JAG s05e19 Episode Script
Promises
I'm just happy to be getting off the ship.
We got the place for the whole weekend, that's the good thing.
You finished already, Granato? You're getting better at this.
Whatever.
Do you think I could put this gear away now? Absolutely.
There's plenty of deck for you to swab.
Haven't I done enough, - Petty Officer Rowe? - No.
You've got three hours and 12 minutes left on your watch.
Oh, forget it.
Stow the Brasso and swab the deck, Seaman Granato.
That's an order.
Do it now, Granato.
Do it yourself.
- Look what you did.
- I quit.
- You can't just quit the Navy.
- Watch me.
Good evening, and thank you for coming.
Every time the Navy unveils a new recruiting commercial, we all have a stake in it.
But tonight, for those of us at JAG, stakes are even greater because the commercial stars our own Commander Harmon Rabb.
With the commander tonight is the director of the commercial, Renee Peterson.
I understand she's still trying to stop him from ad-libbing.
Let's all now take a look and see how the nation's gonna see us this week for the first time.
I'm Commander Harmon Rabb.
The Navy has given me not one, but two careers.
The first you've just seen, flying F- 14 Tomcats.
The second I'm working at right now, as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps.
The great thing about the Navy is the challenges don't stop with courtrooms and jets.
You could work in nuclear propulsion or computer electronics.
Or you could stand tall with the world's elite fighting force, the SEALs.
So if you think the Navy is for you, take my advice.
Step up and meet the challenge.
- Very good, sir.
- Very professional.
- Nice job, commander.
- Thank you, sir.
You know, I was under the impression that Miss Peterson was going to use Your line, sir, was edited out.
Renee will explain it to you.
She's right over there.
If I'm not mistaken, commander, the only thing those three women have in common is you.
Did you see what she was wearing? I can't believe he's dating that girl.
- Good morning, lieutenant.
- Good morning, sir.
We can discuss it later, colonel.
Commander.
- I scare her off? - She's a little high-strung.
Listen, colonel, on another note, what were you and Bobbi Latham talking to Renee about last night? Just girl talk.
Admiral's waiting.
Nice to see Commander Rabb could step out of the spotlight long enough to join us.
First order of business is Andrea Granato.
Apparently decided she had enough of the Navy and walked off her ship, the USS Hartung.
Witnesses said her parting words were, "I quit.
" Didn't anyone explain that quitting wasn't an option when Seaman Granato enlisted, sir? Apparently, Generation X only worries about itself.
This sounds like a simple case of unauthorized absence, sir.
Why is JAG involved? Because Seaman Granato is being charged with dereliction of duty, missing ship's movement and, as a result of 47 days of absence, desertion.
Ouch, sir.
Ouch is what you get when you walk off a Spruance-class destroyer getting ready to deploy to the Adriatic.
The skipper drops a ton of bricks on you.
- Up to prosecuting, colonel? - Absolutely, sir.
- Commander, you will defend.
- Yes, sir.
Admiral, I'd like to volunteer to assist Commander Rabb.
Oh, I don't think that will be necessary, lieutenant.
- My plate's clear, sir.
- Well, then let me fill it.
It seems a young petty officer took a car from the motor pool at Bethesda Naval Hospital and got caught drag racing.
You'll be handling his special court-martial.
Yes, sir.
- So that does it unless-- - One more thing, sir.
These bricks that Seaman Granato's CO is dropping on her, why so many? I'd been hearing about Seaman Granato's attitude since her first day aboard.
From her leading chiefs in CIC, mostly.
What sorts of things were you hearing, Commander Woodling? - She's a whiner.
- Not the first one in the service.
Did you whine when you were working toward those silver oak leaves on your collar? - I couldn't afford to.
- No woman in the military can.
You know it and I know it.
And Seaman Granato just failed to get the message.
But her records don't show any previous instances of trouble.
She was near the top of her class at boot camp.
Well, that ceased to matter when she walked off this ship and missed the berth switch the next morning.
Is this personal, commander? Stereotypes are the curse of every woman in the military.
After what I went through Well, I don't have to tell you about discrimination, now, do I, colonel? - I'm not the issue here, commander.
- Oh, no, you're wrong.
We both are.
And you'd better understand that if you wanna successfully prosecute this case.
I never pictured you working behind a desk.
Not after seeing how much you hated it those two months in Saigon.
Well, hell, I found one that fit.
Besides, I'm not like you damn aviators.
- I don't suffer from oxygen deprivation.
- Sir.
Hell of a lot better than lack of action.
I haven't missed a war since Vietnam.
All right, all right.
Quit patting your damn chest and tell me why the hell you called me out here.
I need your help, admiral.
I had a little problem with an aircraft.
I got my ass grounded.
My FNAEB is in a couple of days, and if I don't win it, it could mean no flying, no command.
Sounds like more than just a little problem.
I ran off the end of a damn taxiway.
Got stuck in the mud.
I foddered the engine when I tried to power out.
- What the hell happened? - My eyes.
- Are they that bad? - No, they're fine.
But the flight physical found something in my bloodstream, screwed up my vision.
I couldn't tell the taxiway lights from the runway approach lights.
Well, what do you mean, something? Viagra.
Oh, hell, Pete.
I told you the problem wasn't my eyes.
You know the rule.
You can't take Viagra and fly.
The FAA says six hours is enough to get it out of your system.
That's a civilian rule.
Admiral, I thought it would be enough.
Let me see what I can do.
I really did wanna be in the Navy, sir.
Well, some people are gonna have a hard time believing that, Seaman Granato.
Including you, commander? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
I am your lawyer, after all.
Yes, sir.
I thought it would be a good way to better myself.
The Navy, I mean.
The kind of scores you got on your ASVABs, college would have been an option too.
Too expensive, sir.
Bu then I was hearing about the Navy, you know.
And I thought, "Wow, where else am I gonna get a chance like that?" What kind of chance were you looking for? The recruiter told me that I could be an air traffic controller, sir.
Oh, interested in aviation, huh? Totally, sir.
I'd never been in a plane before I was flown to boot camp.
That was cool.
Not the pilot part, but the getting it back down on the ground.
Whenever I was flying, getting back on the ground was always important.
- What did you fly, sir? - F-14s.
You can't be my lawyer, sir.
Excuse me? I saw your television commercial last night.
You're just another recruiter.
- I've already had one lie to me.
- What lie? The lie they told me about how I could be an air traffic controller, sir.
- Like that's ever gonna happen.
- Go on, I'm listening.
First they told me that my school was postponed, so they send me to fleet as an undesignated striker.
Then three months later, they tell me that they are over-quota'd on air traffic controllers.
They offered me some other schools, but they were not what they promised me.
Well, I'm sure it wasn't personal, Seaman Granato.
These things happen in the military.
But nobody told me that, sir.
If you can't get your head around that, then you should not be defending me.
I don't know what to tell you, Chief Pearson.
Maybe I am backing away, sort of.
That's what I just-- - Commander.
- As you were, chief.
Thank you, sir.
Look, Ronnie, if you want to go to college, put in your four years and the Navy will pay your way.
And by that time, you'll probably have a lot better idea about what you-- You're Commander Rabb.
That's him.
He's in our new recruiting commercial too.
On TV.
