiber-optic cable
connecting Iraqi
armored positions
to command and control
in Baghdad.
Code name:
Operation Sidewinder.
Yes, sir.
I remember
reading the news reports
after Baghdad fell.
POWs were released.
Yeah. Only three of the six
were captured.
Two were killed
during the E and E,
and one, by some miracle,
made it across the
border to Syria.
By humping it 200 miles
across the desert on foot.
No food
and barely any water.
How is that
even possible?
You ever met
a Force Recon marine?
A few. Can't say I got
to know them that well.
Well, you will now.
One of the surviving marines
has been charged
with dereliction of duty.
Sergeant Christopher A. Ambrose.
You two will be handling
the Article 32.
Colonel, it's probably best
that you defend.
Excuse me, sir, but
isn't Ambrose the one
who made it out safely?
Yes, he is.
And apparently,
his regimental commander
is not happy
about the way he did it.
Well, good morning,
ma'am, sir.
Hey, Bud.
Lieutenant.
Uh, I was curious.
Has either one of you
heard from Commander Rabb?
You mean former
Commander Rabb.
(sighs)
That's right, ma'am.
It's kind of hard for me
to think of him any other way.
Some of us are too busy
to think of him at all.
I've, uh, checked in with him,
but I haven't heard back.
Well, it's weird.
It's like he
just disappeared.
Well, that's what they do
in the CIA.
I'm sure he'll touch base
as soon as he can.
Well, I guess.
I just hope everything
is all right.
Harm and the phrase,
"Everything is all right,"
don't usually
go together.
Well, yeah, but...
Colonel, Force Recon
is based at Camp Lejeune--
we should
probably get down there
soon as we can.
Yeah, of course.
You want me to...
That's okay.
I'll make the call
and set it up.
Great.
I take it you two
haven't fully
worked things out.
Oh, but...
I don't blame him.
It was my mistake,
and it was his career
that suffered.
Don't worry, Bud.
Commander Turner
will get over it,
and Harm will call.
"Pura Vida".
"Pure Life," ironic name
for a CIA front company.
Forget you ever saw it.
So what is this place, anyway?
The Directorate for
Development Plans Area.
I thought
that was Area 51.
Uh, DDP
hasn't been there
for years.
MAN:
It's kind of difficult
to do top secret
flight ops, huh,
on a base surrounded
by tourists with telescopes
and video cameras.
Andy Watson,
meet Harmon Rabb.
Nice to meet you.
Andy's going to be
your new copilot.
I was just getting used
to flying with O'Neil.
Get used to not
getting used
to anything around here.
Don't worry.
He can fly
anything with wings.
And a few without.
BLAISDELL:
Andy got his master's
in aeronautical engineering
from Purdue,
and then Lockheed put him
through their test pilot program
at Farnborough.
Not a bad deal.
I could have done
better in the navy.
Why didn't you?
(laughs)
I grew up in Berkeley.
My parents
would have killed me
if I went
into the military.
And now?
Oh, they don't have
a need to know.
Yeah, you see
why I like this guy?
Well, are you two
ready to get started?
On what?
You're going to do some training
on one of our new ISR platforms.
I don't care what we do
as long as we do it
in air-conditioning.
Well, drop your gear
in your quarters
and report for indoctrination.
Gentlemen, you got
a lot of work to do.
(jet zooms overhead)
Colonel, we have a 1430
meeting at Camp Lejeune
with Major General Kubin.
General Kubin's
the convening authority?
Do you know him?
His daughter died
during a routine operation
at a naval hospital.
Harm and I did
the JAGMAN investigation
of the doctor's standard
of care.
Judging by your
reaction to his name,
I assume it
didn't go well.
The general was accused
of using his command position
to intimidate a witness.
It nearly cost him
his career.
Why didn't it?
Because he was a good marine
with an unblemished record
who was convinced
a navy doctor's malpractice
caused his daughter's death.
I see.
And he also happened
to be right.
I don't care
how far he walked.
He ditched an encrypted
radio com set,
and he left his team
and made a run
for the border
on his own.
General, Sergeant Ambrose claims
he lost the radio
during the firefight
and got separated from
the others during a sandstorm.
A marine doesn't lose
anything in combat, Colonel.
He carries it
or he drops it.
And if he couldn't find
his team 20 feet away,
how in the hell did he find
the border 200 miles away?
We'll definitely look
into that, sir.
We already have
interviews scheduled
with the surviving members
of the team, sir.
We should be able to have
the hearing within a week.
Not good enough.
Sir?
It's just an
Article 32, Commander.
It's not a court-martial.
Read the after-action reports,
interview the marines
and hold your hearing.
Two days should be plenty.
Sir, when your daughter died,
you risked your entire career
to make sure
the investigation
left no stone unturned.
Don't you think Sergeant Ambrose
deserves the same?
Absolutely, Colonel.
But he also deserves to have it
done in a timely manner.
If the charges
against him are unfounded,
then he doesn't deserve
to have them hanging
over his head.
But if they're not,
I don't want him
hanging over ours.
Yes, sir.
WATSON:
They've probably mounted
a sensor array
on an F-117.
I just hope we're not
joysticking some UAV.
I haven't flown remote
since I was a kid.
What did you have?
A P-17 Stearman.
Gas, 1/24 scale.
Ooh. I had a Sopwith Camel.
Had the actual
fabric-stretched frame,
laminated mahogany prop...
(whoosh and boom)
Whoa!
Look, there it is
right there, 2:00.
What the hell is that?
It's definitely a Pulse
Detonation Wave engine.
Look at the contrail.
Ah, Pulse Det aircraft
are years off.
Well, apparently not.
That's an air breather
doing at least Mach six.
That's the Aurora.
The Aurora doesn't exist.
Neither does
Pura Vida Enterprises.
MacKENZIE:
You don't usually see
Recon marines in here.
It's the only place
I can work out
until the stress
fractures heal.
Your feet?
My feet, legs, spine.
I lost over 30 pounds
of muscle mass
in six days, ma'am.
The doctors
say my bones
have probably been
damaged permanently.
Well, at least you made it.
That's what I thought,
too, Colonel,
until I got charged.
What, you weren't expecting
an Article 32?
If there had been any way
to carry that radio,
I would have--
believe me--
but my ruck was shredded,
the shells were landing
all around me.
Why do you think
your teammates
want to make an issue of it?
General Kubin ordered the
hearing, not my teammates.
But he clearly
wouldn't have done it
unless they somehow
characterized
your actions as derelict.
Ma'am, I lost my GPS,
food and rescue beacon
with that ruck.
Why would
I leave teammates
who had all that?
Maybe you figured you
could move faster alone.
I got lost, Colonel.
I tried to double back,
but I must've
gotten disoriented
and gone
the opposite way.
You sure about
that, Sergeant?
Ma'am, after the first three
days alone,
my feet were so blistered
I could barely stand,
let alone walk.
The only thing
that kept me going
was the hope that
if I got out,
I could send back help.
I would gladly
have given my life
for any one
of those marines.
There's no way in hell
I would've left
them behind, Colonel.
(gunshots)
MAN (over speaker):
Cease fire, cease fire.
(whistle blows)
Clear and lock all weapons.
800 yards, no sonar,
no radar, no guidance.
We do use lasers,
but it's mostly just
gunpowder and gravity.
This is actually
the easy part.
And the hard?
I like to explain the job
as having two elements:
force and recon.
Recon's by far
the harder of the two.
Major, I read your
after-action report,
and I have to be honest.
You were remarkably
forgiving of a marine
who allegedly ditched
a communications set
and lost-- or even worse,
deserted-- his fellow Marines.
It was pretty chaotic
out there, Commander.
We were fighting
for our lives
with an entire Iraqi platoon
on our six.
But if Sergeant Ambrose
hadn't ditched the radio,
you may have been able to
call in close air support
or maybe even a
helo extraction.
Yes, sir.
And I put that
in my report.
And you also wrote
that it was possible
that the radio
had been damaged
and wouldn't have worked
even if Sergeant Ambrose
had kept it.
Yes, sir.
In fact,
nearly all the critiques
in your report
had similar
rationalizations.
I prefer to think of them
as realizations, Commander.
It's easy to find fault
when you're in
a leather chair
behind a desk.
Then why say anything
bad at all?
Sir, I didn't say
anything good or bad.
I just described
what happened.
What did happen, Major?
Ambrose!
Ambrose!
Ambrose,
hold up!
I heard a jet.
I'm going to try
to reach it with the MBITR.
I would strongly advise
against it, sir!
The Iraqis can triangulate
a beacon signal
just as easy as we can.
We have to keep moving.
Don't worry.
It'll only take a second.
To any call sign,
this is Bravo Two-One.
We are a ground call sign
and need immediate extraction!
Over!
(radio static buzzes)
Damn it!
Ambrose?
Ambrose!
We lost Ambrose!
He didn't get
lost, did he?
He went his own way and
left his team behind.
