Original subtitles

Sir, just got another report. The enemy hit the Haverton. There was an explosion

at.

She's on fire. Admiral, a P -3 just spotted four bogeys incoming.

They're flying low, below radar, sir. The Lewiston's sinking, Admiral. She's

abandoning ship. The Haverton's taken two missiles amidst ship, sir. How many

that now, Red?

We've lost an Aegis cruiser, three destroyers, four if the Haverton goes

Any word from General West?

No, and there's no sign the enemy is turning back.

Son of a bitch.

I suggest you get on the horn to Admiral Barr. Tell him to counter. Admiral, the

carrier's been attacked.

The bogeys were small aircraft loaded with explosives.

They just flew right into the ship, sir.

How many got through?

All of them, sir. The Patrick Harry's on fire. They don't know if they can save

her. What about Admiral Barr?

One of the planes hit the bridge.

He's dead, General. Sir, the Bellingham's reporting more incoming

The Hamilton's going down, Admiral. This isn't supposed to be happening.

I don't understand how they got in there, sir. With no Navy or Air Force,

took on the carrier battle group?

Enemy launched small Zodiac boats.

The crews had shoulder -fired missiles, small corporate jets loaded with fuel

and TNT made runs straight at the carrier.

What was the final tally, sir?

Cruiser and four destroyers sunk. Patrick Henry was hit and had to

battle. Damn.

Good thing it was just a war game.

It may have been a simulated exercise, sir, but someone's still going to have

pay for it. Someone is. Have a seat.

Operation Stalin's Spear was a joint services op.

Army General Anthony Manzarek ran the show.

Blue Team U .S. forces were led by Admiral Tucci.

Who commanded the Red Team, sir?

Marine Major General Lucas West.

The general's a legend, sir. Led the most decorated battalion in the Gulf

He does have a reputation for being a cowboy.

Sounds like the type of officer you'd want on your side in wartime.

Apparently not in war games.

Army General Mansurek stated they were stripped off rules governing the

exercise.

General West disobeyed most of them. He's facing a court -martial.

A two -star general for infractions in a war game?

Multiple acts of disobedience, and there's a charge of reckless

That sounds extreme, sir, taking it all the way to court -martial. General

Mansurek doesn't have a choice.

He suggested a punitive letter of reprimand.

General West refused.

He went to day in court.

Commander Turner, you'll prosecute. Commander Ramb, you'll defend.

You're leaving the colonel out of a marine matter, sir?

No, Colonel, you'll be presiding on the bench.

I'm judging the case, sir.

As I mentioned to Commander Ramb, given deployment, there's a shortage of

experienced personnel.

For this case, consider yourself T .A .D. to the judiciary.

Yes, sir.

That'll be all.

All right, sir.

Question, Commander?

Yes, sir. I was wondering if I chose the Colonel over you because you've seen

her? By barely two months, Admiral.

Well, then you already had nothing to do with it. Commander, I question your

objectivity in your defense of a certain plane captain and his court -martial. I

solved that case, Admiral, and I think I've come a long way to distinguish

myself since then, sir. Commander, this is not a debate.

You'll get your shot.

Dismissed.

Aye, aye, sir.

Careful, sweetie.

I know.

Why don't you go on? I'll catch up.

I'm not exactly in a hurry, bud.

Harriet, you'll be walking into this house every day of my life. Some days

won't be here.

I know, but the prosthesis is new. I just want you to... Sweet.

Harriet, I couldn't have done this without you.

But I need for you to let me handle this by myself.

Okay?

a cockpit for a law.

Don't you miss combat, Commander?

Every day, sir.

Looks like a smooth operation.

It's always smooth when there are no bullets flying.

But they'll be ready.

Politicians can get off their asses.

That's not a view -wide broadcast, sir.

Too late, Commander.

My big mouth built me a solid ceiling at two stars.

Thirty years commanding troops.

It's the first time I've ever been relieved.

It doesn't have to stay that way, sir. We can still keep this out of the

courtroom. Coward's way, Commander.

They did their best to shut me down on the battlefield.

I won't go quietly now.

I think you should know.

Red Team wasn't supposed to win.

Are you saying the game was rigged, sir?

More like scripted to ensure a predetermined outcome.

This case is simple.

I fought the exercise as I thought it should be fought.