You seen it, Ronnie? I don't remember.
When you do, you will definitely wanna play on the commander's team.
Yeah.
Okay, Chief Pearson.
- All right, think Navy, Ronnie.
- Sure.
I had him locked in.
Then his mother offers him 500 bucks to go to a community college.
Economy like it is, I usually hear them saying they found a job that pays better than we do.
Yeah.
Sounds like tough duty, chief.
Oh, at least they lowered my quota, sir.
Now if I sign three kids every two months, I'm a hero.
A year ago, they wanted four a month.
I was going nuts.
That would be about when you signed Andrea Granato, wouldn't it? Oh, yes, sir, it was.
A total homerun that girl.
Is she working for you? I'm her lawyer, chief.
- She's been charged with desertion.
- Andrea? Claims she did it because she didn't get the school you promised her.
Did you guarantee she'd be an air traffic controller, chief? I didn't guarantee anything, sir.
Neither do college football recruiters, chief, but they sometimes wind up with two quarterbacks both guaranteed to start.
Commander, I never made her a promise the Navy couldn't keep.
You just told me you were up against a wall back then, chief.
- You had to sign four a month.
- That's right, sir.
So I talked faster, worked harder.
Bought myself a great-Iooking SUV to keep recruits from thinking the Navy is as butt ugly as this office.
Are you taking new recruits for a ride, chief? Only in my car, sir.
JAG Ops, Gunnery Sergeant Galindez.
Gunny, have you seen Lieutenant Singer? Yes, sir.
I just picked her up on my radar.
Lieutenant Singer? Telephone, ma'am.
It's Commander Rabb.
I'll take it at your desk, gunny.
Yes, sir? Lieutenant, I've got my hands full here in Baltimore.
I was wondering if you could find time to help me out.
On the Granato case, sir? - It would be an honour.
- Great.
Granato's recruiter's name is Chief Roger Pearson.
I need you to find out if there is any evidence that he has trouble telling the truth on the job.
I'm sure his unhappy recruits would tell you that, sir.
I need better than unhappy, lieutenant.
I need lied to.
- Yes, sir.
I'll get right on it.
- Thank you.
- Gunny? - Yes, ma'am? I need a favour.
- Colonel MacKenzie? - What is it, Bud? Well, you're busy with your case.
I'll come back later.
No, no, no.
It's not a problem.
Let's talk in my office.
It's Harriet, ma'am.
Do you think she's still mad at me about Australia? No, Australia is ancient history, Bud.
Besides, Harriet's not the type to hold a grudge.
Well, last night, I asked her what was for dinner, and she made me sleep on the couch.
Enter.
- Congresswoman Latham.
- I was just visiting the admiral, and while I was there, I thought we could chat.
By all means.
We'll talk later, colonel.
What happened to your jaw, lieutenant? Oh, Commander Rabb punched me.
Oh, Commander Brumby too.
It was an accident.
Ma'am.
- Please.
- Someday, I'd like to hear that story.
But right now, I'm more interested in the Granato case.
Well, the court-martial starts tomorrow.
- So the charges remain the same? - Yes, ma'am, they do.
Colonel MacKenzie, doesn't this strike you as a prime example of using an axe to peel a grape? I didn't know you had a personal interest in the case.
Well, I'm making arrangements for Seaman Granato to testify before my subcommittee.
On national security? On the retention of women in the military.
We lose a third of them every three years.
- A statistic I assume would alarm you.
- I'm well aware of that.
But the kind of women who should be in the military don't desert because they're pouting over the school they didn't get.
They wouldn't pout if they were given accommodations.
Accommodations? I think you've got this thing backwards, Congresswoman Latham.
Women, like men, are in the military to serve our country.
Not vice versa.
Nobody's serving anybody if the Navy recruits women and then chases them away.
Andrea Granato wasn't chased, she ran.
From what, colonel? - Hi.
- Hello.
Doctor Walden, Doctor Sidney Walden? That's right.
It's an old family name.
You're not the first to expect my grandfather.
So, Admiral Chegwidden, how can I help you? Well, actually, I'm here about a friend.
Admiral, there is no shame in erectile dysfunction.
Doctor Walden, I am the judge advocate general of the United States Navy.
And as such, I think I possess enough respect for the truth to be forthcoming if I had a problem, which I don't.
Not that I've lately, but the I know what you mean, admiral.
Work doesn't leave much time for relationships.
Kind of ironic for me, I guess.
- Is this your son? - Yes.
My husband died almost 12 years ago.
Danny plays lacrosse for Maryland.
Just a freshman.
Listen, I hope I wasn't too strident.
I It's refreshing to meet someone who doesn't mince words.
Now, about your friend.
Oh, yeah.
Right, right.
Well, he's a Naval aviator.
Flew after taking Viagra.
Foolish maybe, but it wasn't an issue until he had a mishap.
No fatalities.
- But the Navy is touchy about it.
- Right.
I know the common wisdom about the drug is that it decreases the ability to distinguish blue from green.
Exactly.
The colour of the lights on the taxiway where the accident happened.
Look, have your friend come in, admiral.
I'll examine him and we can determine exactly what the drug does to his sight.
Well, I don't know if he's gonna be comfortable with that.
Even if it gave him a defence? Andrea's sisters, her brother.
We were all excited she was gonna be working with airplanes.
The whole block was.
But I guess she never got close to an airplane, did she, Commander Rabb? - No, ma'am, I'm afraid she didn't.
- Oh, that recruiter.
He filled her head with all kinds of jets and fancy uniforms.
You know, glamorous stuff she was never gonna get if she stayed around here.
Did you hear the recruiter promise or guarantee anything? I never met him.
Too busy working here.
Plus, I thought Andrea-- She was 19 then.
--She could make her own decisions.
Sounds like you have a lot of faith in Andrea.
Nothing but, commander.
She was great in school.
She took care of my other kids after her father passed and I had to be out of the house so much.
Did Andrea ever have an attitude problem, Mrs.
Granato? Oh, well, she could be a little bossy.
But other than that, she was like a second mother.
Did she tell you that she was planning on leaving the ship? I didn't even know she was unhappy.
She wrote to me, everything was swell.
But when she got home, it all came out.
Big improvement over premieres and hijackings, huh? It is, isn't it? You sound surprised.
Well, I just haven't had many evenings like this recently.
Well, things can change, Harm.
I think I'm looking at a very interesting future.
Whoa, it's a little early for predictions, huh? You're not very good at relationships, are you? I just don't think we should be getting ahead of ourselves.
Oh, no, no, no.
Harm.
- No, you don't understand.
- I think I understand.
You said that you think there's an interesting future and-- No, no.
It's a movie, Harm.
The budget's only about two and a half million, but it's a really great opportunity.
What's the movie about? It's actually about Ioneliness.
Love triumphs? Well, not in the script that I read, but they had a really great time along the way.
- Really? - Really.
- A really good time? - Really good.
Is everybody getting court-martialled this nervous, sir? - Comes with the territory, I guess.
- Commander.
Just who I was looking for.
An addendum to our witness list.
Paul Skowron? - Ask your client.
- He's a guy I know.
More like the boyfriend she deserted the Navy to be with.
Boyfriend just slip your mind, Seaman Granato? I didn't think he mattered, sir.
