Original subtitles

CORPORAL: Move it, Polliwog!

On your knees, Polliwog!

CROWD: [CHANTING] On your knees! Get down!

CORPORAL: Crawl forward! Crawl forward!

[CHANTING] On your knees!

She won't move! Slime her!

MAN: You like it, don't you?

Keep going, Polliwog!

[CHANTING] On your knees!

Get your head down!

Get your head down! Get down!

PADEROFSKI: Good job!

Release this polliwog before the great Neptune.

Who are you?

A trusty Shellback, sir!

Take this Daughter of Neptune to the showers.

Who are you?

Lieutenant Marilyn Isaacs, sir!

[CROWD BOOING]

Silence! You're a stubborn maggot, aren't you?

Take her to the Tank of Truth and Wisdom.

Come on!

All right, maggot. You asked for it.

[SCREAMS]

[GASPING]

Who are you?

A trusty Shellback, sir!

Why didn't you say that in the first place?

That a way, Skates!

All right, Shellbacks, way to move! All right!

Well, Marilyn, how does it feel

to be a member of the Ancient Order of the Deep?

[LAUGHING]

NARRATOR: Following in his father's footsteps as a naval aviator,

Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Junior,

suffered a crash while landing his Tomcat on a storm-tossed carrier at sea.

Diagnosed with night blindness,

Harm transferred to the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps,

which investigates, defends and prosecutes the law of the sea.

There, with fellow JAG lawyer, Major Sarah MacKenzie,

he now fights in and out of the courtroom

with the same daring and tenacity that made him a Top Gun in the air.

The sexual harassment hot line received her complaint last night.

YEOMAN: Attention on deck! As you were!

Lieutenant Marilyn Isaacs is an F-14 pilot stationed aboard the Seahawk.

The alleged incident occurred during a "Crossing the Line."

I thought the Navy was going to deep six that ceremony?

It's been toned down, Major.

Yeah. But it's still a great part of Navy tradition.

[CHUCKLES] Something tells me Commander Rabb had his day as a Polliwog.

Well, the first time I crossed the Equator, I got hosed,

I had to do maybe a thousand sit ups.

I got dunked twice,

and I had to crawl though the Tunnel of Moral Courage blindfolded.

What I wouldn't give to have been there.

As an observer, naturally.

There's a complicating factor.

The complaint was filed against the SeahawkCAG.

Tom Boone?

A CAG's got nothing to do with "Crossing the Line."

Lieutenant Isaacs claims that

the ceremony is only part of a campaign of harassment

Captain Boone has waged against her.

The timing's unfortunate.

The Selection Board has recommended Boone for a deep-draft command.

Uh, Captain Boone was my father's wingman in Vietnam.

That's why I'm sending you along, Major.

I expect an impartial inquiry on both sides.

Not that Commander Rabb would be anything but objective.

The Commander's known for his dispassionate advocacy.

I don't need to remind you that the Naval policy is zero tolerance

for sexual harassment.

There she is.

My first sea duty.

Your only sea duty, Bud.

MAN: All clear!

Lieutenant Commander Rabb?

Ensign Harriet Sims.

The Skipper assigned me to be your escort aboard the Seahawk,sir.

Thank you, Ensign.

I wonder if the Skipper's aware I'm aboard, sir?

Lieutenant Roberts was the previous Public Affairs Officer on the Seahawk.

Yes, sir. He's a legend, sir.

If you'll stick to my six. That's what, uh, pilots call their tail, ma'am.

So I've been told.

Ensign Sims,

I don't mean to question your sense of direction, but the aft hatch?

It's the quickest way, sir.

Well, the Major here is wearing high heels.

And that might be a problem on the knee-knockers on the 0-4 level.

You remember those, sir? Seven ladders straight up,

that top out just aft of the bridge?

Good call, Lieutenant.

I guess I've been at sea too long.

I've forgotten women wear those darned things.

[MAN CHATTERING ON P.A. SYSTEM]

Follow me.

Commander Rabb!

How's it feel to be back in the real Navy?

Pretty damn good, sir.

Major MacKenzie, Captain Boone.

Welcome aboard.

A pleasure to be here, sir.

Mr. Roberts, you've made Lieutenant.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

For what? I had nothing to do with your promotion.

For remembering me, sir.

Well, you're a hard man to forget.