According to the inquiry, sir, when the battle carrier group was assaulted by

Red Team, you ignored a direct ceasefire order.

I couldn't reach my men.

Blue Team was jamming our frequencies.

I know my accusers say I was trying to make a point.

And I was.

But I followed my orders as I understood them.

Well, that's our argument, then, sir.

I've led men into battle, seen some wounded, watched some die, but never

of poor training or lack of preparedness.

That's what this is about.

Hey, Tyner's brew has reached yet another octane level. Want some?

I'm going to go with the tea.

I guess congratulations are in order, Your Judgeship.

Thanks, I think.

You sure you're okay with this?

Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?

We probably shouldn't be talking about this, legally speaking.

Why? We're friends, Max. Friends talk, and that's what we're doing.

Talking.

Don't forget, we're also adversaries.

Certainly not in a coffee room. In a courtroom, occasionally. That's exactly

point. This time, you won't be facing me across the aisle, but I'll be on the

bench.

You're not the least bit concerned?

No.

What?

It's just we've battled each other so many times that I know your playbook

pretty well.

Hmm. Well, I think I may have a couple passes in my playbook you haven't seen

yet. Won't stop me from throwing a flag if I think you're playing the members.

Well, I'm sure you'll be fair.

As the organizer of the exercise, I have an interest in seeing to it that

everyone gets their facts right, Commander.

But I think it's all pretty clear. General West was given off orders for

exercise, and one by one, he chose to ignore them.

So the General claims he was merely playing the game, and he was

the orders.

Yes, I've heard General West's explanation.

But I was also here, in the Blue Team Command Center.

when he ignored my directive to stand down. He can explain that, too, sir.

Commander, every exercise has its parameters.

It's free play, but within limits.

You're saying the Red Team could have won, Jim?

I selected General West to lead the opposition because he's an expert in Red

Team play.

Do you really think that I would have chosen him if I wanted to rig the

exercise?

The man you should talk to is Colonel Haller.

General West's chief of staff on this exercise.

He's a good officer.

Served on my staff as a lieutenant.

He can clarify the general's factual interpretations.

Enter.

Excuse me, Admiral. Your car needs to go in for service tomorrow, sir. What time

would you like to leave here?

Well, actually, I've asked Meredith to give me a lift. We're going to have

lunch.

You sure you want to do that, sir?

You want to drive me to the dealership that bad, Tyner? No, sir. It's just

that... Well, Admiral, from what you've mentioned about Miss Cavanaugh, sir, I

just thought getting into a car with her... Sorry, sir. I was

out of line.

No, no, Tyner. It's all right.

I've been trying to work up the nerve to confront her about her penchant for

danger for about a week.

Doesn't sound easy, sir.

Shouldn't be that hard, either.

Thanks for meeting with me, Colonel.

I understand you were General West's gatekeeper on this exercise.

I handled all communication going through his headquarters.

Generally, we avoided radio traffic. We used motorcycle messengers and field

phones to avoid electronic eavesdropping.

Sounds more like World War I.

It worked.

We had them off balance from day one.

How did you communicate with the boats launching the assault on the battle

carrier group?

Sent the attack order over civilian radio.

who's buried as a coded phrase in a broadcast prayer by a local Muslim

Brilliant. Sounds like General West had all the bases covered.

Best tactician I've seen. When I've served under quite a few, General

included. These joint ops must be difficult, huh? Divided loyalty?

When I was assigned to General West's team, I'd heard the stories about how

a little crazy.

I learned going into battle, you want that kind of crazy leading you.

That kind of crazy can get you into trouble, too, Colonel.

General West told me about the difficulties communicating the ceasefire

for the troops assaulting the battle carrier group.

Radio jamming. That's right, Commander.

There were no other options?

General, you had a way to communicate with your man.

Dedicated emergency frequency.

That frequency was for mayday calls only. Real world emergencies.

It's a tough sell in the courtroom, sir.

Yes. are a few choice words you use to describe General Manzarek.

In the heat of battle, Commander, you say things you regret.

Take it you don't much like the General, sir.

We've locked horns over the years.

I sense your confidence in our case is dissipating, Commander.

I'm going to be honest with you, General. At this point, sir, it doesn't

good.

What's your advice?

We could go for a deal.

You agree to immediate retirement, no disciplinary action will be taken. You

retain your pension and benefits.