Well, you better believe he matters if he's the reason you left that ship.
No, commander.
Everything I told you is the truth about my recruiter lying to me, promising me things that were never gonna happen.
How long after you left the ship did you go to your boyfriend's house? Right away, sir, but it's not what you're thinking.
Enlighten me.
I didn't have anywhere else to go.
How many days did you stay at Paul Skowron's? Three days, sir.
Four days, sir.
And in those four days she spent at your apartment, Mr.
Skowron, did Seaman Granato talk about the problems - she was having with the Navy? - She said she couldn't deal with it.
Anything about a recruiter? Anything about broken promises? We actually didn't do a whole lot of talking.
I see.
So while Seaman Granato was at your house, she was just enjoying your company.
Yeah, I knew she'd been hearing from her friends that I was seeing other girls, so I figured she wanted to try and get us back together.
- Because she was jealous? - I think so, yeah.
Jealous enough to desert from the Navy? Objection, this calls for the witness to be a mind reader.
- Sustained.
- No further questions.
Mr.
Skowron, prior to these four days that Seaman Granato spent with you in March, when was the last time you saw her? I don't know.
Maybe nine, ten months ago.
Which would be before Seaman Granato entered the Navy, correct? I guess.
Had she been back to Baltimore in this time? I think so.
I heard she was.
- She didn't see you then? - No.
So since she lived with you for four days in March, has she moved back in with you? - No, she's staying with her mother.
- So, what you're saying is, is that she treated your apartment like a hotel, only cheaper.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
We are still seeing each other.
- Every week? - Sometimes.
- Are you engaged, Mr.
Skowron? - No.
So really, what you and Seaman Granato have is a casual social relationship.
I suppose so, yes.
Thank you.
She dropped her Brasso, ma'am, splashed it all over my trousers.
And then she walked right over the brow.
Without permission, Petty Officer Rowe? I couldn't believe it, ma'am.
You don't just quit the Navy.
Did you have any other reaction? Oh, yes, ma'am.
Anger.
We were preparing to deploy, loading gear, testing systems, working like plough horses.
Seaman Granato couldn't have picked a worse time to jump ship.
Thank you.
No further questions.
So you were understaffed.
You were preparing to deploy.
Checking systems, loading gear.
And you couldn't find anything better for Seaman Granato to do than to polish brass? It's a part of Navy life, sir.
Like swabbing the deck.
Which is exactly what you had ordered - Seaman Granato to do next, isn't it? - Yes, sir.
Were you singling Seaman Granato out for drudgework, Petty Officer Rowe? I wanted to make a point, sir, that she needed to apply herself.
Was that the point? Or was the point that Seaman Granato is a woman? No, sir.
Yeah, got it.
I owe you one.
Thanks.
Lieutenant Singer.
I checked around like you asked.
- Found somebody interesting.
- Let's take a look.
Isaac Crawford.
He lives in Pikesville, in case you need him as a witness.
Good, good.
Commander Rabb.
I found someone you can use to counter Granato's recruiter.
And he lives in Maryland, so it will be easy to call him as a witness.
Nice work, lieutenant.
That was fast.
- Thank you, sir.
- Let's take a look.
- Can I help you with that, Sims? - You don't want the admiral catching you with a messy desk, gunny.
I thought she was just bringing me my lunch.
She's been like this for days.
Isn't there a drawer we can put these in? So the good news is this lady doctor could maybe prove - that Viagra didn't affect my eyesight? - Right.
Which leaves only one other explanation.
That I'm a half-assed aviator who should be kept away from planes for the rest of his natural life.
So we're back to square one.
I'll plead ignorance.
Ignorance does not become a base commander.
- Especially at a FNAEB.
- I know.
I really did think that stuff would be out of my system by the time I flew.
Pete, the rule is clear.
Is there a rule that says I can't have a happy marriage too? That is not the issue here.
You mean we're just Naval officers, nothing else, right, admiral? When it comes to that board, you bet.
I'm not making it very easy for you to be a character witness, am I? Well, it's not me I'm worried about.
Two days after Seaman Granato deserted, we began tactical testing in preparation for deployment to the Adriatic.
We had general quarters drills, fired all of our weapons, did everything we could possibly do to achieve combat readiness.
Should Seaman Granato have been there, commander? Oh, without question, colonel.
Her absence simply made life that much harder for everybody else.
Thank you.
Commander, how did the Hartung perform in its TAC tests? We scored 97 percent or better on every one.
I was very proud of my crew.
The ones who chose to stay.
So then you are fully prepared to deploy next week, correct? Yes, we are, commander.
Then Seaman Granato's absence did not affect your combat readiness.
Well, that's no excuse for what she did.
Commander, isn't what she did generally punished with a lesser charge than desertion? - Objection.
Relevance? - I'll allow it.
Overruled.
I don't know what's generally done, commander.
I assume you know what is specifically done aboard your ship, then.
How many absence offences have you sent to courts-martial in the past year? - Two or three.
- Maybe this list will jog your memory.
There were four.
For three men prosecuted for unauthorized absence.
One woman, Seaman Andrea Granato, prosecuted for desertion.
Her timing was worse.
Her attitude was worse.
And her sex was worse too, wasn't it, commander? Are you using Seaman Granato to prove that a woman CO can be as tough as any man, commander? No, I am not.
Are you trying to weed out somebody who doesn't meet your standards of what a Navy woman should be? They're not my standards, commander.
Whose standards are they, commander? The Navy men who might use a woman like Seaman Granato against a woman like you? - Objection.
- That's enough, commander.
I have no further questions, Your Honour.
Let me get this straight.
A woman commanding officer is a male chauvinist pig? Mac, you know she's doing exactly what I said she is.
What I know is that your client jumped ship.
Harm.
I thought you had a meeting about the movie.
Got cancelled.
Well, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you.
Well, you shouldn't be.
Colonel MacKenzie here called me as a witness.
Now, what could Renee possibly have to do with this? She fits into my case.
- Really? - Yeah.
Would she fit into your case if she wasn't my girlfriend? Do you think I'd let your social life dictate my trial strategy? How would you like it if I called Brumby as a witness? How soon can you get him here? Anything you'd like to share with the court, Col.
MacKenzie? Commander Rabb? - No, sir.
- No, sir.
Then call your first witness, commander.
Was it difficult to convince Andrea Granato to enlist, Chief Pearson? No, sir.
She was very positive about the Navy.
- Very enthusiastic.
- So you didn't have to mislead her about anything that might happen to her in the Navy? - I don't do that, sir.
- Really? Do you recall recruiting Isaac Crawford, chief? - I beg your pardon, sir? - You convinced Mr.
Crawford to enlist back in June of 1998.
He was honourably discharged eight months later because the Navy failed to honour a contract containing promises you made him.
That was an unusual case, sir.
What promises did you make Andrea Granato, Chief Pearson? I told her there was an excellent chance she'd become a flight controller, sir.
You didn't know that there was a chance she wouldn't become a flight controller? I didn't know the school was almost over-quota'd, sir.
Did you explain to Andrea Granato that something like this might happen? I didn't tell her any lies, sir, but a recruiter stresses what's likely to go right, not what might go wrong.
Admiral Hodges, members of the panel.
