"Where is he now?" "Just inside the "no fly" zone, CAG." "Whistler." "CAG." "Bracket right." "Maintain angels 15." "I'm gonna go down and try to nudge our friend back to Serbian airspace." "Roger that." "This ought to be interesting." "Fire warning light!" "Fire warning light!" "Right turbine!" "Smoke in the cockpit!" "I'm losing pressure!" "Punch out!" "Punch out!" "I've got the RIO's chute, CAG!" "Stay with him." "I'm keeping my eye on the Hind." "The bastard!" "He's strafing them!" "He's strafing them in their chutes!" "What you are now seeing is exclusive footage of a Serb Hind helicopter being downed by U.S. Navy fighters over the Bosnian "no fly" zone." "A Navy TOMCAT was also lost in this incident." "The fate of its pilot and radar intercept officer are unknown." "That Hind didn't get a TOMCAT." "No." "The TOMCAT had a catastrophic failure and exploded as the crew ejected." "Did the CAG know that or did he think the Hind was responsible?" "He knew it." "He destroyed the Hind he claims because it was strafing our boys in their chutes." " Bastards." " The Serbs deny it." "They claim the Hind was approaching to render assistance." "We're not taking their word over the CAG's?" "No." "But state's conducting an investigation and their only interest is keeping their peace agreement intact." "This downing could break the accord and the CAG could get caught in the middle and be sacrificed in the name of peace." " When do we leave, sir?" " As soon as we light up." "Please." " Wife have a baby, sir?" " Not that I know of." "This just came over from the Secretary of the Navy." "Congratulations, Lieutenant Commander Rabb." "Sure makes me wish you were around when I got my promotion, Lieutenant." "Mr Rabb!" "It's good to have you back aboard, sir!" "It's good to be here, Chief!" "This is Lieutenant JG Austin." "Ma'am." "The skipper's expecting you." "If you'll follow me." "You still miss it, don't you, sir?" "Only when I'm back on board." "Or see a jet, shaving in the morning, in my dreams, eating a pizza, watching a movie." "You know, the CAG has a habit of speaking his mind, sir." "It's the sort of thing that can be taken the wrong way, if you know what I'm saying." "It's also the sort of thing that inspires trust in his men, Chief." "Yes, sir, it most certainly does." "Lieutenant Commander Rabb and Lieutenant JG Austin reporting as ordered, sir!" "As soon as we're done launching, bring us back to a heading at two-five-zero." "Stand at ease." "Congratulations on the promotion, Lieutenant Commander." "Thank you, sir." "Under any other circumstances, I'd say it's good to see you." "I concur, sir." "Any word yet on the TOMCAT crew?" "No sign of them near the crash site and nothing from their survival radios." " But we haven't given up hope." " No, sir." "Now, the CAG and his RIO are on the 03 level in the officer's ward room." "We'll be needing separate quarters for our interview, sir." "You aren't suggesting that those men would alter their stories, Lieutenant?" "No, sir." "Separate interviews is SOP." "And under the circumstances," "I think it's best if we do things by the book." "We wouldn't wanna give anyone an excuse to question our findings, Skipper." " Anyone being the State Department." " Then you're aware of the situation, sir?" "Painfully, Commander." "Painfully." "Dismissed." "I guess they'll give anyone an extra half-stripe these days." " Yes, sir." " At ease." "Captain Boone." "Lieutenant JG Austin." "My RIO, Lieutenant Arnoldi." "Let's get this over with." "I expect you wanna interview us separately." "Yes, sir." "There's an empty office through that hatch." "Lieutenant." "Follow me, Lieutenant." "I'm sorry we have to go through this, sir." "You're not apologising for being a lawyer, are you, Commander?" "No, sir." "When Painter ejected, they were in a wings level position." "But by the time Whistle went out, they'd inverted." "He ejected straight down." " Tanks blew as he went out." " So he was caught in the flames?" "It wasn't flames, Lieutenant." "It was a fireball." "His chute wasn't burning, though." "I do know that." "It was fully deployed and I followed him until we went after the Hind." "When did you see the Hind?" "I never lost sight of him." "He was carrying S5 rockets." "One of those'll ruin your day if you're not watching." " Did he fire rockets at the chutes?" " No." "That'd be over-kill even for the Serbs." "He used his guns." "So you saw the Hind fire at Lieutenant Painter?" "Yes, ma'am." " You're absolutely certain?" " I'm positive." "When