Original subtitles

You may hear the bombs now. If you're still with us, you can hear the bombs now.

They are hitting the centre of the city.

Now, we can hear expIosions off in the distance to the west of centraI Baghdad.

CIearIy I've never been there, but this feels Iike we're in the centre of hell.

The 28 countries with forces in the Gulf area

have exhausted all reasonabIe efforts to reach a peaceful resoIution,

have no choice but to drive Saddam from Kuwait by force.

A great battIe has been initiated. The mother of all battles.

Our objectives in the Persian GuIf are cIear, our goals defined.

Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait compIeteIy, immediateIy, and without condition.

The Iiberation of Kuwait has now entered a final phase.

l have therefore directed to use all forces availabIe,

incIuding ground forces, to eject the lraqi army from Kuwait.

At this point it seems inevitable that the ground war is onIy hours away.

Peter Arnett, Baghdad.

Don't ever for one minute underestimate the enemy,

but remember this, we're better soldiers, we're fighting with better equipment,

we're better trained and we're heII of a Iot smarter.

SIeep deprivation. Remember, our soldiers been up 46, 48 hours,

so let's stay on top of 'em, maintain your intervaIs.

Any questions?

Let's get together, have a Iittle prayer.

Dear God, protect us as we protect our country we so dearIy love.

Keep us safe that we'll aII get home to see our famiIies and our children. Amen.

Let's kill 'em aII.

You all right, BoyIar?

HeII, yeah.

- Let's heat 'em up, Nat. - See you in Baghdad.

Yes, sir.

BattIe-carry Sabot.

Sabot bullet coming up, sir.

- Sabot Ioaded. - Indexed.

- Crew report. - Driver ready.

Loader ready.

Gunner ready to give oId Saddam lnsane a whoIe new way to hurt.

- All right, BoyIar? - All Cougar eIements, this is Cougar-6.

Report Red Con 1 . Over.

AII Sabre eIements, this is Sabre-6. Move out.

Sabre-6, this is Cougar-6. There is no joy over here.

Request permission to try an aIternate route. Over.

Roger that, Cougar-6. Work your way forward to phase Iine hammer.

- I don't want any surprises out there. Copy? - Roger that.

l'm taking up the right fIank. l'll get back to you. Out.

Contact. I see fIashes. 3,500 metres, sir.

- All right, baby. - HoId on, son. They got no range.

2,500 metres and cIosing, sir. Ready to lase and bIaze.

Contact, sir. He's in range. Come on, let me kill his ass.

- Fire. - On the way.

Yeah.

CaIm down, son. Find me another target, PateIIa.

- Loaded. - Identified.

- Up - Fire.

Fire.

Got them. We got them.

Sabre-6, Liberty-6. We got enemy tangos retreating vicinity grid 2-4-9er-8.

Your pursuit shouId intercept their retreat grid 7-6-5-4.

- Keep after them. - Roger that, Liberty-6.

Troops.

AII Sabre eIements, cease fire.

Come on.

- Sabre-6, this is Cougar-6. - Go ahead, Cougar-6.

l have got mines. Repeat, mines. l gotta get the fuck out of here. Over.

Cougar-6, work your way to grid Iine CharIie.

Cougar-6 to aII Cougar elements. Let's get the heII out of here.

- Whoa. What the...? - Oh, shit.

AII Sabre units, this is Sabre-6. We just Iost one of our tanks.

- Did anybody see the shooter? - I didn't see anything.

Where the heII that come from?

- Goddamn it. Who the hell is shooting at us? - We got enemy tanks retreating grid 7-6 5-4...

- PateIIa, is that one of our tanks? - Hard to tell, sir..

Well, make it out, and fast.

- Thermal's browning out. - Nat, what's happening?

Liberty-6, we got enemy tanks on our fIank. We have contact. Out.

This is Cougar-6. Enemy tangos at phase Iine deIta. Over.

- Find me a target. - I think I got one.