In the 31 years that I have known him, Captain Peter Tully has always been a consummate warrior.
He has flown combat missions in every conflict this nation has faced, from Vietnam to Bosnia.
You need only look at his chest to understand this is a man who has never taken a backwards step in the face of danger.
I'm proud to call him a friend.
I am honoured to call him a fellow Naval officer.
Admiral Chegwidden, you say that knowing that Captain Tully violated a general order from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
The Judge Advocate General's office must not be as unbending as I've always thought.
We're not talking about a crime here, admiral.
He took a normal 50-milligram dose a full 21 hours before he flew.
Almost four times the waiting period required of civilian pilots.
And now his career hangs in balance.
A career, gentlemen, I believe, does not deserve to end on such a note.
Thank you, Admiral Chegwidden.
Captain Tully.
You stand here today because you put yourself before the Navy and thereby risked your career, your life, - and conceivably the lives of others.
- Yes, sir.
But as Admiral Chegwidden said, your record should count for more than a single foolish mistake.
It will, however, do so only once.
Come this way again, captain, you'd better strap yourself in for a court-martial.
- Dismissed.
- Aye aye, sir.
Admiral, I owe you one.
Why don't you come to dinner with me and Mary Anne? Bring a date, if you're seeing someone.
With my workload? I'll give you a call.
All I wanted was to be an air traffic controller, sir.
And that is what you were led to believe you'd be trained as? Yes, sir, by my recruiter, Chief Petty Officer Pearson.
And then school got delayed, and then there were too many people.
And then I was just out of luck.
- Is this why you left the Hartung? - No, that was not the reason.
Then why, Seaman Granato? Because they acted like they didn't need me, sir, the way that my recruiter said that they did.
Thank you.
Seaman Granato, isn't it true that the Navy offered you other schools when Air Traffic Controller School - was no longer available? - Yes, ma'am.
Do you recall what those schools were for? - No, ma'am, not really.
- Let me refresh your memory.
Cryptology, information systems, aviation electronics.
But they weren't in my contract, ma'am.
Do you mean this contract, Seaman Granato? - Yes, ma'am.
- Is that your signature? That is my signature.
It said I could go to Air Traffic Controller School, ma'am.
- You read the contract carefully? - Yes, ma'am.
I'm sure you recall this sentence.
"Scheduling of the above school is subject to the needs of the Navy.
" - No, ma'am, I don't.
- Are you sure? Because it's very important upon entering the Navy that you realise its needs come before yours.
I'm sorry, colonel, but I do not remember that.
It was there for you to read, wasn't it? It was in your hands.
You signed it.
Yes, but Chief Pearson should have said something.
Why is that, Seaman Granato? Was he the one enlisting? No, ma'am, I was.
No further questions.
Redirect, Your Honour.
Seaman Granato, you were 19 - when you enlisted, correct? - Yes, sir.
Had you signed many contracts at this point? - No, sir.
- None? None, sir.
In light of this fact, did Chief Pearson encourage you to read the fine print in this contract? No, sir.
- The defence rests, Your Honour.
- Colonel, any rebuttal? Yes, Your Honour.
I'd like to call Renee Peterson.
Your Honour, may we approach? Sir, Miss Peterson is not an appropriate witness.
She certainly is, Your Honour.
She is an expert on recruiting.
She directed a commercial that Commander Rabb himself starred in.
- I've seen it.
- That hardly makes her an expert.
Sir, this is a blatant attempt to put the focus on me.
Embarrassed by your performance, commander? No, sir.
Did you think his performance was embarrassing, colonel? - Absolutely not, Your Honour.
- Then we agree.
Miss Peterson may testify.
I've shot a dozen or so rock videos and two documentaries, and people were impressed.
- Navy people.
- Why the Navy, Miss Peterson? My edge, my honesty, my reputation for independence.
Did your reputation remain intact when you made your commercial for the Navy? - Yes.
- Did you write the script - for your commercial, Miss Peterson? - Yes, based on my research.
Were you ever instructed by anyone from the Navy to sugarcoat your subject? I don't operate that way, colonel.
The Navy wanted to present a fair picture of itself to recruits.
- And that's what I gave them.
- Thank you.
Your witness, commander.
Miss Peterson.
How many people did you interview at JAG in your preparation for the commercial? Four: Admiral A.
J.
Chegwidden, Lieutenant Bud Roberts, Petty Officer Jason Tiner and you.
But they didn't end up in your commercial, did they? No.
Why? You can start with Admiral Chegwidden.
He He was a little stiff.
Lieutenant Roberts? His work in the Navy wasn't very interesting.
You actually shot some film with Petty Officer Tiner, didn't you? - Yes.
- But you didn't use it, why? Because all he could talk about was his filing system.
- It bored me out of my skull.
- So you picked me.
You weren't boring.
I wasn't a typical JAG lawyer? No, you flew Tomcats.
Doesn't this contradict your earlier testimony, Miss Peterson? You said that you gave potential recruits an honest depiction of Navy life.
- Objection, argumentative.
- Overruled.
Miss Peterson, did putting me in your commercial faithfully represent the Navy as you saw it? It was a commercial.
Commercials are made to sell.
You show the best.
I thought you were the best.
I made a mistake.
No further questions.
You may step down, Miss Peterson.
- I request a recess, Your Honour.
- Fifteen minutes.
Renee It's my job.
- To humiliate me? - I'm defending my client.
At my expense.
Renee.
When Seaman Granato didn't get the school she wanted, she caved in to selfishness.
And became a deserter instead.
When she was apprehended, she tried to dodge responsibility by saying her recruiter lied to her.
But she is an adult and she did sign on the dotted line.
I ask you to convict Seaman Granato on all charges and specifications.
There are no villains in this case.
Though there is a victim.
Seaman Andrea Granato.
We cannot castigate the Navy for wanting to bolster its ranks, and we cannot pillory its recruiters for responding aggressively to the Navy's requirements.
These charges against Seaman Andrea Granato, who joined the Navy eagerly yet blindly, far outweigh her transgressions.
Acquit her.
In the name of basic decency.
Would the defence please rise? Captain Imhoff, will you announce the findings, please? On the charge and specification of dereliction of duty, this court-martial finds you not guilty.
On the charge and specification of desertion, this court-martial finds you not guilty.
On the lesser included offence of unauthorized absence, this court-martial finds you guilty.
On the charge and specification of missing ship's movement, this court-martial finds you guilty.
I'll commence sentencing at 0900 tomorrow.
This court is adjourned.
What's gonna happen to me now, sir? If we're lucky, no confinement, but a bad-conduct discharge.
- Not out celebrating? - I don't feel like it.
You did what you could, Harm.
It was a loser case.
Have you talked to Renee? Since when did you start worrying about Renee? Colonel, commander.
Harriet's not angry at me anymore.
Harriet's not mad at him anymore.
- Baby? - I'm pregnant.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Oh, congratulations, Bud.
- Thank you, sir.
- Oh, that's great.
- Way to go, Bud.
- Thank you, sir.
- That's so great.
Way to go, Bud.
Dr.
Walden? A.
J.
Chegwidden.
No, no, actually, I don't think you'll have to testify.
Things went pretty well for my friend.
No.
Yes, he really does exist.
But that's not why I was calling.
I was hoping-- Wondering if you were free Saturday night.