Otherwise, I go to court martial and I stand to lose it all.

I've never stood down from a fight.

And I'm not starting now.

Excuse me, ma 'am? Yes.

You coming on Saturday?

The housewarming, ma 'am.

Harriet, I'm so sorry. I forgot to RSVP.

That's okay, ma 'am. Is there anything I can do to help you? No, I'm fine. I'm

running late.

It's not like they're going to start without you.

Sorry. You must be excited.

Actually, I'm terrified.

That's understandable.

It's a high -profile case.

All eyes are on you watching every move.

I haven't seen that much military brass. I get the idea, Harriet.

You will do fine, ma 'am.

I have to do better than that. You make a mistake as a lawyer, you recover, you

knock one into the woods as a judge, it's on your scorecard forever.

That's what the Court of Appeals is for, ma 'am, to fix judges' screw -ups.

Good luck, ma 'am.

General Manzarek.

When you drew up this exercise, you designed it as a free play scenario,

correct? There are always some constraints.

Why is that, General? We're testing tactics, technology. We have to set some

limits to prevent people from doing things that would negate the value of

test. And do you believe that General West exceeded those limits, sir?

Yes. He also recklessly endangered personnel when he overflew the carrier

against orders.

Do you have any idea... what motivated his actions, sir.

Objection calls for an opinion.

On the contrary, it calls for an assessment of a subordinate's behavior

commanding officer.

It has probative value, Your Honor. Nice try, Counselor. I agree with the

government. Objection overruled. You've got to be kidding.

Your Honor.

You may answer the question, General.

General West assumes that he has a monopoly on the truth when it comes to

prepare for a war.

I believe that he's less motivated by preparedness and more by ego.

Thank you, General.

You're a witness.

No cross at this time, Your Honor, but I reserve the right to recall this

witness at a later date.

Your choice, Commander.

Thanks for driving.

Are you kidding?

I love the open road.

And you didn't know I went to rally school, did you?

There's a lot I don't know.

Oh. Do you want me to give you a ride later to pick up your car? No.

I'll get Piner to give me a lift.

A .J.

A .J., is something wrong?

Well, Meredith, you know, at some point we need to... make

plans for dinner tomorrow night.

Yeah, great.

I have this incredible inspiration.

You know those Korean steakhouses where you get to grill your own food? This

doesn't involve juggling knives and pepper shakers, does it?

I'm sensing a little reluctance.

Let's play it by ear, huh?

I'll call you.

Ciao.

Afternoon, sir.

Was that Miss Cavanaugh, Admiral?

Yeah.

Quite a woman, sir.

Yeah.

Sir, do you believe that General West exceeded the op orders for this

sir? In my judgment, yes.

How, Admiral?

Day one. He launched a simulated missile attack.

Several plane sensors recorded hits. They were downed along with the C -17,

which was our experimental aerial communication headquarters.

How is this outside the rules, sir? General West was supposed to have

his air defense systems.

Did the general employ any other tactics that were outside the bounds, sir? He

launched a simulated chemical weapons attack contrary to the rules of

engagement. And he attacked our ships using small boats and private planes

civilian assets were prohibited.

In your judgment, sir, did the general's tactics jeopardize...

The training goals of this exercise.

We were testing battlefield communications.

Communications is exactly what General West targeted.

Thank you, Admiral.

You're a witness.

Admiral, would you agree that rules are open to interpretation, sir? Yes,

Commander, within reason.

Now, you testified, sir, that General West shot down several of your planes,

including your aerial nerve center, correct?

Affirmative, Commander.

And weren't you on that plane, sir? Weren't you, in fact, killed, Admiral,

simulation? In simulation.

Yet you continued to command troops, sir.

The legitimacy of the kill was a matter of debate.

So I was reconstituted, Commander.

Like soup, Admiral?

Objection, Your Honor. Counsel is editorializing. More like playing to the

sustained. Careful, Commander.

Sorry, Your Honor. I didn't realize it was such a tough room.

Admiral, was your timely return from the grave within the rules, sir? Not

strictly. But it was necessary to keep the exercise going. Well, it sounds to

like the rules kept changing it. We did what we did because General West kept

disobeying orders.

According to your interpretation, sir.

Objection, Your Honor. Commander seems to have forgotten who's being tried.

I know.

Sustained.

No more questions.