I'd like to arrange a time to take your statement, sir.

Let me see if I understand how this works, Commander.

One of my officers has a problem.

But instead of coming to me or the Skipper,

she calls a hot line somewhere in Washington.

And the next day, my selection for command gets put on hold

and a couple of JAG lawyers fly 6,000 miles to interrogate me.

Is that about it?

The Navy takes sexual harassment seriously, sir.

So do I, Major.

You know where to find me.

Two things. First, you have my full cooperation.

Second, no one will interfere with the investigation.

And that includes me.

I'm only interested in the truth.

We all are, sir.

And in case you didn't know,

the CAG has grounded Lieutenant Isaacs for unsafe flying.

Was this before or after she filed her complaint, sir?

Two days before.

She came in low. Tailhook hit the ramp.

The CAG made a tough call.

Tough on Lieutenant Isaacs, sir.

The Navy has a clear duty to give all of its pilots

the best possible chance to succeed, Major.

It also has a duty to keep them alive.

Lieutenant Isaacs, your complaint alleges

that Captain Thomas Boone sexually harassed you?

He was responsible, yes, ma'am.

When exactly did this harassment occur?

It was really a... a pattern of harassment, ma'am.

It culminated during the "Crossing the Line" ceremony.

Please describe what happened.

I was touched inappropriately.

MAN: All right, maggot. You asked for it.

[SCREAMING]

I was subjected to remarks of a sexual nature.

Get your ass into the Tunnel of Moral Courage.

Move it, Polliwog! Move!

ISAACS: I was assaulted with a pitchfork.

Master Chief Sullivan

forced me into a sexually compromising position with another woman.

It was... it was the most degrading moment of my life.

Your complaint is filed against the CAG.

Why not against Master Chief Sullivan and the others?

They were just going along,

doing what the CAG wanted.

HARM: How can you be certain of that?

When it was all over,

the CAG congratulated Sullivan for rubbing my nose in it.

Why would the CAG ask Master Chief Sullivan to give you a hard time?

The CAG doesn't approve of women in combat.

So, my failure would prove him right.

It costs a million dollars to train an F-14 pilot, Lieutenant.

Why would he want to throw that money away?

I don't know.

I wouldn't presume to guess how his mind works.

What exactly did he do, Lieutenant?

He told me that... that women don't have the psychological hardness

to handle night carrier landings.

And one time, just before I went up,

he whispered in my ear,

that he'd bet $20 that I'd wet my pants.

MAC: So, the "Crossing the Line" ceremony was part of a larger

pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination

by Captain Boone designed to discredit you

and have you removed from flight status?

Major, why don't we let the Lieutenant tell her story at her own pace?

He knew that I was flying a training mission the next day.

So he got Master Chief Sullivan to mess me up real good

during the "Crossing the Line" ceremony.

And then my RIO screwed up. So I had a poor landing.

The CAG got what he wanted. He removed me from flight status.

Did the grounding have anything to do

with your filing a complaint against the CAG?

No, sir.

Timing might indicate otherwise, Lieutenant.

Look, this was not an easy decision for me to make.

I'd like to go back to the "Crossing the Line" ceremony.

HARM: Why didn't you just declare it a "red light" and walk away?

I wanted to.

But they just... They kept grabbing me.

And they were touching me.

Did you complain?

The more I protested, the more they just...

They went after me.

Then I just got scared and I just went along with it.

[SIGHING]

Montecristo.

That'd be a violation of Federal law.

I'm going to have to review Lieutenant Isaacs'

training records and PLAT tapes.

I'll make them available to you, Commander.

If she was a man, she still wouldn't be any damn good.

If she was a man, she wouldn't be filing charges against you.

I'm not going to lower the standards just because she's a woman.

Do you give her every chance?

There's no learning curve with this Lieutenant. None.

She blames other people for her mistakes.

The landing signal officer, her RIO.

You?

[SPITTING]

Me.

I just received a telephone call from Admiral Drake.

It seems Lieutenant Isaacs' complaint

has come to the attention of Congresswoman Delong.

A-At this point it's only an internal hotline investigation, sir.

How does the Congresswoman know about it?

Lieutenant Isaacs is Delong's constituent.

The Lieutenant's mother notified her.

The Congresswoman will arrive aboard the Seahawk

tomorrow at 0800.

Talk about a broad interpretation of constituent service.