Sir, all I know
is I told him to stop.
I made the radio call,
and when I turned back
around, he was gone.
Did you conduct a search,
try to find him?
I couldn't risk splitting up
the team in those conditions.
But we did stay
at that position
for 20 minutes, hoping
he'd find his way back to us.
But Sergeant Ambrose didn't,
and the Iraqis did.
Yes, sir.
And that cost you
two men dead and
three captured.
MacKENZIE:
Good morning, Commander.
Good morning, Colonel.
Looks like you've
finally settled in.
Don't know if I'll ever actually
be able to do that in here.
Don't worry,
if Harm's ghost
is going to haunt anybody,
it's going to be me, not you.
A Yankee-One Class
nuclear sub.
Soviet?
You have to know the enemy
in order to defeat them.
Speaking of enemies,
I know it's not really
any of my business,
but you do realize
that Lieutenant Roberts
isn't one.
With friends like that,
I don't need enemies.
Don't you think
that's a little unfair?
We all make mistakes.
And we all have to deal
with the consequences.
And the consequence is
that you're gonna continue
to hold a grudge?
Look, I am doing my best
to be professional.
My credibility as an attorney
can't just be turned back on,
and neither can
my friendship with Bud.
I understand.
So, uh, how'd your meeting
go yesterday with Major Spain?
He's not exactly
what I expected.
And what'd you expect?
I think someone
a little more rigid.
Is that your view
of Marines, rigid?
Only in the most positive sense
of the word.
Spoken like a true Navy man.
Smooth.
I've been called worse.
So, you ready to talk plea?
Only if it's guilty
to all charges.
Come on, Sturgis.
You read
the after-action reports.
The only one who's sure Ambrose
is guilty is General Kubin,
and he wasn't even
on the same continent.
Sergeant Ambrose cut and ran.
He deserted
his fellow Marines.
I've been in a sandstorm
like that before.
The visibility gets so bad
you can't step
two feet out of
your own tent
without taking
a GPS reading first.
Well, you can make that point
at the hearing,
because there's definitely not
going to be a plea.
(door closes)
Gentlemen, I know the two of you
have extensive experience
in supersonic aircraft,
but I trust you still
have done your homework.
Doing our best, boss.
I haven't crammed this hard
since Farnborough.
Well, don't worry, the Aurora's
stability augmentation
is state of the art,
and I'll be monitoring the
entire flight from the AWACS.
Any questions?
Uh, just one.
Who made this oatmeal?
Not up to standards?
Oh, well,
you could lay bricks with it.
Well, seeing
as you'll be
sucking your lunch
through a straw,
I'll have to make it up
to you at dinner.
That'd be nice.
Lights.
I'm sure you know
that there's no
simulator or trainer
for the Aurora,
so we'll have to start off slow.
Your first flight
will be a short one.
You'll test a new Foliage
and Ground Penetrating Radar
over the Rockies.
You'll make a U-turn
over the Bering Strait,
go out over the Pacific
and test the SAT links.
You call that a short flight?
At Mach six, it is.
Lights.
Just remember, easy does it.
She's not as temperamental
as the SR-71,
but unstarts are still possible.
Well, the good news is
the PDW engines almost
never totally flame out.
You're right,
that is good.
And since the Aurora
can't stall,
she'll just depart
controlled flight.
What happens
if we can't regain control?
Just make sure the door's shut
on the ejection pod,
keep your arms
tight across your chest,
and let your seat
and suit take over.
Why are there stirrups
on the boots?
They connect your feet
to a ball joint
under the seat by a cable.
BLAISDELL:
Which, hopefully,
won't break your ankles
when it retracts
and sets your feet in place.
TECHNICIAN:
Better than having
your legs
torn off when you eject
at 4,000 miles per hour.
(chuckles):
Exactly how much testing
has been done on this seat?
Don't worry.
This aircraft can
practically take you
to the Moon and back.
One lap around
the North Pacific
is nothing... nothing.
A walk in the park.
See you both at dinner.
Ah, good morning, Colonel.
How did things go
down at Camp Lejeune?
Oh, as well as could
be expected, I guess.
I bet Commander Turner
was happy
to have me out of his way
for the day.
Well, if he was,
it certainly
wasn't reflected
in his mood this morning.
Are you on his list
now, too, ma'am?
Come on, Bud,
this isn't high school.
I know, you're right.
With Commander Turner's
anger at me
and the Admiral's anger
at Commander Rabb...
this used to be a lot more
pleasant place to work.
Speaking of unpleasant,
have you heard from Harm?
No, ma'am. I tried
his cell phone, no luck.
Hmm.
I tried calling the CIA,
they won't even admit
that he works there.
Maybe it's time
you called Mr. Webb
to see what
he knows, ma'am.
If I call Clayton,
the last thing
he's going to want
to talk about is Harm.
Really?
And that's all I'm going to say
before this really starts
to sound like high school.
Check with the Admiral.
Maybe Harm left an email
to forward
his messages to.
Ma'am, do I look dumb enough
to broach that subject
with the Admiral?
Think of it as brave,
Lieutenant.
98,240 feet.
Talk about
a room with a view, huh?
How's the reception back there?
Perfect. This Foliage
Penetrating Radar
is amazing.
What about
the Ground Penetrating?
Uh, detail's not great...
but considering the train
I'm tracking
is inside a tunnel carved
in granite, and we're
19 miles above
the ground,
I guess I shouldn't complain.
Critical Mach number,
five-point niner-niner.
You realize we're traveling
one-point-nine-eight times
faster than a
speeding bullet?
Might as well make it
an even number.
You ever made a U-turn
at Mach six before?
Can't say that I have.
Well, just watch your radius,
or we'll find ourselves
in Russian airspace.
It's not like they could do
anything about it if we did.
Well, they might
not be able to,
but I have a feeling
Blaisdell probably could.
Roger that.
WATSON:
Keep an eye on your Alpha, okay?
I don't want
my first ejection to be
over the Bering Sea.
How is it you were a test pilot
for ten years
but never punched out?
Good judgment?
You're questioning
my judgment, Watson?
No, no. But you did abandon
your Naval career
to undertake a personally
financed, unauthorized
undercover mission in a country
where you don't even
speak the language.
How did you know that?
I make it a point to thoroughly
prepare for every assignment.
Little something
I learned at Purdue.
You know what they say about
undergraduate education...
you get what you pay for.
Oh, do I detect a note of envy?
Naval Academy isn't free,
you know.
The government pays.
But that's how they treat their
best and brightest, I guess.
Oh, really?
Then why did the Navy send
Neil Armstrong to Purdue?
You want to talk Apollo?
Jim Lovell, Naval Academy.
Coming up on way point four.
Initiating turn.
We're still over bingo fuel.
Here's something I bet
they didn't teach at Annapolis.
How did you do that?
I'd tell, but then
I'd have to kill you.
(chuckles)
BLAISDELL:
Spectrum One,
this is Zebra Base.
I have a priority one change
in flight profile.
It is being data linked
with your NAV program.
We've just been vectored
to North Korea.
Must be a mistake.
Zebra Base,
this is Spectrum One.
Going to covered circuit.
Zebra Base, can you
reconfirm new flight profile?
Current vector has us
heading directly
into North Korean airspace.
BLAISDELL:
That's affirmative,
Spectrum One.
A new flight profile
has been confirmed,
with safe area way points
for three in-flight refuelings,
out and back.
Gentlemen, you are no longer
on training mode.
I repeat, your flight
has been redesignated
as a tactical sortie,
OPSEC level One-Alpha.
He can't just redesignate
us mid-flight
and send us to North Korea.
He just did.
Zebra Base,
this is Spectrum One.
Redesignation is confirmed.
We are now in tactical mission
mode at OPSEC level One-Alpha.
MacKENZIE:
Oh, excuse me, Admiral.
Do you have a minute?
No, but walk with me anyway.
Thank you, sir.
Sergeant Ambrose's Article 32
hearing is in ten minutes,
and I promise to be brief.
Well, I was supposed to meet
Meredith and a caterer
half an hour ago, so I'm going
to hold you to that.
Does that mean you two
have set a date, sir?
You know what I've
learned, Colonel?
That you don't set a date
for your own wedding.
The banquet hall does,
in consultation
with the caterer,
and the chaplain,
and the relatives...
and everyone's
in consultation
with everyone but you.
I'm sure it'll all work out.
Well, I hope so,
or I may switch
the whole damn thing
from Annapolis to Vegas.
I'm sure my wedding plans
aren't the reason you're
here to talk to me.
Actually, sir, I wanted to talk
to you about Commander Turner.
Go.
He's taking a hard-line stance
on the Ambrose case.
And that's
problematic for you?
It's more confusing
than problematic, sir.
Even General Kubin
allowed for the possibility
that Sergeant Ambrose might not
be guilty of the charges.
It's not
Commander Turner's job
to allow for that
possibility, Colonel.
It's yours.
