JAG

GIVE ME THE RADIO, CORPORAL.

TAGGER, THIS IS BAMBI.

TAGGER 1. GO AHEAD, BAMBI.

WE GOT YOU A TARGET IN BLUE SECTOR ALPHA. OVER.

BAMBI, TAGGER 1. ON OUR WAY.

TAGGER 2, TAGGER 1. DO YOU READ?

TAGGER 1, TAGGER 2. BUT I'M READING YOU 3 BY 3.

SOUNDS LIKE OUR BATTERIES ARE WEAK AGAIN. OVER.

TAGGER 2, TAGGER 1. YOU TAKE THE TARGET.

I'M GOING HIGH TO SEE IF I CAN CONTACT THUMPER. OVER.

TAGGER 2, ROGER.

GOMEZ, GOMEZ. SLOW DOWN, FOR GOD'S SAKES. MY HEAD IS KILLING ME.

LIEUTENANT HUNG OVER, SIR?

NO, I AM NOT HUNG OVER.

I'M STILL DRUNK.

YES, SIR!

KILL THE ENGINE.

OH, GOMIE, I'M SEEIN' DOUBLE.

WANT ME TO DO THAT FOR YOU, LIEUTENANT?

NO, I DON'T WANT THE P.F.C. TO DO IT.

THUMPER, TAGGER 2. FIRE FOR EFFECT.

POLAR. DIRECTION 139.

DISTANCE 246.

DOWN 40. OVER.

THUMPER, TAGGER 1.

DID YOU COPY TAGGER 2? OVER.

NEGATIVE, TAGGER 1.

OK. FIRE FOR EFFECT.

POLAR. DIRECTION 139.

READY!

READY ON 3!

READY ON 5!

ALL GUNS READY, SIR!

FIRE!

INCOMING!

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 0700 HOURS YESTERDAY MORNING

DURING LIVE FIRE EXERCISES.

ONE OF MY OFFICERS SCREWED UP.

HE CALLED IN ARTILLERY ON HIS RECON TEAM.

I GOT 7 MEN IN THE HOSPITAL. 4 CRITICAL.

SORRY, SIR. AND THE OFFICER RESPONSIBLE?

DOES NOT DISPUTE THE FACTS, LIEUTENANT. OPEN AND SHUT.

SIR, LIEUTENANT AUSTIN AND I WERE PULLED OFF AN INVESTIGATION

AND EXPEDITED HERE.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, GENERAL, IF IT'S OPEN AND SHUT, WHY THE HIGH PRIORITY?

EITHER OF YOU EVER MET A FORMER COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS?

NO, SIR.

WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO.

THE MARINE 2ND LIEUTENANT YOU WILL PROBABLY CHARGE

IS THE SON OF GENERAL THOMAS WILLIAMS.

THAT'S THE PRIORITY.

WRAP THIS UP QUICK, LIEUTENANTS.

WE DON'T NEED ALL THE DECIMAL POINTS.

YOU CAN ROUND OFF THE ANSWERS.

SERGEANT MAJOR HOLLIS WILL GET YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT.

TAKE THEM OUT TO THE FIRE DIRECTION CENTER.

YOU'LL WANNA START WITH CAPTAIN REED.

SIR. AYE, AYE, SIR.

AYE, SIR.

WHAT IF WE DON'T WANNA START WITH CAPTAIN REED?

LET'S NOT ROCK THE BOAT YET.

OR IS IT CAMEL OUT HERE?

READY TO GO, SIR? GO.

FIRE!

IS LIEUTENANT WILLIAMS CONFINED TO QUARTERS,

SERGEANT MAJOR? NO, SIR. CONFINED TO BASE.

A LITTLE LAX, CONSIDERING.

NO PLACE TO GO OUT HERE, LIEUTENANT.

DO YOU KNOW GENERAL WILLIAMS?

NO, SIR, NOT PERSONALLY. BUT EVERY MARINE KNOWS OF HIM.