I saw him firing on my men, I took him out." "And I would do it again." "Peace treaty or no." " That's not at issue here, CAG." " The hell it's not." "The Serbs are gonna try to use this to break up the treaty." "We cannot let the politics of the moment dictate our conduct when we're put into a combat situation." "We tried that once." "In Vietnam." "I know, sir." "The CAG and Commander Rabb are requested on the navigation bridge." "What's up, Skipper?" "Lieutenant Entwhistle's body was recovered by Serbian forces." " Damn." " I'm sorry, sir." " Did you know him, Lieutenant?" " No, sir." "I'll request an autopsy in Naples before the body is sent home." "If there's any evidence he was shot, this investigation will be over, sir." "What about Painter?" "Nothing so far." "But that isn't all of it, gentlemen." "This just came in from CINCFAIRMED." "They didn't even wait for your report, Commander." " No, sir." "They didn't." " What is it?" "Politics, Lieutenant." "I'm to report to Naples for a general court-martial." "Some conversations are best left lawyer-to-lawyer, sir." "What sort of conversations would those be?" "Exploratory ones, sir, where we feel each other out and see what kind of case the other side has." "Well, it's my SIX on the line, Commander." "I'm sitting in." "Very well, sir." "But follow my lead and remember, I do the talking." "Well, now, how could I forget that, Commander?" "You are the lawyer." "I'm requesting an autopsy on Lieutenant Entwhistle." " Already been ordered." "By me." " Then you'll agree that if the autopsy produces evidence of bullet wounds" " you'll drop the charges?" " I'm not making any promises." "The violation of a cease-fire is an extremely serious matter." "They are the violators." "They were shooting at my men!" "If they were, and there's no evidence to support that, who ordered you to shoot back?" "No one." "I did it on my own initiative." "And who gave you the right to do that, Captain?" "The Navy, the day they handed me my command!" "CAG, we'll argue this in court." "Not here." "No lawyer's going to tell me how to exercise my command!" "Sir, with all due respect, keep your mouth shut." " By-the-book lawyering, Commander?" " It's the only kind I know how, ma'am." "I doubt that." "In any case, you're aware I cannot initiate a pre-trial agreement." " Is she talking deal?" " She can't, sir." "In the military, only the accused and his lawyers can initiate such conversations." "Since military personnel are accustomed to following orders if the Commander suggested a deal, you might feel compelled to accept it." "That'd be the day." "I don't believe the captain feels compelled to follow anything but his own instincts." "You're baiting him, Commander." "And that's out of line." "If I were you, talking hypothetically, of course," "I'd be asking for a deal." "I'm not." "But since we're talking hypothetically, what would that deal be?" "CAG resigns, admits his responsibility, court martial never happens." "You can go to hell." "Hypothetically." "I can't suggest that my client accept responsibility for something where he is not at fault." "Then you'd be giving him very bad advice." "Well, I respect your opinion, Commander, but the answer is no." "Good day." "Commander." " What they say is true." " What's that, ma'am?" "You're a cowboy." "No, ma'am." "I'm just another JAG lawyer who considers it an honour to oppose you in a court martial." "See if you still feel honoured after it's over, Commander." "Sir!" "Commander Krennick has a reputation for being the best prosecutor in the Navy." "Well, that isn't what worries me." "She was dancing a fast track in Washington." "State must be applying major pressure for a conviction for her to even be here." "Harm, tell me something." " Are you giving up on me?" " You know better than that, CAG." "I'm just afraid you may already be convicted." "I'm going to be judged by line officers." "Is that right?" " Yes, sir." "Captains and above." " That's good enough for me." "They won't be judging you in a vacuum, sir." "They have careers, too." "Lieutenant, if there's one thing in the Navy I have faith in it's the integrity of her officers." "Harm!" "Hey, Harm!" "Which is more than I can say for journalists." "Well, good to see you again, Harm!" " CAG, you, too!" " Mr DePalma." "Yeah." "Hey, congratulations on the promotion." "I don't think we've been introduced." "I'm Chuck DePalma, Aerobureau." "Meg Austin." "That was quite a report you filed." " Well, I'm glad you saw it." " Where were