Admiral Drake authorized the visit.

He doesn't want this to blow up into another Tailhook.

Congresswoman Delong is one of the Navy's severest critics.

The Congresswoman was pleased to discover

that one of the JAG lawyers investigating the complaint was a woman.

The Congresswoman believes that you will give

Lieutenant Isaacs a fair hearing.

I give everyone a fair hearing, sir.

Including the CAG?

[SIGHS]

BUD: State your name and rank for the record, please.

I'm Master Chief Petty Officer Max Sullivan.

MAC: Were you present during the "Crossing the Line" ceremony

aboard the Seahawkon April 1?

I was Neptunus Rex himself.

You have my congratulations, Master Chief.

Well, I know the honor just goes to the oldest sailor,

but I like to think that I earned it, ma'am.

Did you have any interaction with Lieutenant Isaacs during the ceremony?

Yes, ma'am.

Did you direct that she slow dance with Lieutenant Hawkes?

SULLIVAN: Yes, ma'am. I did. They all had to.

That's part of the fun.

Did you order Lieutenant Isaacs dunked

in an engine container filled with foul-smelling water?

Yes, the Tank of Truth and Wisdom. Yes, ma'am. Three times.

And was that also part of the fun?

Well, the Lieutenant had a little trouble getting with the program, ma'am.

Did you single her out for any special abuse?

No, sir. I did not. She seemed to be enjoying herself.

You know, like one of the guys.

Am I to understand that "guys" enjoy the Tank of Truth and Wisdom?

Well, you enjoy the hell out of it once it's over, ma'am.

If you'll excuse my language.

Well, Master Chief,

Lieutenant Isaacs didn't enjoy it during or afterwards.

[CLEARS THROAT]

Did you treat her any differently than the men, Chief?

MAN: Get your ass into the Tunnel of Moral Courage!

-On your knees! -SULLIVAN: I did not.

You piece of trash! Don't look me in the eye!

Master Chief Sullivan, did anybody order you

or request in any way that you give Lieutenant Isaacs a hard time?

No, sir.

You never discussed the ceremony with the CAG?

No, ma'am.

Did you talk to the CAG after the ceremony?

Oh, yes. Yes. He came and informed me

that Area One had been named the best in the fleet

for raising our emergency barricade in under two minutes.

[MAN CHATTERING OVER P.A.]

That'll be all, Master Chief.

Sir. Ma'am. If I may?

The thing is, she didn't have to go through that ceremony.

She knew what she was getting into.

Then why did she volunteer?

Well, if she... she hadn't, she'd look like a wuss, ma'am.

There's something that you ought to know. I think I can quote this.

"A Naval ceremony should follow

"the long-established rules for its execution carefully and exactly.

"Such attention to detail honors those men who established this ritual

"and all those, past, present and future,

"that will take part in the same ceremony."

Fleet Admiral Chester A. Nimitz.

Yes, sir.

I don't think Admiral Nimitz was talking about dumping Jell-O on women, Commander,

or poking them with pitchforks.

With all due respect, ma'am,

you just don't get it.

Oh, I get it all too well, Master Chief.

The world has changed and you got left behind.

HARM: Don't go too close to the edge.

You don't want to fall over.

MAC: I can swim.

Not down there. The vortex sucks you under. You go through the screws.

You come out looking like Spam.

What do you make of Lieutenant Isaacs?

She carries herself well. I like her attitude.

I'd like her case a whole lot better

if she'd filed a complaint before she was grounded.

We're talking 48 hours, Harm. It takes time.

How much time does it take to figure out you had your six pinched?

Time to weigh the consequences.

She put her career on the line by filing her complaint.

CAG put his career on the line by grounding her.

I think she's got a case.

Slow dancing with another woman,

getting groped, poked with a pitchfork in the butt.

Hell, when I crossed the Equator,

I spent a half hour slow dancing with Bob Fredericks.

Did you date much afterwards?

Detail, halt!

Right or left, right!

Present arms!

Order, hut!

At ease!

Uh, I made a few notes, Ensign.

Notes, sir?

Well, just because I've done so many of these.

The Congressperson will be piped aboard?

As a matter of course, sir.

I see you've arranged for side boys.

Yes, sir. Six in all. Uh, four male, two female.

Female. Ah, that's a nice touch.

Yes, sir.