I understand, sir.
But the objective should be
the pursuit of justice,
not just to win a case.
Well, Commander Turner
may feel he has more to prove
other than just his case,
and considering recent events,
I can't much blame him.
But is that fair
to Sergeant Ambrose?
Life's not fair, Colonel.
Deal with it.
Sir, I also don't think
Commander Turner
fully understands what
it's like to be on a
Spec OPs mission.
Just because
mistakes were made
doesn't mean there was
dereliction of duty.
From what I hear,
it was more than
just a mistake
made in the fog of war.
Sir, none of
the survivors
Sergeant Ambrose
supposedly deserted
seem eager to testify
against him.
Even Major Spain,
the senior man on the mission,
was initially reluctant.
Colonel... maybe it's you
who doesn't understand
what it's like to be
in Special Operations.
Sir?
Men in Spec Op are like
SEALS, Force Recon.
They aren't like brothers,
they are brothers.
You think Major Spain's
protecting Sergeant Ambrose
out of loyalty?
Maybe. Could be
something else.
(sighs)
Zebra Base, this is Spectrum One
at way point Charlie one-niner.
Refueling is complete and
we are approaching denied area.
Rapidly.
Repeat:
We are rapidly approaching
North Korean airspace,
awaiting further tasking.
BLAISDELL:
Spectrum One,
this is Zebra Base.
Our HUMINT source
in Kaesong reports
three North Korean
armored divisions
have entered tunnels
leading directly down
to the DMZ.
Three divisions?!
That's over 50,000 men!
What the hell kind of tunnels
are we talking about?
Think Grand Central Station
with tanks instead of trains.
The North Koreans have been
digging these tunnels
for the last few years.
Looks like they may have
just finished.
What's Seoul's response?
Well, that depends on what
you're able to find out,
Spectrum One.
The only way to keep Seoul
from being
wiped off the face of the map
would be for us to launch
a preemptive blitzkrieg
of our own.
Attack while the lion sleeps.
Affirmative. On the other hand,
if our source is wrong,
and there's nothing in
those tunnels but bulldozers
and the poor sandhogs who've
been forced to dig 'em, well...
WATSON:
Zebra Base,
I'm still calibrating
Ground Penetrating frequency.
I'm not sure I'll be able
to tell the difference
between a tank and a bulldozer.
Andy, just get
as much data as you can.
I got analysts standing by
on the SAT link
who'll be able to help us out.
Wilco.
And make it fast,
before that DMZ becomes an EMZ.
EMZ, sir?
Extremely Militarized Zone.
Roger that. Out.
WATSON:
Target data's been uploaded.
Way point One-Alpha
is at 37 degrees,
57 minutes north,
129 degrees, 22 minutes east.
RABB:
Roger that.
We're still over bingo fuel.
Let me know
when we enter the denied area.
Wilco.
Just keep the pedal
to the metal, okay?
I want to keep this little visit
as short as possible.
That shouldn't be a problem.
(engines whoosh)
Major Spain, exactly what
was Sergeant Ambrose's
dereliction of duty
during Operation Sidewinder?
He left our com set
behind when he
ditched his ruck,
and separated from the team
during the escape and evasion.
Isn't it true
that there are four things
a Marine should never ditch,
no matter how bad it gets?
The med kit, the com set,
ammo and water.
Yes, sir.
Did the man responsible
for the med kit keep his ruck?
Yes, sir.
And because he did,
Corporal Pluta
was able to treat
the shrapnel wounds
on Sergeant Ambrose's leg,
isn't that correct?
Yes, sir.
Major, if
Sergeant Ambrose
had maintained the com set
with the same diligence Corporal
Pluta gave to the med kit,
do you think Corporal Pluta
might still be alive today?
Yes, sir.
I believe he would.
Nothing further.
Major, wasn't it your
responsibility to make sure
Sergeant Ambrose confirmed
your order to stop
in the sandstorm?
Yes, ma'am.
And with the visibility
being so poor,
shouldn't you have
made sure that
he was on your six
before you walked off?
Yes, I suppose I should have,
but, ma'am...
So one could just as easily
claim that it was you
who deserted Sergeant Ambrose
in the storm,
and not the
other way around.
TURNER:
Objection, Your Honor.
Argumentative.
Your Honor, if this is about
how one Marine's mistakes
caused three men to be captured
and two to die,
we should at least be sure
we have the right Marine.
No one would've been
captured or killed
if he would've just...
Just what, Major?
Nothing.
You're right, Colonel.
It was my responsibility
to make sure
Sergeant Ambrose
stayed with the team.
Yeah, but you were
just about to tell us
how everyone
could've been saved.
Major, if Sergeant Ambrose
failed to do anything
that would've prevented
the deaths of two Marines,
I don't see why you would want
to keep it from this hearing.
The Colonel's right, Major.
If you have information
pertinent to this matter,
I want to hear it.
Now.
Yes, ma'am.
Our staging position
was only a few hundred yards
from an enemy platoon.
(no audio)
(goats bleating nearby)
(bleating)
SPAIN:
He went right
to the Iraqi platoon.
Told them where we were.
Surely you don't think
Sergeant Ambrose's decision
not to kill the child
was a dereliction of duty.
Sergeant Ambrose
volunteered for the mission
knowing full well
what it might entail.
Major, the ROE's
prohibited the use
of deadly force
against noncombatants unless
there was an imminent threat.
How could we be sure anyone
was a noncombatant?
The Fedayeen weren't
wearing uniforms,
and I've seen kids
younger than the one
who spotted us
shooting weapons,
wearing explosive belts.
While they were tending
a herd of goats?
Ma'am,
given our close proximity
to the enemy,
anyone with two feet and a mouth
was an imminent threat
and had to be treated as such.
Major, if you really
believe that,
why did you omit the incident
from your after-action report?
Because you knew
that ordering your men
to shoot first
and ask questions later
was a direct violation of the
rules of engagement, didn't you?
Colonel,
with all due respect,
lawyers get to interpret
those rules from behind a desk.
When you're hiding
in a ditch,
so close to the enemy
you can smell their chow,
it's not quite so easy.
So, yes, ma'am,
we sometimes took a live mag
on a training op, just in case.
Or would lock and load
on a helo insertion
instead of waiting until
we actually took fire.
Or cleared a cave with a grenade
instead of a four-man team.
You ordered your team
to ignore the rules
of engagement, didn't you?
I ordered my men to not allow
anything or anyone
to stand in the way
of mission completion.
Killing is never easy,
I don't care who it is.
But neither is watching
two of your best friends...
(breathing deeply)
...and having to tell
their parents,
their wives, their kids
that they're never gonna
see their dads again,
ever!
And knowing that there's
no reason but cowardice
that it had to be
this way.
I'm sorry for your loss, Major,
but I still need you
to answer my question.
Did you make an agreement
with your men
to ignore
the rules of engagement?
Yes, ma'am.
GP is dialed in
and ready to go.
BLAISDELL:
Spectrum One,
this is Zebra Base.
I'd advise you slow up a bit.
Make sure Andy gets a good look.
Roger that, Zebra.
(engines decelerating)
Got an R light on the ECM panel.
That's all right.
At that speed,
they can search their radar
all they want.
That's easy for you to say,
Zebra Base.
Andy, let me know if
we get an M light, huh?
Wilco.
(loud boom)
What the hell?
Alpha within limit.
Spectrum One,
was that an unstart?
I'm not sure, Zebra.
ICS spike and bypass doors
are stable,
but it looks like we lost power
in the starboard engine.
ADS and hydraulics
are stable.
Starboard has flamed out.
The starboard restart
switch is on.
B yaw SAS axis falling off-line.
We're losing altitude.
That's all right.
You got plenty to give.
Port just flamed out!
What the hell's going on?!
Switching inlet controls
to manual.
WATSON:
Both restart switches on!
We need to abort.
We'll never complete the pass
if we have to go subsonic
to restart.
BLAISDELL:
Take it easy.
Harm, do you have
post gyration departure
under control?
Affirmative, Zebra.
For now.
Then don't worry.
Andy, you just take pictures.
Harm'll get the engines started.
We've crossed the border.
And we just got an M light.
They're tracking us.
What's our speed?
Mach 4.1 and falling fast.
We need to turn around.
If we can restart,
we can come back.
And if we don't, we won't
get the information they need.
We need to abort now,
before it's too late.
We still have time-- we have
speed and altitude
we can give up.
But if you can't get
the engines started...
I'll get the engines started,
don't worry!
I'm sorry, Colonel,
I should've told you
about the kid.
You're damn right you should've.
I figured if they didn't
mention it, why should I?
I know what I did
was morally right,
I just didn't know
if it was legally right.
Well, it was.
Major Spain's
order was illegal,
and therefore you were under
no obligation to obey it.
Colonel, I won't put
the blame on others.
Talking about the order
or trying to shift blame
would not only damage
Major Spain's reputation
and threaten the careers
of my teammates,
but also tarnish the memory
of two good men
who gave their lives
for this country.