HE'S 3RD GENERATION CORPS,

AND THE FIRST ONE IN HIS FAMILY TO WEAR THE BUTTON.

THE BUTTON? YES, MA'AM.

THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. YOU SALUTE ANYBODY THAT WEARS IT,

INCLUDING AN ENLISTED MAN.

I KNOW THAT, SERGEANT MAJOR.

SORRY, MA'AM. DIDN'T MEAN TO IMPLY YOU DIDN'T.

HOW'D HE GET THE BUTTON?

HE FLEW CHOPPERS INTO NAM, LIEUTENANT.

ONE NIGHT HE HAD TO GO INTO A HOT L.Z. TO PICK UP A MARINE RECON TEAM.

ON THE FIRST RUN, HE GOT HIS LEG BLOWN OUT.

CO-PILOT WAS KILLED. BOTH DOOR GUNNERS NAILED.

HE WENT BACK 3 MORE TIMES ALONE TO GET EVERYBODY OUT.

LOST HIS LEG, GOT THE BUTTON.

DETERMINED MARINE. DAMN DETERMINED MARINE, MA'AM.

FIRE!

READY ON 3!

FIRE!

READY ON 5!

I'M LIEUTENANT RABB. THIS IS LIEUTENANT AUSTIN.

UH-HUH.

JAG, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.

FIRE!

DID YOU GET MY REPORT? NOT YET.

THAT'S TOO BAD. IT WOULD HAVE SAVED Y'ALL A TRIP OUT HERE.

OH, WE'D HAVE BEEN OUT HERE ANYWAY, CAPTAIN.

WE LIKE TO SEE THINGS FOR OURSELVES.

CEASE FIRE!

IS THIS THE BATTERY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT?

CORRECT.

AND IT'S STILL FIRING?

ALSO CORRECT. YOU'RE 2 FOR 2, LIEUTENANT.

WHY WAS THE AREA NOT SECURED, CAPTAIN?

I HAD THE MEN STAND DOWN.

I CHECKED THE POWDER LOADS, THE AZIMUTH SETTINGS, AND THE SHOOT COORDINATES.

THE COORDINATES WERE WRONG.

I ENTERED EVERYTHING IN THE LOG AND SIGNED IT. BY THE BOOK, LIEUTENANT.

BY THE BOOK, CAPTAIN.

IT'S CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED.

WILLIAMS WAS DRUNK AND SCREWED UP THE COORDINATES.

HE WAS DRUNK, SIR?

THAT'S RIGHT.

DID YOU REQUEST A BLOOD ALCOHOL TEST?

NOPE.

BUT I SMELLED LIQUOR ON HIM.

BEFORE THE EXERCISE AND YOU ALLOWED HIM TO PARTICIPATE, SIR?

AFTER.

DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT BLAMING THIS ON ME, JAG.

THAT'S NOT OUR INTENTION, SIR.

WHAT IS YOUR INTENTION, LIEUTENANT?

TO FIND THE TRUTH. WELL, THAT SEEMS SELF-EVIDENT TO ME,

BUT THEN AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A LAW DEGREE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'D RATHER HAVE A CASE OF RABIES, SIR.

WHY DON'T YOU JAGs JUST LISTEN TO THE TAPE?

WHAT TAPE?

COMMUNICATIONS KEEPS A TAPE OF ALL RADIO TRAFFIC.

LIEUTENANT WILLIAMS' SCREW-UP WILL BE ON IT.

LIEUTENANTS! THEY WANT YOU OVER AT THE AIR FIELD. GENERAL WILLIAMS IS ARRIVING.

LOOKS LIKE DADDY'S COMING TO SAVE JUNIOR'S ASS.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST LIEUTENANT WILLIAMS, CAPTAIN?

I'M NOT HERE 'CAUSE OF MY DADDY, LIEUTENANT,

OR BECAUSE SOME RECRUITMENT PROGRAM LIKED MY SEX.