Everybody gets a chance.

The side boys will form a line at the helicopter door.

They'll salute on the first note of the pipe

and finish together on the last note.

BOTH: Full honors.

Full honors. Four ruffles and flourishes.

You're doing a great job, Harriet.

Thank you, sir.

Have any more notes for me? Uh...

I... I must have left them somewhere else.

The good old days are gone, Harm.

They ended with Tailhook.

This is a new Navy with new rules.

Hey, whatever may or may not have happened during "Crossing the Line,"

there's no evidence the CAG was involved.

Is that friendship talking?

I want to ask you something.

Are you more likely to believe Lieutenant Isaacs because she's a woman?

I've had to fight a lot of prejudice to get where I am, Harm.

I guess that makes me want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Wait till you see this, hmm?

HARM: It was a bad approach from the beginning.

She rolled out on final. Called the ball.

Her approach lights are below the cross hairs.

So she's under the glideslope?

LSO: Tomcat 2-0-4. You are under glideslope. Power! Power!

HARM: Look at her nose come up.

Now she's got too much power.

She's flown right back up through the glide path.

To compensate, she cuts back on the power.

Tomcat 2-0-4. Wave off! Wave off!

Ignores the wave off.

A few feet lower she'd have had a ramp strike.

Sir?

Lieutenant Elizabeth Hawkes, sir.

The CAG asked me to give you these.

I'm Major MacKenzie, JAG Corps.

Everyone on board knows who you are, ma'am.

I'd be interested in hearing why you took part

in the "Crossing the Line" ceremony.

The same reason all the women were.

It's important to be one of the guys.

Were you improperly touched, spoken to lewdly,

or otherwise sexually harassed?

Not so that I noticed.

You don't feel you were singled out because of your sex.

No, sir.

Even when you were forced to dance with Lieutenant Isaacs?

The only problem was we both wanted to lead.

[HARM CHUCKLES]

They treated everyone pretty bad.

Let me ask a hypothetical question.

What would you have done if someone had grabbed you?

A woman who can't handle some jerk playing grab-ass,

doesn't belong in the Navy, ma'am.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Skates, ma'am.

That's what they all call me.

"Skates?"

Because I grew up on wheels.

Permission to speak freely, ma'am? Sir?

For a woman to be one of the guys,

well, sometimes she has to be willing

to give up something of herself.

You know, be less of a woman.

Sometimes it sucks.

The question is, why should she have to be "one of the guys?"

Permission to speak freely?

The conversation's still on record, Lieutenant.

I understand that, ma'am.

I guess I'm a little bothered by the fact

you've been asking questions behind my back.

This is an investigation.

Asking questions is what we do.

What exactly did Lieutenant Hawkes say?

All our investigations are confidential, Lieutenant.

She's one of the senior RIOs. Her word counts for a lot.

What's your point?

I think she resents the fact that I'm a pilot

and she has to sit in the back seat.

I understand you're under a lot of pressure, Lieutenant.

But this is not a productive line of discourse.

The main thing is, I don't want to do anything that'll hurt the Navy.

I just want the same chance as the others.

We're in the preliminary stages of our investigation.

There's nothing anyone can do.

What if I withdraw my complaint?

You still have to go before the Flight Review Board.

They decide if the CAG made the correct decision

removing you from flight status.

I've worked all my life to be a pilot.

Flying off carriers is what I want.

The CAG can make the Board go away.

You're asking to be returned to flight status?

Yes, sir.

You're still a Naval aviator, Lieutenant.

Subject to the Navy's rules.

What I want is within the rules.

I don't think so.

Then maybe it's time some of those rules got changed.

HARRIET: I hope this goes well.

BUD: Oh, you've got it knocked, Harriet.

-Is something wrong? -No.

Everything's fine.

-I just thought... -You look nice.

Uh, I'm sorry. I... I did not mean that.

So you don't think I look nice?

Well, I just don't know if it's appropriate to say.

I outrank you

and I may have inadvertently uttered a "yellow light" remark.

Do you have an ulterior motive, Lieutenant?

No. I don't think I do.

Then I'll choose to believe you were sincere.

This is it, ma'am.

Welcome aboard the Seahawk,ma'am.

Here's your gear.

Ensign.

HARRIET: Present arms!

Keep up the good work, ladies!

HARRIET: Order! Hut!