Major Spain's career
is already over,
I can guarantee you that.
I won't dishonor
the Marine Corps, ma'am.
Sergeant,
do you believe
you should be court-martialed
for sparing
the life of that boy?
No, ma'am.
Well, then you're going to have
to take the stand and say that.
(knocks on door)
We need to talk.
Come on in.
I know you were hoping
to preempt this,
but, uh, I have no choice
but to add to the charges:
willful disobedience
and misbehavior
before the enemy.
That shepherd boy
was not the enemy,
which is why even your witness
admitted that killing him
would've violated the
rules of engagement.
An order based on an "any threat
is an imminent threat" policy
is only illegal
if the perceived threat
turns out not to be real.
Come on, Sturgis, how could
a ten-year-old shepherd boy
pose an imminent threat?
Well, look what he did, Mac--
he ran right to the enemy.
What should the Marines
have done,
offered him some chocolate?
Major Spain could've
ordered him captured and tied up
until they'd completed
their mission.
The team was
constantly on the move--
leaving a restrained prisoner
alone in the desert would be
fatal, just as sure as a knife.
The United States military
does not sanction
the preemptive killing
of noncombatants
simply because they may at
some future point pose a threat.
They most certainly do, Colonel.
In Somalia, when crowds
swarmed the downed Blackhawks,
were the Delta snipers who
went in to protect the pilots
required to distinguish between
those who had murderous intent
and those who just wanted
to see a helo up close?
Major Spain made
a command decision
that anyone with
two feet and a mouth
was a direct
and imminent threat.
Sergeant Ambrose
was legally obligated
to accept that assessment
and act accordingly,
ten-year-old child or not.
BLAISDELL:
It's a thermocline
at 54,000 feet.
You should be able to get
ignition there at the latest.
Zebra, we're already
in the missile envelope.
Well, look, even if
they're able to lock in,
at the rate you're losing
altitude, they'll probably think
you've already been blown
out of the sky.
Well, it wouldn't be
far from the truth.
Andy, are you getting
anything yet?
I'm finding significant
ground voids,
but I can't get a good read
on what's inside.
I think they've rigged ECMs
to make it look
like they're filled with water.
Maybe it is water.
Let's hope so.
We've got an L light.
They've launched.
Turning off the ECM jammer.
How much longer do you need?
If we maintain current
heading, about 45 seconds.
Maintaining
current heading.
Speed is Mach two and falling.
We need to get back
over Mach three
or we're toast.
I'm working on it.
Just keep your eye
on that radar.
Incoming missile closing
at Mach 2.4.
Through the thermocline.
Hold on.
I'm gonna go subsonic.
Oh, geez.
If this doesn't work,
prepare to eject.
Come on.
Come on!
We've got ignition
in both engines.
Let's get the hell
out of here.
You all right? Harm?
We're still here,
Zebra Base.
Andy, are you getting anything,
are you transmitting?
Negative.
The acceleration
knocked the SAT link
off-line.
Oh, great. Now what?
All right, boys, uh,
are you up for another Mach six
U-turn?
Sergeant, could you explain
to the court
why you chose not to execute
the Iraqi boy
as you were directed to
by your senior officer?
I just couldn't do it.
Because?
He wasn't
the enemy, ma'am.
He was just
an innocent kid.
But you realized what
this meant for your team?
It meant we'd have to
fight our way out
of enemy territory.
That's exactly what
we're trained to do.
Not kill kids.
Do you really believe
one boy's life was worth
risking the lives
of the men on your team?
I just know
I did the right thing.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Sergeant Ambrose,
when Colonel MacKenzie
asked you why you did
what you did, you said you...
"just couldn't do it."
Yes, sir.
Not you chose not to do it,
or you didn't want
to do it, but that
you just couldn't do it.
I guess, sir.
It isn't easy killing
another human being, is it?
No, sir, it's not.
But prior to your
team's insertion,
the six of you went over
the plan in detail,
and discussed
the very situation
that you ended up
encountering.
That of an unarmed civilian
stumbling upon
your staging position.
We did, sir.
But we never talked about
it being a little kid.
But on principle,
before the mission began,
you had no objection to killing
an unarmed noncombatant,
when weighed against
a compromise
that would not only
endanger the six Marines
on your team,
but hundreds
of Marines involved
in an emergency extraction,
isn't that correct?
I guess, Commander.
Yes or no, Sergeant?
Yes, sir!
So, in fact,
it wasn't principle
nor the ROE's
that kept you
from carrying out your duties,
it was cowardice.
Objection, Your Honor.
Argumentative.
Sustained.
I'll rephrase. When Major Spain
gave you the signal
and you pulled your K-Bar,
a knife specifically designed
for the killing
other human beings,
was it principle or cowardice
that motivated
your subsequent inaction?
Principle, sir.
So, in the final moments
before your team
was inserted
into enemy territory,
and the six of you looked
each other in the eye
and promised "Semper Fi,"
what you were really
thinking was "Saepe Fi"?
Sir?
Sometimes faithful?
No, sir. Absolutely not.
It had to be one
of the two, Sergeant.
Either you went into Iraq
knowing you may have to do
something you weren't
willing to do, or you were
willing to fulfill
the promises you
made to the team,
but when the time came
you just couldn't do it.
And isn't that the very
definition of cowardice?
Could you kill a kid,
Commander?
JUDGE:
You're up there
to answer questions,
not ask them, Sergeant.
Actually, I'd
like to answer
that question,
Your Honor.
Briefly,
Commander.
From a thousand miles away
with a Trident missile
I could absolutely kill a child.
But with my bare hands,
after looking
into his eyes
and seeing the fear,
the... confusion,
the humanity,
eh, probably not.
But we all know
I don't belong in Force Recon.
The question is:
Do you, Sergeant?
I thought I did.
Is that what
the Marines
on your team deserved?
A teammate who thought
he could get the job done?
No, sir.
Nothing further.
BLAISDELL
How're we doing, Spectrum One?
I don't know, Zebra--
I'm still not sure if that
was really water in the tunnels
or a jamming signal.
What do you need?
Harm, they're throwing
everything but the kitchen sink
at us, okay?
If we get another unstart...
Andy, just tell him
what you need.
I can't believe
I'm gonna say this,
but if you slowed up
a little bit,
I might be able to get
a little more detail.
Isn't that what got us
into trouble the first time?
Well, if
it happens again, at least this
time we're headed out to sea.
I thought you didn't
want to eject.
I don't.
So whatever you did
last time... don't.
All I did was ease off
the throttle a little.
Well, ease off easier.
RABB:
How's that?
That's good.
Just a little more.
Better?
That's it.
That's it, I got it.
It's definitely water.
There's nothing
in those tunnels but water.
You're sure?
Affirmative.
Accelerating back to Mach six.
Their source
must've heard
the workers
had been kicked out
of the tunnels
and assumed it was because
someone else was going in.
I guess not for a while, unless
they're wearing scuba gear.
Approaching way point
three-Bravo.
Zebra Base,
this is Spectrum One.
Approaching way point
three-Bravo.
Request confirmation of target
assessment and permission
to leave denied area and refuel.
Target assessment
is confirmed, Spectrum One.
Good work.
Great work, both of you.
Now, you still think
that training missions
aren't any fun?
All I can say is you better have
one hell of a dinner planned.
(laughs):
Don't worry, we do.
JUDGE:
This was definitely not
an easy decision to come to.
But with regard to the charge
of dereliction of duty,
I do not believe
the defendant's actions
during the escape and evasion
rise to the level
of willful negligence,
and therefore recommend that
no disciplinary action be taken.
But...
as to the additional charges
of willful disobedience
and misbehavior
before the enemy--
while I certainly do not
take the use of deadly force
against civilians lightly--
the rules of engagement
did allow such action
under very limited
circumstances.
Major Spain's order
to neutralize the threat
is therefore presumed
to be lawful.
I find that reasonable
grounds exist
to believe the accused
committed the offenses
and to recommend
they be disposed of
at general court-martial.
This hearing is adjourned.
I appreciate
your help, ma'am.
You haven't been found guilty
of anything yet, Sergeant.
They still have
to prove their case
beyond a reasonable doubt
at a court-martial.
No, they won't, Colonel.
I'm not gonna contest
the charges.
I'm gonna plead guilty.
But why? You did the
right thing, Sergeant.
Commander Turner
was right.
If I couldn't do what
my fellow Marines
expected of me,
I should never have
gone on that op.
(sighs)
I made a promise
I couldn't keep.
Because of it
two men are dead.
Must be nice.
What's that?
To be above it all.
"I wouldn't do it,
but that doesn't mean it
shouldn't be done."
Mac...
Now, that's cowardly.
MAN:
Pruitt!
Come on!
Coming through!
(screams)
Marine down!
You all right?
Yeah.
Looks like your rucksack
saved your ass.
Literally.