We got the place for the whole weekend, that's the good thing.
You finished already, Granato? You're getting better at this.
Whatever.
Do you think I could put this gear away now? Absolutely.
There's plenty of deck for you to swab.
Haven't I done enough, - Petty Officer Rowe? - No.
You've got three hours and 12 minutes left on your watch.
Oh, forget it.
Stow the Brasso and swab the deck, Seaman Granato.
That's an order.
Do it now, Granato.
Do it yourself.
- Look what you did.
- I quit.
- You can't just quit the Navy.
- Watch me.
Good evening, and thank you for coming.
Every time the Navy unveils a new recruiting commercial, we all have a stake in it.
But tonight, for those of us at JAG, stakes are even greater because the commercial stars our own Commander Harmon Rabb.
With the commander tonight is the director of the commercial, Renee Peterson.
I understand she's still trying to stop him from ad-libbing.
Let's all now take a look and see how the nation's gonna see us this week for the first time.
I'm Commander Harmon Rabb.
The Navy has given me not one, but two careers.
The first you've just seen, flying F- 14 Tomcats.
The second I'm working at right now, as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps.
The great thing about the Navy is the challenges don't stop with courtrooms and jets.
You could work in nuclear propulsion or computer electronics.
Or you could stand tall with the world's elite fighting force, the SEALs.
So if you think the Navy is for you, take my advice.
Step up and meet the challenge.
- Very good, sir.
- Very professional.
- Nice job, commander.
- Thank you, sir.
You know, I was under the impression that Miss Peterson was going to use Your line, sir, was edited out.
Renee will explain it to you.
She's right over there.
If I'm not mistaken, commander, the only thing those three women have in common is you.
Did you see what she was wearing? I can't believe he's dating that girl.
- Good morning, lieutenant.
- Good morning, sir.
We can discuss it later, colonel.
Commander.
- I scare her off? - She's a little high-strung.
Listen, colonel, on another note, what were you and Bobbi Latham talking to Renee about last night? Just girl talk.
Admiral's waiting.
Nice to see Commander Rabb could step out of the spotlight long enough to join us.
First order of business is Andrea Granato.
Apparently decided she had enough of the Navy and walked off her ship, the USS Hartung.
Witnesses said her parting words were, "I quit.
" Didn't anyone explain that quitting wasn't an option when Seaman Granato enlisted, sir? Apparently, Generation X only worries about itself.
This sounds like a simple case of unauthorized absence, sir.
Why is JAG involved? Because Seaman Granato is being charged with dereliction of duty, missing ship's movement and, as a result of 47 days of absence, desertion.
Ouch, sir.
Ouch is what you get when you walk off a Spruance-class destroyer getting ready to deploy to the Adriatic.
The skipper drops a ton of bricks on you.
- Up to prosecuting, colonel? - Absolutely, sir.
- Commander, you will defend.
- Yes, sir.
Admiral, I'd like to volunteer to assist Commander Rabb.
Oh, I don't think that will be necessary, lieutenant.
- My plate's clear, sir.
- Well, then let me fill it.
It seems a young petty officer took a car from the motor pool at Bethesda Naval Hospital and got caught drag racing.
You'll be handling his special court-martial.
Yes, sir.
- So that does it unless-- - One more thing, sir.
These bricks that Seaman Granato's CO is dropping on her, why so many? I'd been hearing about Seaman Granato's attitude since her first day aboard.
From her leading chiefs in CIC, mostly.
What sorts of things were you hearing, Commander Woodling? - She's a whiner.
- Not the first one in the service.
Did you whine when you were working toward those silver oak leaves on your collar? - I couldn't afford to.
- No woman in the military can.
You know it and I know it.
And Seaman Granato just failed to get the message.
But her records don't show any previous instances of trouble.
She was near the top of her class at boot camp.
Well, that ceased to matter when she walked off this ship and missed the berth switch the next morning.
Is this personal, commander? Stereotypes are the curse of every woman in the military.
After what I went through Well, I don't have to tell you about discrimination, now, do I, colonel? - I'm not the issue here, commander.
- Oh, no, you're wrong.
We both are.
And you'd better understand that if you wanna successfully prosecute this case.
I never pictured you working behind a desk.
Not after seeing how much you hated it those two months in Saigon.
Well, hell, I found one that fit.
Besides, I'm not like you damn aviators.
- I don't suffer from oxygen deprivation.
- Sir.
Hell of a lot better than lack of action.
I haven't missed a war since Vietnam.
All right, all right.
Quit patting your damn chest and tell me why the hell you called me out here.
I need your help, admiral.
I had a little problem with an aircraft.
I got my ass grounded.
My FNAEB is in a couple of days, and if I don't win it, it could mean no flying, no command.
Sounds like more than just a little problem.
I ran off the end of a damn taxiway.
Got stuck in the mud.
I foddered the engine when I tried to power out.
- What the hell happened? - My eyes.
- Are they that bad? - No, they're fine.
But the flight physical found something in my bloodstream, screwed up my vision.
I couldn't tell the taxiway lights from the runway approach lights.
Well, what do you mean, something? Viagra.
Oh, hell, Pete.
I told you the problem wasn't my eyes.
You know the rule.
You can't take Viagra and fly.
The FAA says six hours is enough to get it out of your system.
That's a civilian rule.
Admiral, I thought it would be enough.
Let me see what I can do.
I really did wanna be in the Navy, sir.
Well, some people are gonna have a hard time believing that, Seaman Granato.
Including you, commander? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
I am your lawyer, after all.
Yes, sir.
I thought it would be a good way to better myself.
The Navy, I mean.
The kind of scores you got on your ASVABs, college would have been an option too.
Too expensive, sir.
Bu then I was hearing about the Navy, you know.
And I thought, "Wow, where else am I gonna get a chance like that?" What kind of chance were you looking for? The recruiter told me that I could be an air traffic controller, sir.
Oh, interested in aviation, huh? Totally, sir.
I'd never been in a plane before I was flown to boot camp.
That was cool.
Not the pilot part, but the getting it back down on the ground.
Whenever I was flying, getting back on the ground was always important.
- What did you fly, sir? - F-14s.
You can't be my lawyer, sir.
Excuse me? I saw your television commercial last night.
You're just another recruiter.
- I've already had one lie to me.
- What lie? The lie they told me about how I could be an air traffic controller, sir.
- Like that's ever gonna happen.
- Go on, I'm listening.
First they told me that my school was postponed, so they send me to fleet as an undesignated striker.
Then three months later, they tell me that they are over-quota'd on air traffic controllers.
They offered me some other schools, but they were not what they promised me.
Well, I'm sure it wasn't personal, Seaman Granato.
These things happen in the military.
But nobody told me that, sir.
If you can't get your head around that, then you should not be defending me.
I don't know what to tell you, Chief Pearson.
Maybe I am backing away, sort of.
That's what I just-- - Commander.
- As you were, chief.
Thank you, sir.
Look, Ronnie, if you want to go to college, put in your four years and the Navy will pay your way.
And by that time, you'll probably have a lot better idea about what you-- You're Commander Rabb.
That's him.
He's in our new recruiting commercial too.
On TV.
You seen it, Ronnie? I don't remember.
When you do, you will definitely wanna play on the commander's team.