you?" "From what I saw, getting that footage took a lot of guts." "Well, you know, whatever it takes to get a story." "And Mr DePalma's quite a reporter." "He even took a flight with me once to get a story." "Please!" "Don't remind me!" "I mean, I might throw up again just thinking about it." "Look, how about an exclusive interview, CAG?" " My lawyers don't want me speaking." " Harm, talk to the man." "You know cases aren't tried in the courts anymore." "They're tried in the press." "And I'm here to let you put the best possible light on things." "The only people whose judgment I care about are my fellow officers in the United States Navy." "Wow." "Man, look, you know, you wouldn't mind saying that on tape, please?" "How'd you get that footage, Chuck?" "Well, you know, it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time." " Sign of a good journalist, really." " Did you see the Hind firing?" "No." "No, we were just shooting B-roll of the countryside when the Hind came up from behind a ridge and exploded in a big ball of flames." "Yeah." "They only showed the explosion on the news." "Was there more?" "No, no, no, no, no." "Don't go asking for it, Lieutenant." "That's against network policy." "Come on." "I'm sure there are exceptions." "Well, given the right circumstances, yeah." "Why don't we talk about what those circumstances might be." "Knock it off, Lieutenant!" "Good day, Mr DePalma." "Yes, all right." "Good day." "Look, we can talk over dinner." "Yeah, right, well, nice to see you." "Lieutenant, do not ever disgrace your uniform like that again." " Sir, I was just..." " I know what you were doing." "With all due respect, sir, you do not know what I was doing!" "You thought you did but you thought wrong." " Permission to be excused, sir." " Granted." "Lieutenant Austin is straight up, sir." "All she would have done was try to get Mr DePalma to give us the tape." "Harm, I don't like the way you people fight." "You don't have to, sir." "All you have to do is stay out of our way." "Captain Thomas Boone." "You are accused of violating a lawful general order," "Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice." "How do you plead?" "The accused pleads not guilty, Your Honour." "Very well." "Please be seated." "Commander Krennick, you..." "Who is the suit?" "Those are..." "Wouldn't just be well-dressed reporters back there, would they?" " We're closed to the press, sir." " I'm afraid they're from State, CAG." "Commander Krennick, you may proceed." "Thank you." "Your Honour, members of the court martial." "I come here today, with a sad and heavy heart." "The officer against whom I must prefer charges has distinguished himself time and again during a long naval career." "Here comes the knife." "But an order to Captain Boone carries the same weight as one to the freshest young sailor in our Navy." "When Captain Boone opened fire without provocation, he disobeyed a lawful order." "It's as simple and final as that." "He took upon himself a decision that rests solely with the Commander-in-Chief the decision when to commit United States forces to military action." "When you hear the facts, you will have no choice in this matter but to find Captain Boone guilty." "You may call your first witness, Commander Krennick." "Commander Dooley, did you perform an autopsy on the remains of Lieutenant Entwhistle?" " Yes, ma'am." " And can you tell us the cause of Lieutenant Entwhistle's death?" " No, not with any certainty." " Why is that, Commander?" "Lieutenant Entwhistle suffered multiple traumas as a result of the accident." "Any one of them could have been responsible for his death." "Elaborate, please." "The flames that generated from the explosion of his TOMCAT were such that the Lieutenant suffered severe third-degree burns over three-quarters of his body." "This alone would most likely have resulted in death." "In addition, however," "I found shrapnel embedded in the Lieutenant's remains." "Did you determine the source of the shrapnel?" "Metallurgic analysis confirms that it came from the aircraft." "Can you describe for the court the nature of the injuries caused by the shrapnel?" "The shrapnel ruptured" "Lieutenant Entwhistle's stomach and chest, severing two arteries." "Commander, based upon your experience as a forensic pathologist do you have an opinion as to whether these shrapnel injuries would be fatal?" "Yes." "In my opinion, death would have been instantaneous." "Commander Dooley, you've described for the court a lengthy examination." "During