You need help?
You all right?
I got it. Get going.
Coming through!
CHEGWIDDEN:
It was a classic Force Recon
search-and-destroy mission.
Objective
was a fiber-optic cable
connecting Iraqi
armored positions
to command and control
in Baghdad.
Code name:
Operation Sidewinder.
Yes, sir.
I remember
reading the news reports
after Baghdad fell.
POWs were released.
Yeah. Only three of the six
were captured.
Two were killed
during the E and E,
and one, by some miracle,
made it across the
border to Syria.
By humping it 200 miles
across the desert on foot.
No food
and barely any water.
How is that
even possible?
You ever met
a Force Recon marine?
A few. Can't say I got
to know them that well.
Well, you will now.
One of the surviving marines
has been charged
with dereliction of duty.
Sergeant Christopher A. Ambrose.
You two will be handling
the Article 32.
Colonel, it's probably best
that you defend.
Excuse me, sir, but
isn't Ambrose the one
who made it out safely?
Yes, he is.
And apparently,
his regimental commander
is not happy
about the way he did it.
Well, good morning,
ma'am, sir.
Hey, Bud.
Lieutenant.
Uh, I was curious.
Has either one of you
heard from Commander Rabb?
You mean former
Commander Rabb.
(sighs)
That's right, ma'am.
It's kind of hard for me
to think of him any other way.
Some of us are too busy
to think of him at all.
I've, uh, checked in with him,
but I haven't heard back.
Well, it's weird.
It's like he
just disappeared.
Well, that's what they do
in the CIA.
I'm sure he'll touch base
as soon as he can.
Well, I guess.
I just hope everything
is all right.
Harm and the phrase,
"Everything is all right,"
don't usually
go together.
Well, yeah, but...
Colonel, Force Recon
is based at Camp Lejeune--
we should
probably get down there
soon as we can.
Yeah, of course.
You want me to...
That's okay.
I'll make the call
and set it up.
Great.
I take it you two
haven't fully
worked things out.
Oh, but...
I don't blame him.
It was my mistake,
and it was his career
that suffered.
Don't worry, Bud.
Commander Turner
will get over it,
and Harm will call.
"Pura Vida".
"Pure Life," ironic name
for a CIA front company.
Forget you ever saw it.
So what is this place, anyway?
The Directorate for
Development Plans Area.
I thought
that was Area 51.
Uh, DDP
hasn't been there
for years.
MAN:
It's kind of difficult
to do top secret
flight ops, huh,
on a base surrounded
by tourists with telescopes
and video cameras.
Andy Watson,
meet Harmon Rabb.
Nice to meet you.
Andy's going to be
your new copilot.
I was just getting used
to flying with O'Neil.
Get used to not
getting used
to anything around here.
Don't worry.
He can fly
anything with wings.
And a few without.
BLAISDELL:
Andy got his master's
in aeronautical engineering
from Purdue,
and then Lockheed put him
through their test pilot program
at Farnborough.
Not a bad deal.
I could have done
better in the navy.
Why didn't you?
(laughs)
I grew up in Berkeley.
My parents
would have killed me
if I went
into the military.
And now?
Oh, they don't have
a need to know.
Yeah, you see
why I like this guy?
Well, are you two
ready to get started?
On what?
You're going to do some training
on one of our new ISR platforms.
I don't care what we do
as long as we do it
in air-conditioning.
Well, drop your gear
in your quarters
and report for indoctrination.
Gentlemen, you got
a lot of work to do.
(jet zooms overhead)
Colonel, we have a 1430
meeting at Camp Lejeune
with Major General Kubin.
General Kubin's
the convening authority?
Do you know him?
His daughter died
during a routine operation
at a naval hospital.
Harm and I did
the JAGMAN investigation
of the doctor's standard
of care.
Judging by your
reaction to his name,
I assume it
didn't go well.
The general was accused
of using his command position
to intimidate a witness.
It nearly cost him
his career.
Why didn't it?
Because he was a good marine
with an unblemished record
who was convinced
a navy doctor's malpractice
caused his daughter's death.
I see.
And he also happened
to be right.
I don't care
how far he walked.
He ditched an encrypted
radio com set,
and he left his team
and made a run
for the border
on his own.
General, Sergeant Ambrose claims
he lost the radio
during the firefight
and got separated from
the others during a sandstorm.
A marine doesn't lose
anything in combat, Colonel.
He carries it
or he drops it.
And if he couldn't find
his team 20 feet away,
how in the hell did he find
the border 200 miles away?
We'll definitely look
into that, sir.
We already have
interviews scheduled
with the surviving members
of the team, sir.
We should be able to have
the hearing within a week.
Not good enough.
Sir?
It's just an
Article 32, Commander.
It's not a court-martial.
Read the after-action reports,
interview the marines
and hold your hearing.
Two days should be plenty.
Sir, when your daughter died,
you risked your entire career
to make sure
the investigation
left no stone unturned.
Don't you think Sergeant Ambrose
deserves the same?
Absolutely, Colonel.
But he also deserves to have it
done in a timely manner.
If the charges
against him are unfounded,
then he doesn't deserve
to have them hanging
over his head.
But if they're not,
I don't want him
hanging over ours.
Yes, sir.
WATSON:
They've probably mounted
a sensor array
on an F-117.
I just hope we're not
joysticking some UAV.
I haven't flown remote
since I was a kid.
What did you have?
A P-17 Stearman.
Gas, 1/24 scale.
Ooh. I had a Sopwith Camel.
Had the actual
fabric-stretched frame,
laminated mahogany prop...
(whoosh and boom)
Whoa!
Look, there it is
right there, 2:00.
What the hell is that?
It's definitely a Pulse
Detonation Wave engine.
Look at the contrail.
Ah, Pulse Det aircraft
are years off.
Well, apparently not.
That's an air breather
doing at least Mach six.
That's the Aurora.
The Aurora doesn't exist.
Neither does
Pura Vida Enterprises.
MacKENZIE:
You don't usually see
Recon marines in here.
It's the only place
I can work out
until the stress
fractures heal.
Your feet?
My feet, legs, spine.
I lost over 30 pounds
of muscle mass
in six days, ma'am.
The doctors
say my bones
have probably been
damaged permanently.
Well, at least you made it.
That's what I thought,
too, Colonel,
until I got charged.
What, you weren't expecting
an Article 32?
If there had been any way
to carry that radio,
I would have--
believe me--
but my ruck was shredded,
the shells were landing
all around me.
Why do you think
your teammates
want to make an issue of it?
General Kubin ordered the
hearing, not my teammates.
But he clearly
wouldn't have done it
unless they somehow
characterized
your actions as derelict.
Ma'am, I lost my GPS,
food and rescue beacon
with that ruck.
Why would
I leave teammates
who had all that?
Maybe you figured you
could move faster alone.
I got lost, Colonel.
I tried to double back,
but I must've
gotten disoriented
and gone
the opposite way.
You sure about
that, Sergeant?
Ma'am, after the first three
days alone,
my feet were so blistered
I could barely stand,
let alone walk.
The only thing
that kept me going
was the hope that
if I got out,
I could send back help.
I would gladly
have given my life
for any one
of those marines.
There's no way in hell
I would've left
them behind, Colonel.
(gunshots)
MAN (over speaker):
Cease fire, cease fire.
(whistle blows)
Clear and lock all weapons.
800 yards, no sonar,
no radar, no guidance.
We do use lasers,
but it's mostly just
gunpowder and gravity.
This is actually
the easy part.
And the hard?
I like to explain the job
as having two elements:
force and recon.
Recon's by far
the harder of the two.
Major, I read your
after-action report,
and I have to be honest.
You were remarkably
forgiving of a marine
who allegedly ditched
a communications set
and lost-- or even worse,
deserted-- his fellow Marines.
It was pretty chaotic
out there, Commander.
We were fighting
for our lives
with an entire Iraqi platoon
on our six.
But if Sergeant Ambrose
hadn't ditched the radio,
you may have been able to
call in close air support
or maybe even a
helo extraction.
Yes, sir.
And I put that
in my report.
And you also wrote
that it was possible
that the radio
had been damaged
and wouldn't have worked
even if Sergeant Ambrose
had kept it.
Yes, sir.
In fact,
nearly all the critiques
in your report
had similar
rationalizations.
I prefer to think of them
as realizations, Commander.
It's easy to find fault
when you're in
a leather chair
behind a desk.
Then why say anything
bad at all?
Sir, I didn't say
anything good or bad.
I just described
what happened.
What did happen, Major?
Ambrose!
Ambrose!
Ambrose,
hold up!
I heard a jet.
I'm going to try
to reach it with the MBITR.
I would strongly advise
against it, sir!
The Iraqis can triangulate
a beacon signal
just as easy as we can.
We have to keep moving.
Don't worry.
It'll only take a second.
To any call sign,
this is Bravo Two-One.
We are a ground call sign
and need immediate extraction!