- Do you or do you not have a target? - I think so.

- Gunner, Sabot, tank. - Identify. Up.

Fire.

He just fired, sir. They're firing at us.

- Loader. - Up.

- Sir? - Fire.

- Sabre-6, we just Iost Cougar-6. - Roger that. We got him.

- Say again, you just Iit up a friendly. - I heard you. We... what?

- Oh, my God. - You just Iit up BoyIar, goddamn it.

Sabre-6, Nat, what's happening out there?

- PateIIa, was that one of our tanks? - He fired, sir.

- At us or at the T-72s? - I don't know.

- Oh, Jesus fucking Christ. - CoIonel SerIing, report status now.

They have range on us, sir.

Oh, Christ, CoIoneI...

l gave the order to fire.

So with your thermal equipment, confused by the burning tanks

and smoke obscuring your visuaI lD,

you couldn't teII the difference between the T-54 and the Abrams.

l beIieve that we... that I shouId have known the difference, even with the night scope.

Now, if we weren't under attack...

But, under the circumstances, there was no way to tell the difference.

Under the circumstances, l suppose that there was no way to tell the difference, but...

There was no way to tell the difference. Thank you, CoIoneI.

That's aII we need.

- Thermal's browning out. - Liberty-6, we got enemy tanks on our flank.

- We just lost Cougar-6. - Roger that. We got him.

You just lit up a friendIy.

CoIoneI SerIing?

- You OK? Can I get you something? - Yes, I'm fine.

You can give me a cup of coffee. That wouId save my Iife.

You got it.

We missed you and Meredith at Banacek's party last night.

l'm too old to dance with you youngsters.

Meredith's not, so you tell her to come without you next time.

OK, I wiII do just that next time.

- Hershberg in five. Coffee's coming. - Thanks, Maria.

The Washington Post?

About?

Yes, l was there. That's a matter of pubIic record.

Well, thank you very much, Mr... Gartner.

Thank you very much, Mr Gartner, but I have nothing to say.

No, sir.

No, sir.

Well, I'II do just that. Right.

CoIoneI SerIing's here, sir.

Ban.

l'm not taIking to you, CoIoneI. Won't even come to my anniversary party?

You and SyIvia been together, what, one month?

The way she was dancing with that marine, it won't last another week.

It may be my last anniversary party ever. Were you there for me?

What's up?

Hey, Nat. l've got to taIk to you.

- How we hoIding, Ban? - Running Iate, sir.

- May l run a few things by you, sir? - QuickIy.

- Lieutenant BoyIar's parents... - BoyIar?

Tom Boylar. He died in Al Bathra. He'd been with me a Iong time.

- From Virginia, right? - Roger that, sir.

- His parents wrote to me about the rumours... - You know we can't discuss it.

- You have to put them off. - Yes, sir, but...

Tell them he died in action. He's a hero. That's aII they want to know.

Roger that, sir, but it's not just his parents. We got a call from The Washington Post.

- A reporter named Gartner. - A reporter caIIed you about AI Bathra?

- You didn't taIk? - Of course not.

Nat, nobody's gonna hang you out to dry. l won't Iet them.

- Did you listen to the tape, sir? - CoIonel, the war's over.

You and I have been given the great responsibiIity

and priviIege of investigating combat medals for our victorious army.

- In other words, we've been passed over. - I prefer to think of it as a second chance.

We understand each other?

- Yes, sir. - OK.

The White House has heard we're considering the MedaI of Honour for this chopper piIot

who saved a bunch of guys on a downed BIackhawk.

- Naturally, they want it for Veterans Day. - Naturally.

Which is why you're taking over the inquiry. HiIIerman's good. You're better.

We've got the rescued soIdiers in there for debriefing.

Attention.

Morning, gentIemen. Take your seats. Everything in order?

- Just going over the sequence of events. - Bring CoIonel SerIing up to speed.

Morning, sir. Good to see you again.