Welcome to the Seahawk,ma'am.

I can't tell you how good it feels

to get out of Washington's smoke-filled rooms.

Captain Boone.

Glad to have you with us, ma'am.

Nice of you to say so, all things considered.

Our Ensign Sims will show you to your quarters, ma'am.

Thank you, Captain.

This way, ma'am.

If I'm to be your advocate, Marilyn,

I need to know everything. No ugly surprises.

I want nothing more than to get it out in the open.

You know how hard I fought to widen the role of women in combat.

The failure of even one woman puts the entire program at risk.

I don't intend to fail, ma'am.

I don't intend to let you.

MAC: You're aware that Lieutenant Isaacs has filed

a sexual harassment complaint.

Would you like to respond, sir?

Her complaint's without merit.

MAC: You have the right to make a full statement, sir.

I just did so, Major.

[MAN CHATTERING OVER P.A.]

Did you deal with Lieutenant Isaacs

as you did other aviators under your command?

I treat them all the same.

Did you ever whisper in her ear

that she was going to wet her pants, sir?

I did not.

Did you instruct Master Chief Sullivan

to cause Lieutenant Isaacs to be groped,

poked with a pitchfork, and-or verbally abused

during the "Crossing the Line" ceremony?

Now why the hell would I do that?

That's what we're here to find out, sir.

I did not.

Captain Boone, why did you ground Lieutenant Isaacs?

Because she was an accident waiting to happen.

ISAACS: This whole ship's like a damn men's club.

They knew exactly what the CAG wanted.

They?

His guys. The LSO. The Airboss.

When a male pilot messes up, he gets spoken to privately.

When I do something wrong, they write up my grade,

post it in the Ready Room for everybody to laugh at.

Come on, Marilyn. They post everybody's grades.

You give me something substantial to work with.

Okay.

During a missile shoot, my RIO,

radar intercept officer, had trouble finding the drone.

So I couldn't lock in on time.

I fired the Sidewinder, and the damn thing missed.

It's not my fault. But the CAG gives me an unsatisfactory.

Did he grade the other female pilots the same way?

All of us. Yes, ma'am.

You are the only one that's complained so far, Marilyn.

I'm the only one who has the guts.

She should never have been sent to the ship.

Because she's a woman, sir?

Because she's a below-average pilot.

It took her three tries

to make her carrier qualifications.

That's two more chances than a man would get.

If she had a shaky training record, why was she moved through?

There's a lot of pressure from Washington to get women into the front seat, Major.

During her tour,

Lieutenant Isaacs progressed from undistinguished to disastrous.

She was a total flop at Air Combat Maneuvers. She never got a shot off.

Who'd she blame that time?

Commander Rabb, please don't editorialize.

The SeahawkController for not getting her into the right position.

Claimed he put her in front of the bogey?

The truth is, Lieutenant Smith had her.

For the record, who is Lieutenant Smith?

That would be Lieutenant Margaret Louise Smith.

I was sexually humiliated and abused in front of the entire crew.

The CAG knew that it'd rattle me.

I had a mission the next day. And I screwed up a little bit.

Nothing serious, but they made a big deal about it.

HARM: You grounded Lieutenant Isaacs after a substandard landing.

The LSO log indicates

OSCB EGAR DNKH.

That's correct.

Can you tell me what those initials stand for, sir?

OSCB, "Overshot, came back."

EGAR, "Eased gun at ramp."

What about, uh, DNKH?

Well, that's the technical one, Major.

"Damned near killed herself."

You have no doubt that you made the right decision, sir?

Lieutenant Isaacs is a danger to herself and to others.

That's why I grounded her.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

Enter!

Sir, the Skipper requests Commander Rabb and Major MacKenzie

in the Ward Room, sir.

CAG: Very well. Dismissed.

I spoke with Lieutenant Isaacs. I believe her.

I'd be interested in knowing what you think.

MAC: The investigation isn't complete yet, ma'am.

We want to make sure we have all the facts

before we render an opinion.

You know I won't allow this to be swept under the rug.

We have no intention of doing that.

Just one of the boys, Major?

Major MacKenzie has a high regard for the truth, ma'am.

You'll have to forgive me, Major.

-Good afternoon, Skipper. -As you were, Commander.

But make no bones about it. Thank you for joining me.

I want women to have equal opportunity in the armed services.