Over!
(radio static buzzes)
Damn it!
Ambrose?
Ambrose!
We lost Ambrose!
He didn't get
lost, did he?
He went his own way and
left his team behind.
Sir, all I know
is I told him to stop.
I made the radio call,
and when I turned back
around, he was gone.
Did you conduct a search,
try to find him?
I couldn't risk splitting up
the team in those conditions.
But we did stay
at that position
for 20 minutes, hoping
he'd find his way back to us.
But Sergeant Ambrose didn't,
and the Iraqis did.
Yes, sir.
And that cost you
two men dead and
three captured.
MacKENZIE:
Good morning, Commander.
Good morning, Colonel.
Looks like you've
finally settled in.
Don't know if I'll ever actually
be able to do that in here.
Don't worry,
if Harm's ghost
is going to haunt anybody,
it's going to be me, not you.
A Yankee-One Class
nuclear sub.
Soviet?
You have to know the enemy
in order to defeat them.
Speaking of enemies,
I know it's not really
any of my business,
but you do realize
that Lieutenant Roberts
isn't one.
With friends like that,
I don't need enemies.
Don't you think
that's a little unfair?
We all make mistakes.
And we all have to deal
with the consequences.
And the consequence is
that you're gonna continue
to hold a grudge?
Look, I am doing my best
to be professional.
My credibility as an attorney
can't just be turned back on,
and neither can
my friendship with Bud.
I understand.
So, uh, how'd your meeting
go yesterday with Major Spain?
He's not exactly
what I expected.
And what'd you expect?
I think someone
a little more rigid.
Is that your view
of Marines, rigid?
Only in the most positive sense
of the word.
Spoken like a true Navy man.
Smooth.
I've been called worse.
So, you ready to talk plea?
Only if it's guilty
to all charges.
Come on, Sturgis.
You read
the after-action reports.
The only one who's sure Ambrose
is guilty is General Kubin,
and he wasn't even
on the same continent.
Sergeant Ambrose cut and ran.
He deserted
his fellow Marines.
I've been in a sandstorm
like that before.
The visibility gets so bad
you can't step
two feet out of
your own tent
without taking
a GPS reading first.
Well, you can make that point
at the hearing,
because there's definitely not
going to be a plea.
(door closes)
Gentlemen, I know the two of you
have extensive experience
in supersonic aircraft,
but I trust you still
have done your homework.
Doing our best, boss.
I haven't crammed this hard
since Farnborough.
Well, don't worry, the Aurora's
stability augmentation
is state of the art,
and I'll be monitoring the
entire flight from the AWACS.
Any questions?
Uh, just one.
Who made this oatmeal?
Not up to standards?
Oh, well,
you could lay bricks with it.
Well, seeing
as you'll be
sucking your lunch
through a straw,
I'll have to make it up
to you at dinner.
That'd be nice.
Lights.
I'm sure you know
that there's no
simulator or trainer
for the Aurora,
so we'll have to start off slow.
Your first flight
will be a short one.
You'll test a new Foliage
and Ground Penetrating Radar
over the Rockies.
You'll make a U-turn
over the Bering Strait,
go out over the Pacific
and test the SAT links.
You call that a short flight?
At Mach six, it is.
Lights.
Just remember, easy does it.
She's not as temperamental
as the SR-71,
but unstarts are still possible.
Well, the good news is
the PDW engines almost
never totally flame out.
You're right,
that is good.
And since the Aurora
can't stall,
she'll just depart
controlled flight.
What happens
if we can't regain control?
Just make sure the door's shut
on the ejection pod,
keep your arms
tight across your chest,
and let your seat
and suit take over.
Why are there stirrups
on the boots?
They connect your feet
to a ball joint
under the seat by a cable.
BLAISDELL:
Which, hopefully,
won't break your ankles
when it retracts
and sets your feet in place.
TECHNICIAN:
Better than having
your legs
torn off when you eject
at 4,000 miles per hour.
(chuckles):
Exactly how much testing
has been done on this seat?
Don't worry.
This aircraft can
practically take you
to the Moon and back.
One lap around
the North Pacific
is nothing... nothing.
A walk in the park.
See you both at dinner.
Ah, good morning, Colonel.
How did things go
down at Camp Lejeune?
Oh, as well as could
be expected, I guess.
I bet Commander Turner
was happy
to have me out of his way
for the day.
Well, if he was,
it certainly
wasn't reflected
in his mood this morning.
Are you on his list
now, too, ma'am?
Come on, Bud,
this isn't high school.
I know, you're right.
With Commander Turner's
anger at me
and the Admiral's anger
at Commander Rabb...
this used to be a lot more
pleasant place to work.
Speaking of unpleasant,
have you heard from Harm?
No, ma'am. I tried
his cell phone, no luck.
Hmm.
I tried calling the CIA,
they won't even admit
that he works there.
Maybe it's time
you called Mr. Webb
to see what
he knows, ma'am.
If I call Clayton,
the last thing
he's going to want
to talk about is Harm.
Really?
And that's all I'm going to say
before this really starts
to sound like high school.
Check with the Admiral.
Maybe Harm left an email
to forward
his messages to.
Ma'am, do I look dumb enough
to broach that subject
with the Admiral?
Think of it as brave,
Lieutenant.
98,240 feet.
Talk about
a room with a view, huh?
How's the reception back there?
Perfect. This Foliage
Penetrating Radar
is amazing.
What about
the Ground Penetrating?
Uh, detail's not great...
but considering the train
I'm tracking
is inside a tunnel carved
in granite, and we're
19 miles above
the ground,
I guess I shouldn't complain.
Critical Mach number,
five-point niner-niner.
You realize we're traveling
one-point-nine-eight times
faster than a
speeding bullet?
Might as well make it
an even number.
You ever made a U-turn
at Mach six before?
Can't say that I have.
Well, just watch your radius,
or we'll find ourselves
in Russian airspace.
It's not like they could do
anything about it if we did.
Well, they might
not be able to,
but I have a feeling
Blaisdell probably could.
Roger that.
WATSON:
Keep an eye on your Alpha, okay?
I don't want
my first ejection to be
over the Bering Sea.
How is it you were a test pilot
for ten years
but never punched out?
Good judgment?
You're questioning
my judgment, Watson?
No, no. But you did abandon
your Naval career
to undertake a personally
financed, unauthorized
undercover mission in a country
where you don't even
speak the language.
How did you know that?
I make it a point to thoroughly
prepare for every assignment.
Little something
I learned at Purdue.
You know what they say about
undergraduate education...
you get what you pay for.
Oh, do I detect a note of envy?
Naval Academy isn't free,
you know.
The government pays.
But that's how they treat their
best and brightest, I guess.
Oh, really?
Then why did the Navy send
Neil Armstrong to Purdue?
You want to talk Apollo?
Jim Lovell, Naval Academy.
Coming up on way point four.
Initiating turn.
We're still over bingo fuel.
Here's something I bet
they didn't teach at Annapolis.
How did you do that?
I'd tell, but then
I'd have to kill you.
(chuckles)
BLAISDELL:
Spectrum One,
this is Zebra Base.
I have a priority one change
in flight profile.
It is being data linked
with your NAV program.
We've just been vectored
to North Korea.
Must be a mistake.
Zebra Base,
this is Spectrum One.
Going to covered circuit.
Zebra Base, can you
reconfirm new flight profile?
Current vector has us
heading directly
into North Korean airspace.
BLAISDELL:
That's affirmative,
Spectrum One.
A new flight profile
has been confirmed,
with safe area way points
for three in-flight refuelings,
out and back.
Gentlemen, you are no longer
on training mode.
I repeat, your flight
has been redesignated
as a tactical sortie,
OPSEC level One-Alpha.
He can't just redesignate
us mid-flight
and send us to North Korea.
He just did.
Zebra Base,
this is Spectrum One.
Redesignation is confirmed.
We are now in tactical mission
mode at OPSEC level One-Alpha.
MacKENZIE:
Oh, excuse me, Admiral.
Do you have a minute?
No, but walk with me anyway.
Thank you, sir.
Sergeant Ambrose's Article 32
hearing is in ten minutes,
and I promise to be brief.
Well, I was supposed to meet
Meredith and a caterer
half an hour ago, so I'm going
to hold you to that.
Does that mean you two
have set a date, sir?
You know what I've
learned, Colonel?
That you don't set a date
for your own wedding.
The banquet hall does,
in consultation
with the caterer,
and the chaplain,
and the relatives...
and everyone's
in consultation
with everyone but you.
I'm sure it'll all work out.
Well, I hope so,
or I may switch
the whole damn thing
from Annapolis to Vegas.
I'm sure my wedding plans
aren't the reason you're
here to talk to me.
Actually, sir, I wanted to talk
to you about Commander Turner.
Go.
He's taking a hard-line stance
on the Ambrose case.
And that's
problematic for you?
It's more confusing
than problematic, sir.