Could we get a quick picture of you and the survivors?

No, thank you. Keep me in the loop, Nat.

Thank you, sir.

- Morning. - Morning.

Doug Bruno, White House.

Just do everything my way and we'll get aIong fine.

- Nat SerIing. - WeII, l'll get out of your way.

- Major. - Sir.

25 February, these men were part of a refueIIing convoy.

Their BIackhawk was shot down by an SA-7 west of AI Kufan.

Five seconds after it locked on, we were down and eating sand.

- We didn't know what hit us. - Our Iines were surrounding them so fast,

we got caught in one of those pockets of resistance.

Iraqi ground troops on the ridge above kept them compIeteIy pinned down.

Did any of you discuss surrendering?

Yes, sir, we did. We were all wounded one way or another.

We weren't trained for that kind of situation, sir.

Don't have to make excuses to me, soIdier. Go on, Sam.

That's about aII we got so far, sir.

OK.

Lieutenant Chelli.

Yes, sir. WeII, as if things weren't bad enough already,

one of their T-54s joins the ragheads up on the ridge.

Incoming. Get down.

That round kiIIs the medic, ReIeno, Gerspach, and Egan here Iost his Ieg.

So we figure that's it. We're dead.

- But then we hear it. - Nothing Iike the sound of an inbound Huey.

- This inbound Huey, did it take any fire? - Right off the bat.

But this time when the Huey comes back, it returns fire.

- Ground troops go for cover. - Then the Huey circles back over the tank...

That's when they threw something overboard.

- Threw something, or something feII off? - I couIdn't teII, sir, but the tank bIew.

Man, did it ever blow.

We never did see what knocked the Huey down.

We couIdn't see the crash.

That night we caught sporadic ground fire.

See, the Huey was down beIow, between us and the enemy, so they caught most of it.

Any communications between you and them?

No, sir. As l said, our radio was wasted. Shouting just draws enemy fire.

So the lraqis start to cIose in on the Huey under cover fire, and the Huey returns fire.

We figure it's aII over, and that's when we hear the sound of the rescue team.

- Cobras, Hueys... - And a big-ass A-1 0 ThunderboIt.

l swear l never heard such a sweet sound. But now the fuckers are...

l'm sorry, sir. The lraqis are letting Ioose with everything they got.

You were right the first time.

PIus the Huey crew is stiII banging away.

We load our wounded aboard, and that's when somebody decided to Ieave the dead.

l guess that was the commander of the rescue.

And this Huey crew, they returned fire aII through the finaI rescue?

Yes, sir. I think so. l couldn't see much of anything though.

l heard it. Nothing eIse sounds Iike an M-1 6. Not no A-K or M-60.

l heard it, too.

The Iast thing we see is the ThunderboIt dropping napaIm on the downed choppers.

l don't know if it was Captain WaIden, sir, but that Huey saved our Iives.

It sure sounds Iike it.

OK.

Thank you for aII your help. l'll look over your statements.

- Thank you, sir. - Thank you, CoIonel.

That'II be all. Got something for me?

l do, sir. WaIden's 201 file. Evaluation reports.

l need you to heIp me get some background on these guys.

Gotta make sure we don't have a wife-beater, an iIIegaI aIien or gays, or anything Iike that.

That wouId bIow it. Now, about this Congressional MedaI of Honour.

It's not the CongressionaI Medal of Honour. It's just the MedaI of Honour.

Tell that to Congress. lf Captain WaIden wins this medal...

You don't win it. You receive it.

- It's not a contest. - See, that is perfect. That's what l'm here for.

l'm not here to get down your throat, make you crazy, take these facts and twist them.

l just want to get these nuances out of your head and get it straight from you.

- It's a woman. - You didn't know?

What did you think aII the hoopIa was about?

Banacek's got the information on three of WaIden's men.

- The crew chief we're still tracking. - This is Captain Karen Emma Walden.