Yeah.
Okay, Chief Pearson.
- All right, think Navy, Ronnie.
- Sure.
I had him locked in.
Then his mother offers him 500 bucks to go to a community college.
Economy like it is, I usually hear them saying they found a job that pays better than we do.
Yeah.
Sounds like tough duty, chief.
Oh, at least they lowered my quota, sir.
Now if I sign three kids every two months, I'm a hero.
A year ago, they wanted four a month.
I was going nuts.
That would be about when you signed Andrea Granato, wouldn't it? Oh, yes, sir, it was.
A total homerun that girl.
Is she working for you? I'm her lawyer, chief.
- She's been charged with desertion.
- Andrea? Claims she did it because she didn't get the school you promised her.
Did you guarantee she'd be an air traffic controller, chief? I didn't guarantee anything, sir.
Neither do college football recruiters, chief, but they sometimes wind up with two quarterbacks both guaranteed to start.
Commander, I never made her a promise the Navy couldn't keep.
You just told me you were up against a wall back then, chief.
- You had to sign four a month.
- That's right, sir.
So I talked faster, worked harder.
Bought myself a great-Iooking SUV to keep recruits from thinking the Navy is as butt ugly as this office.
Are you taking new recruits for a ride, chief? Only in my car, sir.
JAG Ops, Gunnery Sergeant Galindez.
Gunny, have you seen Lieutenant Singer? Yes, sir.
I just picked her up on my radar.
Lieutenant Singer? Telephone, ma'am.
It's Commander Rabb.
I'll take it at your desk, gunny.
Yes, sir? Lieutenant, I've got my hands full here in Baltimore.
I was wondering if you could find time to help me out.
On the Granato case, sir? - It would be an honour.
- Great.
Granato's recruiter's name is Chief Roger Pearson.
I need you to find out if there is any evidence that he has trouble telling the truth on the job.
I'm sure his unhappy recruits would tell you that, sir.
I need better than unhappy, lieutenant.
I need lied to.
- Yes, sir.
I'll get right on it.
- Thank you.
- Gunny? - Yes, ma'am? I need a favour.
- Colonel MacKenzie? - What is it, Bud? Well, you're busy with your case.
I'll come back later.
No, no, no.
It's not a problem.
Let's talk in my office.
It's Harriet, ma'am.
Do you think she's still mad at me about Australia? No, Australia is ancient history, Bud.
Besides, Harriet's not the type to hold a grudge.
Well, last night, I asked her what was for dinner, and she made me sleep on the couch.
Enter.
- Congresswoman Latham.
- I was just visiting the admiral, and while I was there, I thought we could chat.
By all means.
We'll talk later, colonel.
What happened to your jaw, lieutenant? Oh, Commander Rabb punched me.
Oh, Commander Brumby too.
It was an accident.
Ma'am.
- Please.
- Someday, I'd like to hear that story.
But right now, I'm more interested in the Granato case.
Well, the court-martial starts tomorrow.
- So the charges remain the same? - Yes, ma'am, they do.
Colonel MacKenzie, doesn't this strike you as a prime example of using an axe to peel a grape? I didn't know you had a personal interest in the case.
Well, I'm making arrangements for Seaman Granato to testify before my subcommittee.
On national security? On the retention of women in the military.
We lose a third of them every three years.
- A statistic I assume would alarm you.
- I'm well aware of that.
But the kind of women who should be in the military don't desert because they're pouting over the school they didn't get.
They wouldn't pout if they were given accommodations.
Accommodations? I think you've got this thing backwards, Congresswoman Latham.
Women, like men, are in the military to serve our country.
Not vice versa.
Nobody's serving anybody if the Navy recruits women and then chases them away.
Andrea Granato wasn't chased, she ran.
From what, colonel? - Hi.
- Hello.
Doctor Walden, Doctor Sidney Walden? That's right.
It's an old family name.
You're not the first to expect my grandfather.
So, Admiral Chegwidden, how can I help you? Well, actually, I'm here about a friend.
Admiral, there is no shame in erectile dysfunction.
Doctor Walden, I am the judge advocate general of the United States Navy.
And as such, I think I possess enough respect for the truth to be forthcoming if I had a problem, which I don't.
Not that I've lately, but the I know what you mean, admiral.
Work doesn't leave much time for relationships.
Kind of ironic for me, I guess.
- Is this your son? - Yes.
My husband died almost 12 years ago.
Danny plays lacrosse for Maryland.
Just a freshman.
Listen, I hope I wasn't too strident.
I It's refreshing to meet someone who doesn't mince words.
Now, about your friend.
Oh, yeah.
Right, right.
Well, he's a Naval aviator.
Flew after taking Viagra.
Foolish maybe, but it wasn't an issue until he had a mishap.
No fatalities.
- But the Navy is touchy about it.
- Right.
I know the common wisdom about the drug is that it decreases the ability to distinguish blue from green.
Exactly.
The colour of the lights on the taxiway where the accident happened.
Look, have your friend come in, admiral.
I'll examine him and we can determine exactly what the drug does to his sight.
Well, I don't know if he's gonna be comfortable with that.
Even if it gave him a defence? Andrea's sisters, her brother.
We were all excited she was gonna be working with airplanes.
The whole block was.
But I guess she never got close to an airplane, did she, Commander Rabb? - No, ma'am, I'm afraid she didn't.
- Oh, that recruiter.
He filled her head with all kinds of jets and fancy uniforms.
You know, glamorous stuff she was never gonna get if she stayed around here.
Did you hear the recruiter promise or guarantee anything? I never met him.
Too busy working here.
Plus, I thought Andrea-- She was 19 then.
--She could make her own decisions.
Sounds like you have a lot of faith in Andrea.
Nothing but, commander.
She was great in school.
She took care of my other kids after her father passed and I had to be out of the house so much.
Did Andrea ever have an attitude problem, Mrs.
Granato? Oh, well, she could be a little bossy.
But other than that, she was like a second mother.
Did she tell you that she was planning on leaving the ship? I didn't even know she was unhappy.
She wrote to me, everything was swell.
But when she got home, it all came out.
Big improvement over premieres and hijackings, huh? It is, isn't it? You sound surprised.
Well, I just haven't had many evenings like this recently.
Well, things can change, Harm.
I think I'm looking at a very interesting future.
Whoa, it's a little early for predictions, huh? You're not very good at relationships, are you? I just don't think we should be getting ahead of ourselves.
Oh, no, no, no.
Harm.
- No, you don't understand.
- I think I understand.
You said that you think there's an interesting future and-- No, no.
It's a movie, Harm.
The budget's only about two and a half million, but it's a really great opportunity.
What's the movie about? It's actually about Ioneliness.
Love triumphs? Well, not in the script that I read, but they had a really great time along the way.
- Really? - Really.
- A really good time? - Really good.
Is everybody getting court-martialled this nervous, sir? - Comes with the territory, I guess.
- Commander.
Just who I was looking for.
An addendum to our witness list.
Paul Skowron? - Ask your client.
- He's a guy I know.
More like the boyfriend she deserted the Navy to be with.
Boyfriend just slip your mind, Seaman Granato? I didn't think he mattered, sir.
Well, you better believe he matters if he's the reason you left that ship.