Yes, ma'am. We should all have the same chance.

I will not tolerate a culture of reprisal,

ostracism, harassment, and retribution against women.

Never forget that Naval Officers like Captain Boone

serve at the pleasure of the government.

It's a new day. It's time he got a clue.

Captain Boone served his country in Vietnam, ma'am.

He has a long and distinguished record.

In my opinion, Commander,

a man can have a long and distinguished career, and still be a pig.

Excuse me, sir.

I'd like to think there's nothing I can't fix.

And right now, this Marilyn Isaacs situation

presents a major problem for the future of women in combat.

Well, ma'am, I think it's safe to say

that on that point we are in agreement.

How tall are you?

Excuse me?

How would you feel if I told you, you looked really cute in that uniform?

And you should dye your hair platinum blond?

Six foot four. I'll give your regards to my tailor.

And, uh, platinum really isn't my shade, ma'am.

[CRUNCHING]

Admiral Drake called me earlier today.

He understands I'm trying to find a middle way.

She's totally willing to accept responsibility for a poor landing.

All that needs to happen is that she's given another chance.

That's not my call, ma'am.

She was grounded for good reason, ma'am.

You're a lawyer, Commander. That's not your call.

Commander Rabb flew F-14s off the Seahawk.

Wasn't your RIO killed in a crash, Commander?

Perhaps you're not the one to pass judgment.

What do you think, Lieutenant?

Uh, about what, Harriet?

How do you think it went today?

Oh, uh, excellent.

Great. You did great.

Uh, there is one thing, though.

Yes?

Uh, may I?

May you what?

Well, your insignia is...

I don't know if that's a "red light"?

Straightening my insignia?

It's so hard to know what appropriate behavior is sometimes.

You know, "red light," "green light."

Just straighten the damn thing, sir.

Uh...

Thank you.

You wanted to see me, Skipper?

I want Lieutenant Isaacs on tonight's intercept mission.

The Flight Review Board hasn't cleared her to fly.

Well, that's yesterday's news, Tom.

The Congresswoman called Admiral Drake.

The Admiral wants Lieutenant Isaacs returned to flight status.

They're jumping the gun on this, Admiral.

I suggest you tell them to hold off on any formal action

until our investigation is complete and...

Uh, yes, sir. I'll wait right here.

[SIGHING]

MAN: Attention on deck!

-Carry on. -Aye, sir.

[SIGHS]

You miss it?

[SIGHING] Sometimes. But never at night.

Excuse me, sir. Flight schedule for tonight's intercept mission.

Since I first typed it, Lieutenant Isaacs' RIO has changed twice.

A sudden outbreak of flu, sir.

Traulson.

Traulson just came aboard a week ago.

They got my least experienced RIO flying with Isaacs.

Get me Lieutenant Hawkes.

Yes, sir.

[SIGHING]

I'm going to have to resign my commission.

Why, hell, CAG. There's no reason to fall on your sword.

We've got a United States Congressperson telling me how to run my Air Wing.

And it ain't part of my job to please her.

The Navy can't afford to lose good officers like you, CAG.

But we've got to draw the line somewhere, Harm.

This seems like it might be the right place.

SKATES: You sent for me, sir?

I need you to fly with Isaacs tonight.

Sir, may I be very blunt with you?

I wouldn't expect anything less.

With the weather forecast for tonight,

there's going to be a fair amount of deck movement.

And night landings aren't her best thing, sir.

That's why I need my best RIO in the back seat.

I won't forget this, Skates.

Won't let you, sir.

[MEN CHATTERING]

Flaps down.

ISAACS: Flaps down.

Wing sweep automatic.

Wing sweep automatic.

Raptors 2-0-4.

Up and ready.

Now, there's a woman who's ready to go to war.

Only one problem, ma'am.

The catapult gets her off the deck,

but she has to get back on all by herself.

Why not just say what's on your mind, Commander?

You had no business getting Lieutenant Isaacs put back in the aircraft.

-Mister Rabb. -Captain,

I'd like to hear what he has to say.

You helped to manipulate the system to get what she wanted.

That's enough!

SKIPPER: I'll see you in my at-sea cabin immediately after the mission.

Aye, sir.

Looks like we're going flying.

Okay, Raptor 2-0-4. Let's bump heads.

2-0-4. Roger.