Please tell me I'm not the last one here. No, just getting started, Colonel.

I take your jacket and your purse?

Thanks. You look great, bud. I'm feeling great. And I hear you're going to be

the next Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Right.

Come on in.

There he is. Wow, quite a spread.

Welcome, Colonel. Thanks.

Arm.

Mac.

You should really try the crab cakes. Oh, they look dangerous.

Oh, is that a ruling or an opinion?

Come on, Art, can we just bury the hatchet for one day?

Well, I'd love to, but I'd have to pull it out of my client's head where you

left it.

Uh, sure, Paul, sure.

We're not having this discussion.

Well, at least we agree on one thing, huh?

Excuse me.

Hi, Matt.

Hi.

Great party.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

You must be Colonel McKenzie.

Colonel McKenzie, Corporal Sean Stiles. I've heard a lot about you.

All bad, I hope.

What's going on with the music, Lieutenant?

What's wrong with my music?

It's just a little giraffe.

All right, Corporal, let's go digging, shall we, Colonel?

Ma 'am?

You're doing really well, Arian.

Good day.

We're not out of the woods yet, though.

Hey, Lieutenant.

Sign here. Sir, I still owe you that house tour.

Lead on.

I, uh, wanted a chance to talk to you, sir.

About what's next?

Yes, sir.

I have been dying to get back to work.

I'm waiting on a call from your team of physicians.

Your return to limited duty is based on their recommendation.

And yours, sir. Well, you know where I stand.

So it's up to the doctor, sir.

Yeah. He's got to wait it out.

So let's do this now.

Yes, sir.

You received the ceasefire order from General Manzarek.

How did General West respond?

He said we couldn't do anything.

Our radio frequencies were jammed so we couldn't contact our men.

Was there no way to reach them?

We had an emergency frequency, but... Why didn't you use that?

General West said it wasn't an option.

What else did General West say?

General West said he was only interested in sending one message to General

Manzarek. Thank you, Colonel.

Your witness?

Colonel, you said the general wanted to send a message.

Was his intent merely to push his own agenda?

Objection calls for an opinion.

On the contrary.

It's an assessment of a superior's performance by a subordinate, and I

Commander Turner used the term probative value.

I'll allow it.

Colonel?

In my experience, I don't know a general who doesn't push his agenda.

That said, I consider General West sincere in his desire to prepare us for

enemy that won't be following any script.

Thank you, Colonel.

That'll be all.

This quarter's in recess until 0900 tomorrow.

Admiral.

Afternoon, sir.

Your morale seems better.

Well, I finally deciphered the Colonel, sir. Thanks for looking up.

Well, you might want to look up at this.

Scripting an exercise is no way to find out if we're prepared for war.

Look, I've known General Lucas West since we were young officers in Vietnam.

When I got this email, I hit the roof.

You know, stage a war game, then tie the enemy team's hands to ensure that the

good guys win.

General West used exactly the tactics the Iraqis or Al -Qaeda are going to

and he got sacked.

Apparently, the general sent an email stating his case to a few professional

friends. I just finished moving the members off of a view of General West as

egomaniac who'll stop at nothing to prove appointed. Now he pushes the

key. He's got a history of saying what he thinks a career be damned.

Must feel it's worth it.

Yeah. Maybe it's time for an insanity plea.

Picked up some newspapers on the way in.

General calls exercise a sham.

Ready or not, general says not.

This is my personal favorite, sir. General, unscripted war game fix was in.

The truth prevails, commander.

Sir, you're being court -martialed for exceeding orders in a war game you

conducted as though it were your own personal training demonstration.

Now you're courting the media.

I have my reasons, commander.

Like sticking it to General Manzarek on the front page, sir? This is not a

pissing contest between the Army and the Marine Corps.

My only objective here is to prepare our troops for war. And I am trying to keep

you in uniform, sir, so you'll be there to lead them.

So, what's the plan?

We answer the charges, sir.

We put your field commanders on the stand.

Have them testify to the fact that you played the game smart, not dirty.

You think that'll work?

Well, if they can't speak eloquently to your leadership and your character, sir,

we still have one card left to play.

What's that?

We put you on the stand, sir.

According to targeting sensor data, you recorded 12 blue team aircraft kills.

How? We used passive radar, then visually acquired the targets and took

down with stinger missiles.