this examination, did you find any evidence of bullet wounds?" " No, I did not." " None whatsoever?" "None, ma'am." "Your witness, Commander." "Commander, from what you've just described" "Lieutenant Entwhistle suffered significant internal injuries." " Is that correct?" " That's correct." "Yes." "In fact, Commander, isn't it true that some of Lieutenant Entwhistle's internal organs were not recovered?" "Also correct, Commander." "And isn't it true that the internal organs you did recover were so badly damaged it would be impossible to determine if a bullet passed through the organs?" "Yes." "That's true." "So, given the condition of the body, Commander, isn't it true that a number of bullets could have penetrated without detection?" "Objection, Your Honour." "Commander Rabb's question is ambiguous." ""A number" is very imprecise." "Sustained." "Be more specific, Commander Rabb." "Yes, Your Honour." "Commander, could two bullets have passed through undetected?" " Yes." " What about three bullets, Commander?" "Possibly, but not likely." "So at least two slugs could have hit Lieutenant Entwhistle" " without leaving a trace?" " Yes." "How many slugs could have missed, Commander?" " Missed?" " Your Honour, I object." "There is no way for Commander Dooley to ascertain how many bullets may have missed a body." "I withdraw the question, Your Honour." "The Commander is correct." "There is no way for any of us to determine how many rounds fired by the Hind missed." "No further questions." "That was brilliant, Harm." "Well, I don't know about that, but it was a start." "Listen, you two, you sound like a couple of nuggets who just shot a hole in a tow target." "You're right, CAG, we didn't do much damage." " And you're right." "It was a start." " Captain?" "We need to talk." " Naval officer to naval officer." " Not without his attorneys present." " I'll see you later." " CAG, you can't do this!" "The hell I can't." "You're dismissed, Commander." "You, too, Lieutenant." " I'm listening, Commander." " I just received intelligence that the regular Serb army is poised across the border." "I didn't know they gave that kind of info to lawyers." "I got it straight from State." " Well, then it must be true." " You're a warrior, CAG." "If this thing blows up into a shooting war those are your men going up in the air." "I know that better than you." "Sometimes, a warrior has to fall on his sword for the good of the cause." "Hardest thing a warrior has to do." "You're asking me to resign for the good of the Navy?" "State believes they can diffuse this if you admit you made a mistake." " They were shooting at my men." " I believe you." " But you're still going to prosecute?" " Lf it'll stop us from going to war, yes." " That's the wrong reason, Commander." " Is it?" " I'll sleep on it." " I knew you would." "The Teddy Roosevelt pulled in this afternoon." "She'll be relieving the Seahawk off Bosnia, Friday." "But it's not politically correct to call a ship" ""she" anymore, isn't it?" "You don't have to worry about being politically correct with me, sir." "What did it feel like, Harm, knowing you'd never fly off a carrier again?" "It was terrible." "Until I found another way to serve." "You're a young man." "A lot easier to adjust." "It wasn't easy, CAG." "No, I'm sure it wasn't." "I wonder how it's going to feel flying drunken tourists to Vegas?" "What did Commander Krennick say to you, sir?" "She says the Bosnian Serbs are going to use my action to blow off the peace treaty." "It could lead to an all out Balkan war with us in the middle." "She had no right to approach you like that, CAG." "Hell, I'd lay down my life for my men, why not my career?" "I'd rather see you leave that to the seven line officers than one scared JAG lawyer, sir." "You think she's scared?" "Well, she wouldn't be talking to you if she wasn't." "I know Commander Krennick's reputation, sir." "She'll use any tactic to win." "Put me in the air, Harm, I know how to read these things." "That's why I'm here, sir." "To provide the read." "Just don't use tea leaves, now." "I saw Lieutenant Entwhistle's chute deploy and I followed him down until we made the run on the Hind." "Did you see the Hind before you were attacked?" "Yes, ma'am." "I saw it firing on the chutes." " You're sure, Lieutenant?" " I'm absolutely certain." "No further questions." "How many patrols have you flown over Bosnia, Lieutenant?" " Five." " Was the CAG your pilot in all five?" " Yes, he was." " That's quite an honour." "An extreme