She's the first woman in history to be nominated for a MedaI of Honour for combat.

l mean, this is goId. It's goId.

UnfortunateIy, it's posthumous, but I've got her Iittle daughter.

l got the President of the United States. It's aII set in the Rose Garden.

The President's going to Iean down and hang that pretty ribbon round that pretty Iittle face.

There is not going to be a dry eye from Nashua to Sacramento.

Excuse us.

It was 5 to 1 ...

- Hook shot. - And me and her are cheerIeaders.

- More mashed potatoes, pIease. - I'm sorry, there are no more potatoes,

but how about some bread?

Daddy, can l have your mashed potatoes?

Daddy? Sir?

Can I have your mashed potatoes?

Yeah, sure.

Yeah, soIdier.

You want 'em all?

That enough?

More?

HaIIo? Yes.

Who is calling, pIease? Just a minute.

- It's for you. - Who is it?

Somebody Gartner.

Want some more peas?

Excuse me.

- Where are you going? - Fort Hood.

GeneraI Hershberg's got me investigating a MedaI of Honour.

- It's a woman. - Good for her.

- Posthumous. - Too bad, but stiII good for her.

Yeah, too bad.

You taIk to the investigators today?

Right.

It's aII right, isn't it, Nat?

Yeah, fine.

- How long are you gone for? - CoupIe of days.

Then why are you emptying your sock drawer?

l may be gone more than a couple of days.

- Nat. - Yes.

- I don't know what's happening here. - Everything's fine.

l'm handIing it.

Mr Rady, you were Captain WaIden's copiIot.

That's right.

Can you teII me what you remember about Al Kufan?

l remember the earth.

l remember lIario's face.

l wish...

- She hadn't needed to be a hero so bad. - That's not fair.

We were just doing our job.

It's not Ren's fauIt I got hit.

She sure as hell saved the Iives of those guys on the BIackhawk.

- You aIways defend her. - Why didn't you Iike her?

- She was so butch. - Honey, shut up.

She was, you know.

One of those women who wanna be officers...

Annie, shut up.

She gave her Iife for those men.

She was a soIdier.

There she blows.

- We're taking fire. - HoIy shit.

- Kill that motherfucker, Monfriez. - I might as weII be pissing on that sucker.

- We need a fucking air strike. - We ain't got any fucking bombs.

- Making another pass, Ren? - Yep.

No, we shouId go for aItitude, caII for support and get the fuck outta here.

After we sIow down that tank.

- How the fuck we gonna do that? - Shut up and Iisten, soIdier.

AItameyer, unhook the aux fueI bladder port side. Get ready to push it overboard.

- Push it overboard, ma'am? - Ilario, unhook the fIare gun.

- What the fuck? - Do it.

It's a bomb, asshole.

Target coming up.

- Gimme more, damn it. - Ready here.

- You got it? - I got it.

- Let us know when you're there. He'll kick it. - Allow for the speed of the craft.

- The pod wiII drop at the same veIocity. - He knows, damn it.

- Pick your moment. - Now.

Shit.

Oh, God.

- Hang on, lIario. Grab ahoId of me. - Don't Iet go of me. Pull me in.

Do something.

Rady, caII in a Mayday.

Ilario, caII it in.

Mayday, Mayday. Dustoff-3. We're going down.

Mayday, Mayday. This is Dustoff-3. We are going down.

Mayday, Mayday. This is Dustoff-3. We're going down. We're going down...

That's it.

l woke up three days Iater on a hospitaI ship.

Nearly bought it, that's sure.

Where aIong the Iine did you decide the type of career in the Army you wanted?

Well, I think that probabIy happened about my third year at West Point when l was...

You know, l could have gone in the Air Force. l stood high enough in my cIass...

You can't get away from that guy. He's everywhere.

- HeII of a soldier, though, isn't he? - You think so?

- I know so. - ReaIIy. How?

- I was with him in the GuIf. - No shit. Doing what?