Was this within the rules?

The op order is required that we disable only the primary radar, not secondary

systems. We just went off the script, Commander.

I know people say these exercises aren't about winning and losing, but we're

preparing for war.

If it's not about that, then what is it about?

Commander Mosley, you were in charge of General West's naval office.

That's correct.

When you launched the attack on the carrier group, Commander, did you employ

civilian assets?

We used private boats and planes, but we applied red team flags and markers.

I believe they made the military assets in compliance with our borders. Thank

you, Commander. You're a witness.

Commander, the Zodiac boats were launched from fishing trawlers. Were the

trawlers flying red -tink flags?

No, Commander.

They sound like civilian assets to me. Weren't you stretching the rules?

I don't know, Commander, but maybe you should ask the men and women who

the attack on the coal if they were hit by civilian assets.

Al -Qaeda has their own definition for rules of engagement.

Colonel Swift, you launched a simulated chemical weapons attack on Blue Team

forces, correct?

That's correct.

We hit them with tear gas as soon as they hit the beach.

Simulated chemtipped artillery.

Our board has banned the use of weapons of mass destruction, Colonel. Weren't

you violating the rules?

Not as I define weapons of mass destruction.

These weren't scuds dropped on a city.

It was a limited tactical delivery on a military target.

Thank you, Colonel.

You're a witness.

Now, surely, Colonel, you can see why the blue team might dispute your

definition of weapons of mass destruction.

Objection. Argumentative.

Overruled.

Unbelievable.

You may answer the question, Colonel.

In war, disputes are settled on the battlefield.

The bully makes the rules, right? Now that's argumentative.

Sustained. The Geneva Convention prohibits chemical weapons.

Wasn't the Red Team required to follow the international rules of war? The

Geneva Convention wasn't exactly giving me my orders, Commander.

No, General West was.

And he ordered you to gas the enemy, correct?

Objection. Overruled.

Answer the question.

The General gave the order to attack, if that's what you're asking.

But you ask any squad leader and they'll tell you that the biggest threat on the

battlefield is chemical weapons. Now, we need to be ready.

General West understands that.

Thank you, Colonel.

Given the hour, we'll recess and reconvene tomorrow at 0930.

Go ahead.

How do you like it?

This is truly amazing.

I mean, the whole dinner, the tuna sashimi, the risotto, the veal.

I can't believe it.

You must have been cooking all afternoon.

I have a confession to make.

I got home late.

This all came from Le Jardin. I hope you're not disappointed.

Good dinners are welcome to change.

You know, believe it or not, there was a time when I couldn't cook at all.

When was that?

High school.

I remember one day in Home Ec, I had an accident.

I was julienning potatoes, and the knife slipped.

It took the ER doc 30 stitches.

You seem to have come through it okay.

Oh, no, no, not me.

My cooking partner.

Poor Dennis, he was the only boy in class.

Well, he learned to play tennis with his left hand.

But I still feel bad about the scholarship.

A .J.? What's the matter? I feel as though you're not telling me

something.

It's about work, isn't it?

The commander and the colonel are going at it again.

And you feel responsible.

You are not their father, A .J. They're adults.

And as soon as they realize that all of this...

is coming from a place that is not work -related, then, well, then all the storm

and drong will go away.

To be replaced by more of the same. Talk about two people that are candidates

for couples therapy.

Well, maybe they're not alone.

Roberts. Good afternoon, sir.

Yes, sir.

I will.

Thank you.

Who was it, sweetie?

It was the Admiral.

He wants to see me on Thursday.

How'd he sound?

Same as always.

Gruff. Ill -tempered.

Impatient. Pretty much all that, yeah.

Period. I've been through the worst of it.

Everything else is just what it is.

General West, as Red Team leader, what was your mission in this exercise, sir?

To present the U .S. forces with an aggressive and determined foe. And to

end, sir, you used tactics you deemed appropriate.

I believe so, Commander.

Within our borders, sir. As I understood them.

I have a different view of training from some of my superiors.

I don't believe in scripted games.

I think we should be ready for all comers.

And with this mindset, sir, you approached this exercise, correct?

I was in the Gulf War in 91.

I led my battalion into a town where a sea of villagers had been gassed to

death.

I saw the bodies of men, women, and children twisted and contorted.

I didn't just see civilians murdered. I saw my men. I saw what could happen.