honour." "Lieutenant, would you mind turning your chair to face the monitor?" "Is this an accurate representation of the various aircraft positions when Lieutenants Painter and Entwhistle ejected?" "Yes, it is." "First Lieutenant Painter ejected, then the aircraft rolled to port and Lieutenant Entwhistle ejected from an inverted position." " Is that correct?" " Affirmative." "You follow Lieutenant Entwhistle's chute until the CAG turned abruptly starboard, to destroy the Hind." " Affirmative." " What did the Hind do?" " Broke into us as we came around." " Did it fire on you?" "No, ma'am." "The CAG was too quick for it." "He nailed them in the middle of the turn." "Was that a high-G turn?" "Well, the G-meter pegs at the max Gs pulled in any flight." "I saw it pegged at nine Gs and since that snap turn was the most violent manoeuvre of the flight, it had to be at nine Gs." "So, you were watching Lieutenant Entwhistle's chute when the CAG said he saw the Hind firing." "He immediately executed a nine-G turn in the middle of which he blew the Hind away." "Yes, ma'am." "Except I saw the Hind firing also." "How did you do that, Lieutenant?" " Ma'am?" " You just testified that you were watching Lieutenant Entwhistle's chute on the port side of your aircraft." "How did you see the Hind firing on the starboard side?" "Well, I must have seen it firing as we turned." "But at that point you said it wasn't firing." "The CAG was too quick." ""Nailed them in the middle of the turn", to use your words." "I repeat." "How could you see the Hind firing if it was on the starboard side of your plane and you were looking to port?" "The CAG said the Hind was firing and immediately executed a nine-G turn." "I believe you experienced stagnant hypoxia causing a grey-out and your mind did the rest." "Objection." "What the prosecutor believes is irrelevant, Your Honour." " Sustained." " I withdraw the statement." "I wasn't having a grey-out." "I wasn't fixating on anyone in a chute." "I kept my eye on the target." " The target being the Hind?" " Affirmative." "Why call it a target if there had been no enemy action?" "In the air, I consider any military aircraft a potential target unless it belongs to the United States of America." "I see, you fought in Vietnam, in the Gulf War." "You were even an advisor to the Israelis." " I fly where the Navy sends me." " Ever been shot down, Captain?" "June 14, 1967 over the Gulf of Tonkin." " By whom, Captain?" " It was a friendly fire incident." " In fact, you were mistaken for a MiG." " So the pilot said." " What were you flying at the time?" " An F-8B Crusader." "Does the Crusader's profile look anything like that of a MiG?" " No, it does not." " But that's what the pilot saw." "He was in enemy airspace." "And having encountered MiGs earlier in the day his brain turned your Crusader into a MiG." "He was an Air Force pilot." "When you went up over Bosnia that day, wasn't it with a sense of anticipation?" "On the day my heart isn't pounding when I'm sitting on that catapult, that's the day I retire." " You knew you might see action?" " I was nearly shot down not more than 20 miles from the current incident." "You're on full alert at all times?" "Commander, I'm on full alert flying over Oklahoma." "So there you are." "Flying in the same airspace where you were attacked only a few months ago." "Suddenly, your wingman has a fire, and his plane explodes." "It's a terrible sight." "You wouldn't begin to know." "You want to do everything in your power to help your men." " But there's nothing you can do." " Except remove the threat." "Exactly." "Your men are down." "You're angry." "You're in a place where you've been shot at before." "And you have to do something." "I did not attack the Hind out of frustration!" "I attacked it because it was strafing my men!" "I believe you, Captain." "I believe your mind told you the Hind was firing just as that Air Force pilot's mind told him your crusader was a MiG." "Tragically, you both were wrong." "I can't say I think much of your profession." "And I can't say I blame you." "There are times I don't think much of it myself." "How bad is it?" "Under ordinary circumstances, they haven't proven their case." "But with the pressure the State's exerting..." "That's a panel of naval line officers, mister." "I'm not saying they won't be fair, CAG." "But they're under as much pressure as we are." "Well!" "Hello, hello, hello." "So, did you get the word?" "That RIO, what's his name?" " Painter?" " Painter, right." "Well, the