Armoured cavaIry.

Once upon a time, l was humping in the deIta.

- With who? - The 9th.

You guys kicked some serious butt over there.

- One for my friend... - CoIonel Nat SerIing.

Make it a doubIe for CoIoneI Serling. Tony Gartner , Washington Post.

They're not going to find any criminaI culpabiIity in the AI Bathra incident.

You got nothing to worry about.

- Those were my men. - I put that badly. l'm sorry.

Look, I went to Virginia and spoke with Mr and Mrs BoyIar.

You what?

l'm sorry, but they got a right to know what happened to their son.

l'll take that.

And this Huey crew, they returned fire aII through the finaI rescue?

Yes, sir. I think so. l couldn't see much of anything though.

l heard it. Nothing eIse sounds Iike an M-1 6. Not no A-K or M-60.

Last thing we see is the ThunderboIt dropping napalm on the two downed choppers.

AII right. This is antifungal cream, but, Iook, you want to kiII the athIete's foot,

when you're in the shower, just piss on your feet.

- That's disgusting. - What've you got for me today?

Here, you want to get rid of the aIIergies to bee poIIen, then no caffeine, no chocoIate.

Jesus. I give up coffee, you can bury me now.

- Morning, CoIoneI. - Morning. You got some aspirins?

How many do you want? l take eight of these every day.

Four's good. l need to taIk to you, SpeciaIist.

Sir?

l'm running an inquiry on the recommendation

to award a MedaI of Honour to Captain Karen WaIden.

Rowtero? Can you cover for me? l'm going to go feed the cancer genes.

Do you reaIIy need to... l mean...

It's fine.

What do you want to know?

- How long were you with Captain WaIden? - Over two years.

Quite a long time.

- You were her medic. - Yes, sir.

l don't fIy any more though.

- WeII, don't miss it, do you? - Never.

- Never again. - That's quite a habit you got there.

It's one of the few things l can call my own.

So, teII me what happened at AI Kufan.

See, I'd...

l'd never been in combat.

Mayday, Mayday. This is Dustoff-3. We're going down.

- Ilario? - I'm OK.

Rady's hurt.

- Monfriez? - 1 00%.

- Altameyer? - Functioning.

Fire in the hoId.

Come here, buddy.

This is Dustoff-3. Acknowledge. This is Dustoff-3.

This is Dustoff-3. AcknowIedge. AItameyer, how's that fire?

Fire's under controI. Fuel tank's intact.

Enemy at the back door.

- Monfriez, get that saw working. - Come on. Get down.

l've got the M-1 6.

- Ilario? - He's bad. It's the lung.

We gotta get him out of here.

- Head wound? - SuperficiaI. How's the radio?

Dead. So's the ADT.

Monfriez, easy on the ammo. We might be here a whiIe.

Captain.

Hang in there. You've seen me do this a million times. You're gonna be fine.

- Ammo? - I got this belt and three more boxes.

AItameyer, rip out everything you can from the inside. Seats, litters, aII of it.

We're gonna make us a perimeter. Monfriez, cover us.

Go.

Where's our Kevlar?

l got one.

Well, put it on.

- How's he doing? - He's the same. l need a hook.

As soon as it gets dark, we dig in. Then we wait.

- For what? - For the good guys.

You won't think it's so funny when I naiI your fucking ass.

Yeah, they were Iaughing.

You about... You done?

So teII me what happened during the night.

You were there. You saw the nights. You know, it was bIack. Just black.

Tell me what happened that night.

Well, she put us on two-hour watches.

It's not Iike any of us were going to sIeep anyway.

Keep your head down, AItameyer. You might Iose it.

- You OK, Captain? - Shit in my eye.

- You think our guys'II come tonight? - They'II be here.

Dust is blowing pretty bad out there.

l don't know how much longer Rady can hang on.

l can hear the ragheads moving when you peopIe aren't gabbing.

Well, then I suggest that everybody just...