I vowed then to make sure we were prepared for the evil we were facing.

The evil we face now.

Thank you, General.

Your witness.

You refer to your service in the Gulf War, sir.

Do you remember an incident that happened on a road ten miles west of

May we approach?

I'm familiar with this incident. It happened ten years ago and has no

here. I disagree, Your Honor. It goes to pattern of behavior. The issues are

unrelated, Your Honor.

The defense opened this avenue, Your Honor, when the general used his war

to justify his actions. I'll allow it for now.

Do you recall the incident, sir?

Yes, my battalion attacked a column of Iraqi Republican Guard.

As they were retreating, isn't that true, sir?

They fired on my men.

This attack happened 12 hours after a ceasefire had been declared. Isn't that

right, General? Yes, I hadn't received word.

Your CO said that the order had been sent. But not received, Commander.

An inquiry, sir, found that you had your forces 20 miles from where they were

supposed to be. You took out 80 tanks and armored vehicles and killed over 200

Republican Guard.

A reporter later called it a turkey shoot. Am I right, sir?

Those were his words.

Let me get this straight, General.

You were deep behind enemy lines against orders.

attacking an enemy that was retreating under a flag of truce.

I guess that's what happens when you play fast and loose with the rules, sir.

Objection.

Withdrawn. Thank you, General.

Good

morning,

General.

You know that five separate inquiries cleared me of all charges.

I know that now.

Did you say we should have gone all the way to Baghdad, General?

I'm trained to see military solutions, not political ones.

That's the big difference between General Manzarek and me.

I did some research, sir.

General Manzarek served in the Gulf War, too.

He testified against you in the initial inquiry into the incident in 91.

He was there that day.

Is it true, General?

You mean, did I fire on innocent men retreating under a white flag?

The Iraqis had fired on my troops, Commander.

I was going to make damn sure they didn't do it again.

Can I help you, sir?

Oh, I know the way, Petty Officer.

Thank you.

Oh.

I should have knocked.

You must be Lieutenant Roberts.

Yeah, what's left of him.

Lieutenant Commander Tracy Minetti.

This was your office before it was Lieutenant Singer's office.

Before it was your office.

And you didn't know?

It's all right, Commander.

It's a heck of a way to find out.

You know, my life has been full of surprises recently.

Nice to meet you, ma 'am.

Now I see what they mean.

You're kind of a legend around here.

To that I'd add, the very picture of a northern gentleman.

Thank you, ma 'am.

Sir,

Lieutenant Roberts reporting his orders, sir.

Sorry, Lieutenant, I forgot to mention Commander Minetti.

Sure, space is getting quite short around here, Admiral.

Shall we talk in my office?

You have news, sir.

Putting your life in Tyner's hands, huh?

No, I made this fresh.

You want some?

I promise you won't taste the poison.

I was in court yesterday.

Oh, you noticed.

You know,

I wasn't expecting any favors.

With any other judge, I'd have won this case days ago.

I'm sorry I'm not complying with your schedule.

Every time I work an advantage, you slap me down. Because you ask for it. You're

relentless, you know that?

So I've heard. I'm the hanging judge.

The source of all your problems, right?

That's right.

But, though it pains me to admit it, you're good.

You don't let me get away with the stuff I pull out of the judges. You really do

know my playbook.

Most of all, though, Meg.

You know the law.

And I hate you for it.

I'll take that as a compliment. Good. Just remember this magnanimity when I'm

the bench, okay?

Excuse me, Colonel. Commander, the Admiral's called a meeting in the

room.

Thanks, Steiner.

As you all know, given the severity of Lieutenant Roberts' injuries and

resulting complications, there's been a delay in the disposition of his case.

So I got on a conference call with his team of physicians at Bethesda this

morning, and they approved his return to JAG on limited duty.

He'll be rejoining us in two weeks. That's great news, Admiral.

I second that.

Limited duty is not permanent reinstatement, sir. No.

If Lieutenant Roberts wants to return to full duty, he's going to have to get by

the physical evaluation board.

The doctors informed me that 85 % of the disabled personnel that go before the

board are found unfit.

They're given disability discharges, sir.

I'm assuming you told the lieutenant all this, Admiral.

About an hour ago.

How did he take it, sir?

Guardedly optimistic.

As I think we all should be.