No, commander.
Everything I told you is the truth about my recruiter lying to me, promising me things that were never gonna happen.
How long after you left the ship did you go to your boyfriend's house? Right away, sir, but it's not what you're thinking.
Enlighten me.
I didn't have anywhere else to go.
How many days did you stay at Paul Skowron's? Three days, sir.
Four days, sir.
And in those four days she spent at your apartment, Mr.
Skowron, did Seaman Granato talk about the problems - she was having with the Navy? - She said she couldn't deal with it.
Anything about a recruiter? Anything about broken promises? We actually didn't do a whole lot of talking.
I see.
So while Seaman Granato was at your house, she was just enjoying your company.
Yeah, I knew she'd been hearing from her friends that I was seeing other girls, so I figured she wanted to try and get us back together.
- Because she was jealous? - I think so, yeah.
Jealous enough to desert from the Navy? Objection, this calls for the witness to be a mind reader.
- Sustained.
- No further questions.
Mr.
Skowron, prior to these four days that Seaman Granato spent with you in March, when was the last time you saw her? I don't know.
Maybe nine, ten months ago.
Which would be before Seaman Granato entered the Navy, correct? I guess.
Had she been back to Baltimore in this time? I think so.
I heard she was.
- She didn't see you then? - No.
So since she lived with you for four days in March, has she moved back in with you? - No, she's staying with her mother.
- So, what you're saying is, is that she treated your apartment like a hotel, only cheaper.
- Objection.
- Sustained.
We are still seeing each other.
- Every week? - Sometimes.
- Are you engaged, Mr.
Skowron? - No.
So really, what you and Seaman Granato have is a casual social relationship.
I suppose so, yes.
Thank you.
She dropped her Brasso, ma'am, splashed it all over my trousers.
And then she walked right over the brow.
Without permission, Petty Officer Rowe? I couldn't believe it, ma'am.
You don't just quit the Navy.
Did you have any other reaction? Oh, yes, ma'am.
Anger.
We were preparing to deploy, loading gear, testing systems, working like plough horses.
Seaman Granato couldn't have picked a worse time to jump ship.
Thank you.
No further questions.
So you were understaffed.
You were preparing to deploy.
Checking systems, loading gear.
And you couldn't find anything better for Seaman Granato to do than to polish brass? It's a part of Navy life, sir.
Like swabbing the deck.
Which is exactly what you had ordered - Seaman Granato to do next, isn't it? - Yes, sir.
Were you singling Seaman Granato out for drudgework, Petty Officer Rowe? I wanted to make a point, sir, that she needed to apply herself.
Was that the point? Or was the point that Seaman Granato is a woman? No, sir.
Yeah, got it.
I owe you one.
Thanks.
Lieutenant Singer.
I checked around like you asked.
- Found somebody interesting.
- Let's take a look.
Isaac Crawford.
He lives in Pikesville, in case you need him as a witness.
Good, good.
Commander Rabb.
I found someone you can use to counter Granato's recruiter.
And he lives in Maryland, so it will be easy to call him as a witness.
Nice work, lieutenant.
That was fast.
- Thank you, sir.
- Let's take a look.
- Can I help you with that, Sims? - You don't want the admiral catching you with a messy desk, gunny.
I thought she was just bringing me my lunch.
She's been like this for days.
Isn't there a drawer we can put these in? So the good news is this lady doctor could maybe prove - that Viagra didn't affect my eyesight? - Right.
Which leaves only one other explanation.
That I'm a half-assed aviator who should be kept away from planes for the rest of his natural life.
So we're back to square one.
I'll plead ignorance.
Ignorance does not become a base commander.
- Especially at a FNAEB.
- I know.
I really did think that stuff would be out of my system by the time I flew.
Pete, the rule is clear.
Is there a rule that says I can't have a happy marriage too? That is not the issue here.
You mean we're just Naval officers, nothing else, right, admiral? When it comes to that board, you bet.
I'm not making it very easy for you to be a character witness, am I? Well, it's not me I'm worried about.
Two days after Seaman Granato deserted, we began tactical testing in preparation for deployment to the Adriatic.
We had general quarters drills, fired all of our weapons, did everything we could possibly do to achieve combat readiness.
Should Seaman Granato have been there, commander? Oh, without question, colonel.
Her absence simply made life that much harder for everybody else.
Thank you.
Commander, how did the Hartung perform in its TAC tests? We scored 97 percent or better on every one.
I was very proud of my crew.
The ones who chose to stay.
So then you are fully prepared to deploy next week, correct? Yes, we are, commander.
Then Seaman Granato's absence did not affect your combat readiness.
Well, that's no excuse for what she did.
Commander, isn't what she did generally punished with a lesser charge than desertion? - Objection.
Relevance? - I'll allow it.
Overruled.
I don't know what's generally done, commander.
I assume you know what is specifically done aboard your ship, then.
How many absence offences have you sent to courts-martial in the past year? - Two or three.
- Maybe this list will jog your memory.
There were four.
For three men prosecuted for unauthorized absence.
One woman, Seaman Andrea Granato, prosecuted for desertion.
Her timing was worse.
Her attitude was worse.
And her sex was worse too, wasn't it, commander? Are you using Seaman Granato to prove that a woman CO can be as tough as any man, commander? No, I am not.
Are you trying to weed out somebody who doesn't meet your standards of what a Navy woman should be? They're not my standards, commander.
Whose standards are they, commander? The Navy men who might use a woman like Seaman Granato against a woman like you? - Objection.
- That's enough, commander.
I have no further questions, Your Honour.
Let me get this straight.
A woman commanding officer is a male chauvinist pig? Mac, you know she's doing exactly what I said she is.
What I know is that your client jumped ship.
Harm.
I thought you had a meeting about the movie.
Got cancelled.
Well, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to see you.
Well, you shouldn't be.
Colonel MacKenzie here called me as a witness.
Now, what could Renee possibly have to do with this? She fits into my case.
- Really? - Yeah.
Would she fit into your case if she wasn't my girlfriend? Do you think I'd let your social life dictate my trial strategy? How would you like it if I called Brumby as a witness? How soon can you get him here? Anything you'd like to share with the court, Col.
MacKenzie? Commander Rabb? - No, sir.
- No, sir.
Then call your first witness, commander.
Was it difficult to convince Andrea Granato to enlist, Chief Pearson? No, sir.
She was very positive about the Navy.
- Very enthusiastic.
- So you didn't have to mislead her about anything that might happen to her in the Navy? - I don't do that, sir.
- Really? Do you recall recruiting Isaac Crawford, chief? - I beg your pardon, sir? - You convinced Mr.
Crawford to enlist back in June of 1998.
He was honourably discharged eight months later because the Navy failed to honour a contract containing promises you made him.
That was an unusual case, sir.
What promises did you make Andrea Granato, Chief Pearson? I told her there was an excellent chance she'd become a flight controller, sir.
You didn't know that there was a chance she wouldn't become a flight controller? I didn't know the school was almost over-quota'd, sir.
Did you explain to Andrea Granato that something like this might happen? I didn't tell her any lies, sir, but a recruiter stresses what's likely to go right, not what might go wrong.
Admiral Hodges, members of the panel.
In the 31 years that I have known him, Captain Peter Tully has always been a consummate warrior.