scuttlebutt is his emergency beacon went off." "Has the rescue mission been launched?" "No." "There's not going to be a rescue mission, at least not until this trial's over." "What?" "Washington's worried that the whole thing's a trap." "They're waiting for confirmation." "What do they expect Painter to do?" "Phone home?" " Where are you going, sir?" " I'm going out to the Seahawk to climb all over the skipper's SIX." "You can't do that, you're in the middle of a court martial." "I'm not going to abandon Painter." "You won't have to, sir." "I'll go to the Seahawk." "Lieutenant, I'm turning the CAG's defence over to you." " Me?" "Commander, I don't..." " What's the matter, Lieutenant?" "You're afraid you can't handle him?" "Yes, sir." "Well, you're going to have to learn, Lieutenant." "I don't suppose I can report any of this?" "Nah." "Didn't think so." "You need to fly over the area for your defence of the CAG?" " Yes, sir." " And I'm supposed to approve this?" "No, sir." "I'm ordering it as the JAG officer in charge of the CAG's defence, sir." "Don't let that extra bar go to your head, mister." "No, sir." "However, I've got a man out there who may be hurt." "Washington won't let me go after him without confirmation." "No, sir." "So, you've got your overflight in a Sea Stallion." "Marines have been known to jump out of them." "Of course, they're highly trained and a touch crazy." "But so are some Navy lawyers I know." "Yes, sir!" "You're going into heavy woods." "We can lift you out with a Penetrator but if you can find a clearing, that'd be better." "No scheduled flights?" "The radio direction finder will drop you right smack down on whoever's sending that signal." "What if it's not Painter?" "Just don't play the hero." "Prison's better than a pine box, all right?" " I can rescue you from a prison." " That's what I like about you Marines." "Always looking for a silver lining." " We're close to where they went down." " There's no sign of him." " There he is!" " We're almost on top of him." " Lf that's him." " Well, there's only one way to find out." "Good luck, Harm." " Morning, sir." " Lieutenant," " any word on Commander Rabb?" " No, sir." "Captain, I've been thinking." "If you believed your men to be in danger, that alone could justify the action you took even if you were mistaken, sir." "But I wasn't mistaken, Lieutenant." "Better a black mark on your record than a conviction, sir." "If I made a mistake," "I should suffer the consequences, Lieutenant." "But I didn't." "I know, sir." "And I believe you." "But sometimes discretion is the better part of valour." "Lieutenant Austin, if I believed that" "I would never catapult off a carrier again." "Sir, you may never fly again if you don't." " Lf I go down, I go down fighting." " Sir." "I want to address that board." "You can't, sir." "Only lawyers can make closing arguments." "Can I be my own lawyer?" " Technically, sir, but I don't..." " Lieutenant, you're fired." "He fired me, sir, and wishes to act as his own counsel." "Did you advise him of the consequences of doing so?" "I did, Your Honour." "In no uncertain terms." "This is highly unusual." "The CAG is a highly unusual individual, sir." "Your Honour, first, the senior defence for the counsel doesn't appear and now the defendant wants to make the closing argument." "I don't know what their game is." "But you should not allow it." "Counsellor, I'll decide what I should or should not allow." "Of course, Your Honour." "I didn't mean to imply otherwise." "But I hope Your Honour would agree that this is not in the defendant's best interest." "Or perhaps not in the prosecution's, eh, Commander?" "I'll allow it." "Lieutenant, I'm ordering you to serve as legal advisor." "Yes, sir." "What's wrong?" "This isn't a bullet wound." "No." "I must have injured it when I ejected." "Gentlemen, peace or war may be hanging on the outcome of this trial." "But that should not be a factor in your decision any more than Captain Boone's exemplary record." " Then why did she mention it?" " The guilt or innocence..." "She's smart, sir." "Playing to the men in suits." "And what are the facts?" "The Hind was destroyed." "That is a fact." "Its five crewmen were killed." "That is a fact." "There were no bullet holes found in Lieutenant Entwhistle's body." "That is a fact." "And the only corroborating witness for the defence," "Lieutenant Arnoldi, could not possibly have seen the Hind firing!" "That is a fact." "And there, gentlemen, the facts end." "Captain Boone thought he saw what