But the lawyer.

A missing leg shouldn't slow him down. Not here, but if he was billeted to a

ship or a war zone.

Full duty is full duty, Stooges. Commander Rath.

Excuse me, sir. You have a visitor.

Thank you.

Look, Sturgis, we need to talk.

General West?

The deal's not going to be easy now, huh?

Give me a moment, will you? I'll come and see you.

Good to see you again, Commander.

Colonel Haller, have a seat.

I heard about what happened with General West.

Well, it's not the first time past acts have come back to haunt an officer.

I know.

That's why I'm here.

I have information I think will cast this whole matter in a different light,

Commander. I delivered that to General Manzurk myself.

At the time, I thought it was the right thing to do.

General West was a loose cannon.

Dangerous, they all said.

I believed it.

I don't believe it anymore.

Your timing's a little off, Colonel. I screwed up, Commander.

It's a hard thing to admit.

And General Manzarek has had a lot to do with my advancement.

But a good officer, a good man, is being crucified in that courtroom.

And it's got to stop.

This will put a bullet in your career. I hope you realize that.

I do.

There's a statue of MacArthur at West Point.

I walk by every day for four years.

Below there's a quote.

Your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable. It is to win our wars.

All other public purposes will find others for their accomplishment.

Yours is the profession of arms.

The will to win.

The sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory.

That the very obsession of your public service must be duty, honor.

Country.

I put on this uniform for a reason, Commander.

For a while, I forgot.

General West reminded me.

I chose General West despite his reputation for freelancing because

he's an effective OPFOR commander.

General, you have described his Red Team tactics in previous war games as

disruptive and corrosive to the maintenance of good order and

that right, sir?

I may have said that.

Your Honor, this is a copy of a report outlining in broad strokes the Red Team

battle plan for this exercise. It was provided to General Mazarek by General

West, Chief of Staff Colonel Hall, five months before the exercise began.

I'd like it entered into evidence and marked for identification as Defense

Exhibit E.

Objection, Your Honor. The government hasn't seen this.

It recently came to light.

Approach, Counselor.

Eleventh Hour Disclosure doesn't sit well with me. You should know that,

Commander. I had no alternative. I'm sure if you look, Your Honor, you'll see

the appropriate value far outweighs any procedural problem.

Colonel, you're not going to allow this.

I'm afraid I am.

You may proceed.

Commander. Thank you, Your Honor.

Colonel Haller has made a statement. He delivered this report to you personally.

Do you recognize him?

Yes, Commander. I've seen it.

Then, sir, five months prior to these war games, you had a copy of a report

briefly outlining General West's proposed tactics. The passive radar, the

chemical weapons, the civilian assets. Isn't that right, sir?

That's correct, Commander.

In broad strokes, not specifics.

Now, sir, knowing what General West had planned, if you had a problem with his

tactics, why didn't you do something about it in the five months prior to the

game?

Because, sir, the game was rigged, wasn't it?

The plan was to give General West enough rope to hang himself, to get rid of an

officer you had branded as disruptive and corrosive. Isn't that right, sir?

Like rules in a war game, I guess evidence, too, is open to

Commander.

Training, tactics, technology, they all matter when it comes to preparing us for

war. And those who don't acknowledge it are as great a threat to us as our

enemies.

Thank you, General. That will be all.

Will the accused and counsel please rise?

You may publish your findings.

Major General Lucas West, United States Marine Corps.

On the charge and specification of reckless endangerment, this court finds

you... Not guilty.

On the charge and the specification of willful disobedience of a superior

commissioned officer, this court finds you not guilty.

Court is adjourned.

Thank you, Commander.

I'm really not the one to thanks.

Colonel Hall is a good man.

Service needs more like him.

Congratulations, General.

Once in a while it feels good to see the other side win.

Let's hope the real victory, Commander, is reserved for the battlefield.

Yes, sir.

If you two will excuse me, I owe a good man a drink.

Gentlemen. Sir.

Glad this one's over. Yeah, you and I both.

An appeal before this judge would be murder.

You two seem okay with the verdict.

Well, we restrict our differences to the workplace.

I'll remember that next time I patch one of you up after a basketball game.

I was going to grab some dinner. You two care to join me?

Depends who's buying.

I'm feeling rich.

What, you get extra pay for being a judge?

I should look into this.

Don't.