I'm going to have his ass.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

[BEEPING]

LSO: Raptor 2-0-4. Intercept an unidentified bogey. Inbound.

Bearing 1-2-0.

2-0-4. Roger that.

SKATES: Come on. Take it easy, Marilyn.

You're flying into a black hole.

ISAACS: It's okay, Skates. I've got it.

I've got contact. Bearing 0-2-0.

CAG's inbound. That's Isaacs diving toward the deck.

She's closing in at 1300 knots.

That's a mile every three seconds.

HARM: That gives her a two-second window to fire a missile.

Fifteen miles. Switch to missiles.

ISAACS: Going to missiles.

She's diving too steep.

Careful. We're getting low.

ISAACS: I'm watching it!

Oh, she missed big time! Too wide.

She'll have to pull a seven "G" turn to convert.

She's not going to make it.

The wind shifted. Sea's picking up.

SKATES: Contact, 50 degrees left.

Five miles, opposite direction. Break hard left!

ISAACS: Burner now.

Keep it coming.

Good turn. Overtake, 50 knots.

CAG'S RIO: Bogey on our six, CAG.

Okay, good.

Oh, that was a big-time move.

She just made that intercept.

Looks like you spoke too soon, Commander.

SKATES: Locking on.

You've got a good tone.

Fox away!

HARM: Missile fired.

She missed! That was a nine-G turn.

Only the CAG could make a move like that.

Good try, 2-0-4.

Shoot!

Sir, the squall's moving through.

Penetrating in 15 minutes.

Time to bring them back.

Raptor 2-0-6. We're still ready to play.

Let's go home, Marilyn.

CAG: That's a negative, 2-0-4. We've got weather.

You did good. Let's call it a night.

Wilco. Out.

We had plenty of fuel.

ISAACS: We could have made another pass.

HARM: Her mike is keyed open.

Then I would have nailed his six.

SKATES: Settle down, Marilyn.

You don't want to take chances in this weather.

Skipper, permission to go onto the LSO platform?

I don't believe you'll be missed.

Aye, aye, sir.

MAN: Tomcat 2-0-6, you're a quarter mile out. Say your fuel.

Seahawk, Raptor 2-0-6. Commencing approach.

LSO: Roger 2-0-6. You are cleared for landing.

Sir.

CAG's back.

LSO: Raptor 2-0-4. You are cleared for landing.

Seahawk. This is Raptor 2-0-4. Commencing approach.

ISAACS: Hey, Skates, watch me spike it on.

I'll settle for just getting aboard, Marilyn.

Flaps down.

ISAACS: Gear down.

[BEEPING]

Wing sweep automatic.

Put the hook down.

SKATES: Get your hook down, Marilyn.

Hook down.

Selecting command ejection, rear seat.

FLIGHT CONTROLLER: Raptor 2-0-4. You are at a mile and three quarters.

Well below glideslope. Check ball!

I have the ball.

This is Raptor 2-0-4. Tomcat.

Ball, three-point five.

Roger ball. Pitching deck. You're low.

LSO: You're still low! Give me some attitude.

You're still under glide path.

Come on, Isaacs! Get back on the glideslope.

Don't go high. Don't go high!

Automatic throttle is screwing us up!

I'm flying manual.

The power's come off!

LSO: Attitude. Attitude!

Power! Power!

Power!

Hit the deck!

Ejecting!

MAN: Fire on the deck!

[SIRENS BLARING]

[ALL CLAMORING]

She's falling into the fire!

[SCREAMING]

MAN 1: Yellow Team is on its way!

MAN 2: Corpsmen on standby! Corpsmen on standby

MAN 3: Let's get her out of there!

She's drifting over the side!

[TEARING]

MAC: Where's Harm?

[GRUNTS]

[PEOPLE CLAMORING]

How're you doing, Skates?

You owe me, sir.

[SIGHS]

HARRIET: I guess you'll be leaving now?

BUD: Soon. But we still need to complete the investigation

of the harassment complaint.

So the CAG's not out of the woods yet?

Well, not yet.

Something like this, it's like getting gum on your shoe.

Wow.

What JAG lawyers do is so exciting.

I'm not a lawyer yet.

I know.

But you're gonna be a great one.

I want you to kiss me.

Green light?

[MEN CHATTERING]

I just had a scary thought.

Their children?

[CHUCKLES]