He has flown combat missions in every conflict this nation has faced, from Vietnam to Bosnia.
You need only look at his chest to understand this is a man who has never taken a backwards step in the face of danger.
I'm proud to call him a friend.
I am honoured to call him a fellow Naval officer.
Admiral Chegwidden, you say that knowing that Captain Tully violated a general order from the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
The Judge Advocate General's office must not be as unbending as I've always thought.
We're not talking about a crime here, admiral.
He took a normal 50-milligram dose a full 21 hours before he flew.
Almost four times the waiting period required of civilian pilots.
And now his career hangs in balance.
A career, gentlemen, I believe, does not deserve to end on such a note.
Thank you, Admiral Chegwidden.
Captain Tully.
You stand here today because you put yourself before the Navy and thereby risked your career, your life, - and conceivably the lives of others.
- Yes, sir.
But as Admiral Chegwidden said, your record should count for more than a single foolish mistake.
It will, however, do so only once.
Come this way again, captain, you'd better strap yourself in for a court-martial.
- Dismissed.
- Aye aye, sir.
Admiral, I owe you one.
Why don't you come to dinner with me and Mary Anne? Bring a date, if you're seeing someone.
With my workload? I'll give you a call.
All I wanted was to be an air traffic controller, sir.
And that is what you were led to believe you'd be trained as? Yes, sir, by my recruiter, Chief Petty Officer Pearson.
And then school got delayed, and then there were too many people.
And then I was just out of luck.
- Is this why you left the Hartung? - No, that was not the reason.
Then why, Seaman Granato? Because they acted like they didn't need me, sir, the way that my recruiter said that they did.
Thank you.
Seaman Granato, isn't it true that the Navy offered you other schools when Air Traffic Controller School - was no longer available? - Yes, ma'am.
Do you recall what those schools were for? - No, ma'am, not really.
- Let me refresh your memory.
Cryptology, information systems, aviation electronics.
But they weren't in my contract, ma'am.
Do you mean this contract, Seaman Granato? - Yes, ma'am.
- Is that your signature? That is my signature.
It said I could go to Air Traffic Controller School, ma'am.
- You read the contract carefully? - Yes, ma'am.
I'm sure you recall this sentence.
"Scheduling of the above school is subject to the needs of the Navy.
" - No, ma'am, I don't.
- Are you sure? Because it's very important upon entering the Navy that you realise its needs come before yours.
I'm sorry, colonel, but I do not remember that.
It was there for you to read, wasn't it? It was in your hands.
You signed it.
Yes, but Chief Pearson should have said something.
Why is that, Seaman Granato? Was he the one enlisting? No, ma'am, I was.
No further questions.
Redirect, Your Honour.
Seaman Granato, you were 19 - when you enlisted, correct? - Yes, sir.
Had you signed many contracts at this point? - No, sir.
- None? None, sir.
In light of this fact, did Chief Pearson encourage you to read the fine print in this contract? No, sir.
- The defence rests, Your Honour.
- Colonel, any rebuttal? Yes, Your Honour.
I'd like to call Renee Peterson.
Your Honour, may we approach? Sir, Miss Peterson is not an appropriate witness.
She certainly is, Your Honour.
She is an expert on recruiting.
She directed a commercial that Commander Rabb himself starred in.
- I've seen it.
- That hardly makes her an expert.
Sir, this is a blatant attempt to put the focus on me.
Embarrassed by your performance, commander? No, sir.
Did you think his performance was embarrassing, colonel? - Absolutely not, Your Honour.
- Then we agree.
Miss Peterson may testify.
I've shot a dozen or so rock videos and two documentaries, and people were impressed.
- Navy people.
- Why the Navy, Miss Peterson? My edge, my honesty, my reputation for independence.
Did your reputation remain intact when you made your commercial for the Navy? - Yes.
- Did you write the script - for your commercial, Miss Peterson? - Yes, based on my research.
Were you ever instructed by anyone from the Navy to sugarcoat your subject? I don't operate that way, colonel.
The Navy wanted to present a fair picture of itself to recruits.
- And that's what I gave them.
- Thank you.
Your witness, commander.
Miss Peterson.
How many people did you interview at JAG in your preparation for the commercial? Four: Admiral A.
J.
Chegwidden, Lieutenant Bud Roberts, Petty Officer Jason Tiner and you.
But they didn't end up in your commercial, did they? No.
Why? You can start with Admiral Chegwidden.
He He was a little stiff.
Lieutenant Roberts? His work in the Navy wasn't very interesting.
You actually shot some film with Petty Officer Tiner, didn't you? - Yes.
- But you didn't use it, why? Because all he could talk about was his filing system.
- It bored me out of my skull.
- So you picked me.
You weren't boring.
I wasn't a typical JAG lawyer? No, you flew Tomcats.
Doesn't this contradict your earlier testimony, Miss Peterson? You said that you gave potential recruits an honest depiction of Navy life.
- Objection, argumentative.
- Overruled.
Miss Peterson, did putting me in your commercial faithfully represent the Navy as you saw it? It was a commercial.
Commercials are made to sell.
You show the best.
I thought you were the best.
I made a mistake.
No further questions.
You may step down, Miss Peterson.
- I request a recess, Your Honour.
- Fifteen minutes.
Renee It's my job.
- To humiliate me? - I'm defending my client.
At my expense.
Renee.
When Seaman Granato didn't get the school she wanted, she caved in to selfishness.
And became a deserter instead.
When she was apprehended, she tried to dodge responsibility by saying her recruiter lied to her.
But she is an adult and she did sign on the dotted line.
I ask you to convict Seaman Granato on all charges and specifications.
There are no villains in this case.
Though there is a victim.
Seaman Andrea Granato.
We cannot castigate the Navy for wanting to bolster its ranks, and we cannot pillory its recruiters for responding aggressively to the Navy's requirements.
These charges against Seaman Andrea Granato, who joined the Navy eagerly yet blindly, far outweigh her transgressions.
Acquit her.
In the name of basic decency.
Would the defence please rise? Captain Imhoff, will you announce the findings, please? On the charge and specification of dereliction of duty, this court-martial finds you not guilty.
On the charge and specification of desertion, this court-martial finds you not guilty.
On the lesser included offence of unauthorized absence, this court-martial finds you guilty.
On the charge and specification of missing ship's movement, this court-martial finds you guilty.
I'll commence sentencing at 0900 tomorrow.
This court is adjourned.
What's gonna happen to me now, sir? If we're lucky, no confinement, but a bad-conduct discharge.
- Not out celebrating? - I don't feel like it.
You did what you could, Harm.
It was a loser case.
Have you talked to Renee? Since when did you start worrying about Renee? Colonel, commander.
Harriet's not angry at me anymore.
Harriet's not mad at him anymore.
- Baby? - I'm pregnant.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
- Oh, congratulations, Bud.
- Thank you, sir.
- Oh, that's great.
- Way to go, Bud.
- Thank you, sir.
- That's so great.
Way to go, Bud.
Dr.
Walden? A.
J.
Chegwidden.
No, no, actually, I don't think you'll have to testify.
Things went pretty well for my friend.
No.
Yes, he really does exist.
But that's not why I was calling.
I was hoping-- Wondering if you were free Saturday night.