I CAME UP THROUGH THE RANKS

AND IT GALLS ME TO SEE A SCREW-UP LIKE WILLIAMS AS AN OFFICER.

GOOD ENOUGH, JAG?

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT GOOD ENOUGH, BUT IT'S CLEAR ENOUGH.

WHERE IS HE, LARRY?

HE'S WAITING TO BE QUESTIONED BY JAG, SIR.

THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET?

UH, NO, SIR. I THOUGHT IT WERE BEST HE SPOKE TO YOU BEFORE THAT HAPPENED.

HERE ARE THE INVESTIGATING OFFICERS, GENERAL.

LIEUTENANTS RABB AND AUSTIN.

WITH ME, LIEUTENANTS.

GENERAL BUTLER AND I SERVED TOGETHER IN NAM.

HE'D LOOK THE OTHER WAY FOR ME WITHOUT HESITATION,

WHICH I'M SURE IS APPARENT TO YOU ALREADY.

CORRECT, LIEUTENANTS?

YES, SIR. YES, SIR.

YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE I TOLD JAG I WANTED AN INVESTIGATING TEAM

THAT WOULDN'T LOOK THE OTHER WAY.

COMMANDER LINDSEY SAID YOU'D BE THE ONES.

I WON'T HAVE ANYONE EXCUSING JAY

OR COVERING UP FOR HIM ON MY ACCOUNT.

YOU'LL BE LETTING ME DOWN IF YOU'RE ANYTHING OTHER THAN IMPARTIAL.

UNDERSTOOD, LIEUTENANTS?

YES, SIR. YES, SIR.

AT EASE, VINCE.

HOW ARE THE MEN?

WELL, 4 ARE STILL CRITICAL, SIR,

BUT THE REST ARE GONNA MAKE IT.

I'M GOING BACK TO THE HOSPITAL IN A MINUTE.

I JUST STOPPED BY TO CHEER UP JAY AND TO MEET YOU, SIR.

IS HE ADMITTING HIS MISTAKE?

I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND IT WAS AN HONEST ONE. ANYONE COULD HAVE DONE IT.

BUT ANYONE DIDN'T DO IT. JAY DID.

AND HE ACCEPTED IMMEDIATE RESPONSIBILITY.

HMM, THAT IS SURPRISING.

HE'S GROWING UP, SIR.

YOU'D BETTER GET BACK TO YOUR MEN.

WHEN THIS MESS IS ALL CLEANED UP,

I'D LOVE TO HAVE DINNER WITH YOU AND THE WIFE.

LESLIE WOULD LOVE THAT, GENERAL.

LIEUTENANT BOONE'S A FIRST-CLASS OFFICER,

WELL ON HIS WAY.

YOU KNOW, HE'S THE ONLY ONE OF JAY'S FRIENDS I EVER APPROVED OF.

AT EASE, JAY.

DON'T YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING?

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY, SIR.

THAT'S IT?

YOU LOOK GOOD.

HOW'S MA?

STICKIN' TO YOUR DIET?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SAY, GENERAL?

CONDUCT YOUR INTERVIEW AS IF I WASN'T HERE.

I MEAN THAT, LIEUTENANT.

AYE, SIR.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO CHARGE ME WITH, SIR?

THAT HASN'T BEEN DECIDED, LIEUTENANT.

WE'LL INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO A BOARD OF INQUIRY.

WELL, WHAT WILL THEY CHARGE ME WITH?

NOTHING, IF IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE.

IS THERE ANY OTHER KIND?

YES, IF YOUR JUDGMENT WAS IMPAIRED BY ALCOHOL.

AND WHO SAID THAT?

WE'RE NOT AT LIBERTY TO SAY.

WELL, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

I KICKED THE LAST 2 NUMBERS ON THE DISTANCE. OVER AND OUT.

KICKED?

TRANSPOSED.

I TARGETED THE TANK WITH A LASER RANGE FINDER.