Even General Kubin
allowed for the possibility
that Sergeant Ambrose might not
be guilty of the charges.
It's not
Commander Turner's job
to allow for that
possibility, Colonel.
It's yours.
I understand, sir.
But the objective should be
the pursuit of justice,
not just to win a case.
Well, Commander Turner
may feel he has more to prove
other than just his case,
and considering recent events,
I can't much blame him.
But is that fair
to Sergeant Ambrose?
Life's not fair, Colonel.
Deal with it.
Sir, I also don't think
Commander Turner
fully understands what
it's like to be on a
Spec OPs mission.
Just because
mistakes were made
doesn't mean there was
dereliction of duty.
From what I hear,
it was more than
just a mistake
made in the fog of war.
Sir, none of
the survivors
Sergeant Ambrose
supposedly deserted
seem eager to testify
against him.
Even Major Spain,
the senior man on the mission,
was initially reluctant.
Colonel... maybe it's you
who doesn't understand
what it's like to be
in Special Operations.
Sir?
Men in Spec Op are like
SEALS, Force Recon.
They aren't like brothers,
they are brothers.
You think Major Spain's
protecting Sergeant Ambrose
out of loyalty?
Maybe. Could be
something else.
(sighs)
Zebra Base, this is Spectrum One
at way point Charlie one-niner.
Refueling is complete and
we are approaching denied area.
Rapidly.
Repeat:
We are rapidly approaching
North Korean airspace,
awaiting further tasking.
BLAISDELL:
Spectrum One,
this is Zebra Base.
Our HUMINT source
in Kaesong reports
three North Korean
armored divisions
have entered tunnels
leading directly down
to the DMZ.
Three divisions?!
That's over 50,000 men!
What the hell kind of tunnels
are we talking about?
Think Grand Central Station
with tanks instead of trains.
The North Koreans have been
digging these tunnels
for the last few years.
Looks like they may have
just finished.
What's Seoul's response?
Well, that depends on what
you're able to find out,
Spectrum One.
The only way to keep Seoul
from being
wiped off the face of the map
would be for us to launch
a preemptive blitzkrieg
of our own.
Attack while the lion sleeps.
Affirmative. On the other hand,
if our source is wrong,
and there's nothing in
those tunnels but bulldozers
and the poor sandhogs who've
been forced to dig 'em, well...
WATSON:
Zebra Base,
I'm still calibrating
Ground Penetrating frequency.
I'm not sure I'll be able
to tell the difference
between a tank and a bulldozer.
Andy, just get
as much data as you can.
I got analysts standing by
on the SAT link
who'll be able to help us out.
Wilco.
And make it fast,
before that DMZ becomes an EMZ.
EMZ, sir?
Extremely Militarized Zone.
Roger that. Out.
WATSON:
Target data's been uploaded.
Way point One-Alpha
is at 37 degrees,
57 minutes north,
129 degrees, 22 minutes east.
RABB:
Roger that.
We're still over bingo fuel.
Let me know
when we enter the denied area.
Wilco.
Just keep the pedal
to the metal, okay?
I want to keep this little visit
as short as possible.
That shouldn't be a problem.
(engines whoosh)
Major Spain, exactly what
was Sergeant Ambrose's
dereliction of duty
during Operation Sidewinder?
He left our com set
behind when he
ditched his ruck,
and separated from the team
during the escape and evasion.
Isn't it true
that there are four things
a Marine should never ditch,
no matter how bad it gets?
The med kit, the com set,
ammo and water.
Yes, sir.
Did the man responsible
for the med kit keep his ruck?
Yes, sir.
And because he did,
Corporal Pluta
was able to treat
the shrapnel wounds
on Sergeant Ambrose's leg,
isn't that correct?
Yes, sir.
Major, if
Sergeant Ambrose
had maintained the com set
with the same diligence Corporal
Pluta gave to the med kit,
do you think Corporal Pluta
might still be alive today?
Yes, sir.
I believe he would.
Nothing further.
Major, wasn't it your
responsibility to make sure
Sergeant Ambrose confirmed
your order to stop
in the sandstorm?
Yes, ma'am.
And with the visibility
being so poor,
shouldn't you have
made sure that
he was on your six
before you walked off?
Yes, I suppose I should have,
but, ma'am...
So one could just as easily
claim that it was you
who deserted Sergeant Ambrose
in the storm,
and not the
other way around.
TURNER:
Objection, Your Honor.
Argumentative.
Your Honor, if this is about
how one Marine's mistakes
caused three men to be captured
and two to die,
we should at least be sure
we have the right Marine.
No one would've been
captured or killed
if he would've just...
Just what, Major?
Nothing.
You're right, Colonel.
It was my responsibility
to make sure
Sergeant Ambrose
stayed with the team.
Yeah, but you were
just about to tell us
how everyone
could've been saved.
Major, if Sergeant Ambrose
failed to do anything
that would've prevented
the deaths of two Marines,
I don't see why you would want
to keep it from this hearing.
The Colonel's right, Major.
If you have information
pertinent to this matter,
I want to hear it.
Now.
Yes, ma'am.
Our staging position
was only a few hundred yards
from an enemy platoon.
(no audio)
(goats bleating nearby)
(bleating)
SPAIN:
He went right
to the Iraqi platoon.
Told them where we were.
Surely you don't think
Sergeant Ambrose's decision
not to kill the child
was a dereliction of duty.
Sergeant Ambrose
volunteered for the mission
knowing full well
what it might entail.
Major, the ROE's
prohibited the use
of deadly force
against noncombatants unless
there was an imminent threat.
How could we be sure anyone
was a noncombatant?
The Fedayeen weren't
wearing uniforms,
and I've seen kids
younger than the one
who spotted us
shooting weapons,
wearing explosive belts.
While they were tending
a herd of goats?
Ma'am,
given our close proximity
to the enemy,
anyone with two feet and a mouth
was an imminent threat
and had to be treated as such.
Major, if you really
believe that,
why did you omit the incident
from your after-action report?
Because you knew
that ordering your men
to shoot first
and ask questions later
was a direct violation of the
rules of engagement, didn't you?
Colonel,
with all due respect,
lawyers get to interpret
those rules from behind a desk.
When you're hiding
in a ditch,
so close to the enemy
you can smell their chow,
it's not quite so easy.
So, yes, ma'am,
we sometimes took a live mag
on a training op, just in case.
Or would lock and load
on a helo insertion
instead of waiting until
we actually took fire.
Or cleared a cave with a grenade
instead of a four-man team.
You ordered your team
to ignore the rules
of engagement, didn't you?
I ordered my men to not allow
anything or anyone
to stand in the way
of mission completion.
Killing is never easy,
I don't care who it is.
But neither is watching
two of your best friends...
(breathing deeply)
...and having to tell
their parents,
their wives, their kids
that they're never gonna
see their dads again,
ever!
And knowing that there's
no reason but cowardice
that it had to be
this way.
I'm sorry for your loss, Major,
but I still need you
to answer my question.
Did you make an agreement
with your men
to ignore
the rules of engagement?
Yes, ma'am.
GP is dialed in
and ready to go.
BLAISDELL:
Spectrum One,
this is Zebra Base.
I'd advise you slow up a bit.
Make sure Andy gets a good look.
Roger that, Zebra.
(engines decelerating)
Got an R light on the ECM panel.
That's all right.
At that speed,
they can search their radar
all they want.
That's easy for you to say,
Zebra Base.
Andy, let me know if
we get an M light, huh?
Wilco.
(loud boom)
What the hell?
Alpha within limit.
Spectrum One,
was that an unstart?
I'm not sure, Zebra.
ICS spike and bypass doors
are stable,
but it looks like we lost power
in the starboard engine.
ADS and hydraulics
are stable.
Starboard has flamed out.
The starboard restart
switch is on.
B yaw SAS axis falling off-line.
We're losing altitude.
That's all right.
You got plenty to give.
Port just flamed out!
What the hell's going on?!
Switching inlet controls
to manual.
WATSON:
Both restart switches on!
We need to abort.
We'll never complete the pass
if we have to go subsonic
to restart.
BLAISDELL:
Take it easy.
Harm, do you have
post gyration departure
under control?
Affirmative, Zebra.
For now.
Then don't worry.
Andy, you just take pictures.
Harm'll get the engines started.
We've crossed the border.
And we just got an M light.
They're tracking us.
What's our speed?
Mach 4.1 and falling fast.
We need to turn around.
If we can restart,
we can come back.
And if we don't, we won't
get the information they need.
We need to abort now,
before it's too late.
We still have time-- we have
speed and altitude
we can give up.
But if you can't get
the engines started...
I'll get the engines started,
don't worry!
I'm sorry, Colonel,
I should've told you
about the kid.
You're damn right you should've.
I figured if they didn't
mention it, why should I?
I know what I did
was morally right,
I just didn't know
if it was legally right.
Well, it was.
Major Spain's
order was illegal,
and therefore you were under
no obligation to obey it.