he did not." "He made a mistake." "This is a mistake, gentlemen, that the Navy cannot, not now, not ever, allow to go unpunished." "Thank you." "The defence may now address the court." " She almost convinced me." " Given up on us, Captain?" "That'll be the day." "Gentlemen, since I am not a lawyer," "I'll be brief." "Good God, we're dealing with Abe Lincoln." "I am a naval aviator with 11,000 flying hours." "Nine hundred and eight of which were in combat." "I know gunfire when I see it." "I did not imagine it." "The Hind was firing at my men as they hung helpless in their chutes." "What I did, I would do again without hesitation even if doing so meant ending my naval career." "God knows it is not a career I wish to end." "That will happen soon enough." "But better that than to break the sacred trust between an officer and those he commands to do whatever is in his power to protect them." "Not only when such action is obvious or politically correct, but even when it is sure to be unpopular and questioned." "The day that I can no longer live up to that trust, you will not have to ask for my resignation, gentlemen, it'll be tendered without hesitation." "They're going to court-martial the CAG?" "They say that Hind was attempting to render humanitarian assistance when he blew it away." " That'll be the day." " Was it strafing you?" " Lf the CAG said they did, they did." " Can you say they did?" "I don't even remember going out." "After I pulled the handles, Harm, all I remember is hanging in the trees." "Hell, I'll testify that they were shooting at us." "You know you can't do that, Painter." "Can you make it?" "I spotted a clearing half a mile down slope." "Sorry." "It's okay." "We'll get the Marines to pull us out of here." "Sir." "Ma'am." "Still no word from Commander Rabb, sir." " Lf Painter's alive, he'll find him." " I hope so, sir." "Then even if the board finds you guilty," "Lieutenant Painter's testimony can get it overturned on appeal." "Is that why you think I'm worried about Painter, Lieutenant?" "No, sir." "I just thought it would be the icing on the cake." " She's gone!" " Who, sir?" "The Teddy Roosevelt." "Slipped away in the night." "One minute she's there, the next minute she's over the horizon." "Sir." "Ma'am." "The board is returning with a verdict." "Lieutenant, whatever the outcome, you make a hell of a wingman." " Thank you, sir." " For a lawyer." "Move it out!" "Move it out, gentlemen, come on!" "Go!" "Go!" "Let's go!" "Go!" "Let's go!" "Move." "Move!" "This board has reached a verdict." "A verdict which need not be unanimous, nor is it." "Captain Thomas Boone, by a majority of four to three we find you not guilty." "This proceeding is at an end." "Captain Boone, you are free to return to your command." " Dismissed." " Aye, aye, sir!" "Captain!" "Congratulations." "That was a brilliant closing argument." " It was the truth." " I know." "That's why it was brilliant." "Perhaps now you can tell me where Commander Rabb is?" "Somewhere in Bosnia trying to find Lieutenant Painter." " He really is a cowboy." " No, Commander." "He's a naval aviator who knows what it means to put it on the line." "Now let's get the hell out of here and back to the action, huh?" "Yes, sir." "Captain," "I'd like to go with you." "Why not, Commander?" "You might learn something." "53's inbound." "There's Serbs everywhere." "There he is!" "Seahawk, we got him!" "It's too thick!" "We have to use the Penetrator!" "Let's go!" "Hang on!" "I got him!" "No!" "Harm's down there!" "Gobi One." "Gobi Two." "We need help sweeping the area!" "Gobi One." "On our way." "All clear, Gobi Two." "You didn't think we'd leave him behind, did you, sailor?" "There he is!" "There he is!" "Drop down!" "Hang on, Harm!" "We got you, buddy!" "Seahawk, this is Gobi One." "We have our cargo and we're heading home." "CAG." "Gobi Two." "Request permission to come aboard." "Hold it." "It's about time you got back." "I took a long weekend in the mountains, sir." "Well, next time you ask my permission first." "Aye, sir." "Carry on!" "Harm!" "Well?" " Well, what, sir?" " What was the verdict?" "Amazingly, it was four to three." " Not guilty." " It should have been unanimous." "This is part of Painter's chute." "I'll be damned." "12.7 millimetre." "Standard ammunition on a Soviet Hind." "I'd love to see the faces of the three officers who voted guilty when they hear about this." "No way of knowing who they are." " I know who they are." " You do?" "Hell, yes, I do." "How would he know?" "He's the CAG!"