Colonel, I won't put
the blame on others.
Talking about the order
or trying to shift blame
would not only damage
Major Spain's reputation
and threaten the careers
of my teammates,
but also tarnish the memory
of two good men
who gave their lives
for this country.
Major Spain's career
is already over,
I can guarantee you that.
I won't dishonor
the Marine Corps, ma'am.
Sergeant,
do you believe
you should be court-martialed
for sparing
the life of that boy?
No, ma'am.
Well, then you're going to have
to take the stand and say that.
(knocks on door)
We need to talk.
Come on in.
I know you were hoping
to preempt this,
but, uh, I have no choice
but to add to the charges:
willful disobedience
and misbehavior
before the enemy.
That shepherd boy
was not the enemy,
which is why even your witness
admitted that killing him
would've violated the
rules of engagement.
An order based on an "any threat
is an imminent threat" policy
is only illegal
if the perceived threat
turns out not to be real.
Come on, Sturgis, how could
a ten-year-old shepherd boy
pose an imminent threat?
Well, look what he did, Mac--
he ran right to the enemy.
What should the Marines
have done,
offered him some chocolate?
Major Spain could've
ordered him captured and tied up
until they'd completed
their mission.
The team was
constantly on the move--
leaving a restrained prisoner
alone in the desert would be
fatal, just as sure as a knife.
The United States military
does not sanction
the preemptive killing
of noncombatants
simply because they may at
some future point pose a threat.
They most certainly do, Colonel.
In Somalia, when crowds
swarmed the downed Blackhawks,
were the Delta snipers who
went in to protect the pilots
required to distinguish between
those who had murderous intent
and those who just wanted
to see a helo up close?
Major Spain made
a command decision
that anyone with
two feet and a mouth
was a direct
and imminent threat.
Sergeant Ambrose
was legally obligated
to accept that assessment
and act accordingly,
ten-year-old child or not.
BLAISDELL:
It's a thermocline
at 54,000 feet.
You should be able to get
ignition there at the latest.
Zebra, we're already
in the missile envelope.
Well, look, even if
they're able to lock in,
at the rate you're losing
altitude, they'll probably think
you've already been blown
out of the sky.
Well, it wouldn't be
far from the truth.
Andy, are you getting
anything yet?
I'm finding significant
ground voids,
but I can't get a good read
on what's inside.
I think they've rigged ECMs
to make it look
like they're filled with water.
Maybe it is water.
Let's hope so.
We've got an L light.
They've launched.
Turning off the ECM jammer.
How much longer do you need?
If we maintain current
heading, about 45 seconds.
Maintaining
current heading.
Speed is Mach two and falling.
We need to get back
over Mach three
or we're toast.
I'm working on it.
Just keep your eye
on that radar.
Incoming missile closing
at Mach 2.4.
Through the thermocline.
Hold on.
I'm gonna go subsonic.
Oh, geez.
If this doesn't work,
prepare to eject.
Come on.
Come on!
We've got ignition
in both engines.
Let's get the hell
out of here.
You all right? Harm?
We're still here,
Zebra Base.
Andy, are you getting anything,
are you transmitting?
Negative.
The acceleration
knocked the SAT link
off-line.
Oh, great. Now what?
All right, boys, uh,
are you up for another Mach six
U-turn?
Sergeant, could you explain
to the court
why you chose not to execute
the Iraqi boy
as you were directed to
by your senior officer?
I just couldn't do it.
Because?
He wasn't
the enemy, ma'am.
He was just
an innocent kid.
But you realized what
this meant for your team?
It meant we'd have to
fight our way out
of enemy territory.
That's exactly what
we're trained to do.
Not kill kids.
Do you really believe
one boy's life was worth
risking the lives
of the men on your team?
I just know
I did the right thing.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Sergeant Ambrose,
when Colonel MacKenzie
asked you why you did
what you did, you said you...
"just couldn't do it."
Yes, sir.
Not you chose not to do it,
or you didn't want
to do it, but that
you just couldn't do it.
I guess, sir.
It isn't easy killing
another human being, is it?
No, sir, it's not.
But prior to your
team's insertion,
the six of you went over
the plan in detail,
and discussed
the very situation
that you ended up
encountering.
That of an unarmed civilian
stumbling upon
your staging position.
We did, sir.
But we never talked about
it being a little kid.
But on principle,
before the mission began,
you had no objection to killing
an unarmed noncombatant,
when weighed against
a compromise
that would not only
endanger the six Marines
on your team,
but hundreds
of Marines involved
in an emergency extraction,
isn't that correct?
I guess, Commander.
Yes or no, Sergeant?
Yes, sir!
So, in fact,
it wasn't principle
nor the ROE's
that kept you
from carrying out your duties,
it was cowardice.
Objection, Your Honor.
Argumentative.
Sustained.
I'll rephrase. When Major Spain
gave you the signal
and you pulled your K-Bar,
a knife specifically designed
for the killing
other human beings,
was it principle or cowardice
that motivated
your subsequent inaction?
Principle, sir.
So, in the final moments
before your team
was inserted
into enemy territory,
and the six of you looked
each other in the eye
and promised "Semper Fi,"
what you were really
thinking was "Saepe Fi"?
Sir?
Sometimes faithful?
No, sir. Absolutely not.
It had to be one
of the two, Sergeant.
Either you went into Iraq
knowing you may have to do
something you weren't
willing to do, or you were
willing to fulfill
the promises you
made to the team,
but when the time came
you just couldn't do it.
And isn't that the very
definition of cowardice?
Could you kill a kid,
Commander?
JUDGE:
You're up there
to answer questions,
not ask them, Sergeant.
Actually, I'd
like to answer
that question,
Your Honor.
Briefly,
Commander.
From a thousand miles away
with a Trident missile
I could absolutely kill a child.
But with my bare hands,
after looking
into his eyes
and seeing the fear,
the... confusion,
the humanity,
eh, probably not.
But we all know
I don't belong in Force Recon.
The question is:
Do you, Sergeant?
I thought I did.
Is that what
the Marines
on your team deserved?
A teammate who thought
he could get the job done?
No, sir.
Nothing further.
BLAISDELL
How're we doing, Spectrum One?
I don't know, Zebra--
I'm still not sure if that
was really water in the tunnels
or a jamming signal.
What do you need?
Harm, they're throwing
everything but the kitchen sink
at us, okay?
If we get another unstart...
Andy, just tell him
what you need.
I can't believe
I'm gonna say this,
but if you slowed up
a little bit,
I might be able to get
a little more detail.
Isn't that what got us
into trouble the first time?
Well, if
it happens again, at least this
time we're headed out to sea.
I thought you didn't
want to eject.
I don't.
So whatever you did
last time... don't.
All I did was ease off
the throttle a little.
Well, ease off easier.
RABB:
How's that?
That's good.
Just a little more.
Better?
That's it.
That's it, I got it.
It's definitely water.
There's nothing
in those tunnels but water.
You're sure?
Affirmative.
Accelerating back to Mach six.
Their source
must've heard
the workers
had been kicked out
of the tunnels
and assumed it was because
someone else was going in.
I guess not for a while, unless
they're wearing scuba gear.
Approaching way point
three-Bravo.
Zebra Base,
this is Spectrum One.
Approaching way point
three-Bravo.
Request confirmation of target
assessment and permission
to leave denied area and refuel.
Target assessment
is confirmed, Spectrum One.
Good work.
Great work, both of you.
Now, you still think
that training missions
aren't any fun?
All I can say is you better have
one hell of a dinner planned.
(laughs):
Don't worry, we do.
JUDGE:
This was definitely not
an easy decision to come to.
But with regard to the charge
of dereliction of duty,
I do not believe
the defendant's actions
during the escape and evasion
rise to the level
of willful negligence,
and therefore recommend that
no disciplinary action be taken.
But...
as to the additional charges
of willful disobedience
and misbehavior
before the enemy--
while I certainly do not
take the use of deadly force
against civilians lightly--
the rules of engagement
did allow such action
under very limited
circumstances.
Major Spain's order
to neutralize the threat
is therefore presumed
to be lawful.
I find that reasonable
grounds exist
to believe the accused
committed the offenses
and to recommend
they be disposed of
at general court-martial.
This hearing is adjourned.
I appreciate
your help, ma'am.
You haven't been found guilty
of anything yet, Sergeant.
They still have
to prove their case
beyond a reasonable doubt
at a court-martial.
No, they won't, Colonel.
I'm not gonna contest
the charges.
I'm gonna plead guilty.
But why? You did the
right thing, Sergeant.
Commander Turner
was right.
If I couldn't do what
my fellow Marines
expected of me,
I should never have
gone on that op.
(sighs)
I made a promise
I couldn't keep.
Because of it
two men are dead.
Must be nice.
What's that?
To be above it all.
"I wouldn't do it,
but that doesn't mean it
shouldn't be done."
Mac...
Now, that's cowardly.