They're going away. It was just a probe.

- Ilario? - I'm OK.

- Altameyer? - My ear.

- Monfriez? - I took one.

- Rady? - Hanging in. How about you, Cap?

Oh, shit.

Stay with Rady.

l Iike to come here.

It's not just the bikinis, aIthough they ain't bad.

It's these kids. l Iike to watch them.

My foIks used to have this pIace out on CaIaveras Lake.

l stiII go out there sometimes, watch 'em dive.

They do the damnedest things. They never think about the consequences.

Imagine that. Imagine going through life without thinking about the consequences?

Imagine that.

Are we done?

After the attack, during the night...

What?

l mean, we waited. l stiII don't... l guess I don't know what you...

Just go on with what happened.

Well, Karen... the captain was hurt pretty bad.

- How many rounds left? - Just a sec.

- How many rounds? - I just opened up my last can of ammo.

Five mags for the M-1 6, 9-miI's full.

Mine's empty.

Fire a coupIe of rounds off. Let 'em know we're stiII alive and kicking.

Roger that, Captain.

Now save your ammo for something you can see.

During the course of the incident, did she dispIay any doubt, any fear

when she had to make these Iife-and-death decisions?

No. No, never.

- She just made 'em. - Just Iike that?

Just Iike that.

Karen... the captain, she had this quality. The heavier the pressure, the caImer she got.

We knew they were out there, sneaking up on us.

But we aIso knew at first Iight they were going to attack.

l don't know why peopIe think only good things happen when the sun comes up.

Incoming.

- How many? - 1 00. Maybe more.

You any good at hand-to-hand?

Wait tiII they get cIoser. Make every round count.

- Shit. - Quiet.

What in Christ for? They know we're here.

Quiet. l hear something.

Choppers.

Let's get out of here. Ilario, get the captain.

There's the rescue.

HeIp Rady.

- Pick him up. - Let's go.

Come on, let's move it.

- We gotta go. - Come back for me with a stretcher.

Ilario, let's get the fuck outta here.

Get the fuck outta here.

Medic.

Come on.

Move. Let's go.

Where's WaIden?

Captain WaIden is dead.

Strike Ieader, this is Dustoff-6.

We have got aII the friendIies here. You're clear and hot.

So...

Is she gonna get it? Is he gonna get the medaI?

Well, I sincereIy hope so.

l just... I don't want to teII that story again. Not one more time.

l understand.

- May l be excused? - Yes, you can.

Oh, one more thing l'm confused about though.

This M-1 6...

- What? - Did it run out of ammo?

What did I say?

l don't remember. That's why l'm asking.

l guess... I guess it ran out of ammo some time during the morning.

Or, no, some time during the night... l don't know.

See, the BIackhawk crew said they heard M-1 6 fire during the rescue that morning.

- Did they? - That's right.

- Must've been wrong, then. - Them or you?

- Who? Them or you? - Them. They must have been wrong.

OK.

What about the letter?

A what?

You and WaIden traded Ietters to send home in case anything happened to you.

- Oh, yeah. Yes, sir. - Who was hers to?

- Her foIks. - So you sent it?

Yeah.

Her foIks are good peopIe. They got a farm out there in AbiIene.

They used to come over to Hood, Iook after her kid whiIe we went out on exercises.

OK.

- Thank you, Specialist. - Thank you very much, sir.

l read somewhere that if a chiId doesn't see a person die,

or dead, Iike in a casket,

that the person isn't reaIIy dead for them.

That'd be nice, wouldn't it?

Yes, ma'am.

It was... unusuaI, wasn't it, for Karen to want to be a heIicopter piIot?

l guess that's my fault. l took her to the fair when she was 1 1 .

1 2. Seventh grade.

Anyway, there was a helicopter there. Small one with a bubbIe up front.

The piIot was seIIing rides.

l bought Karen a ticket.

It was a short ride, but when she came down...

Well, I don't think she ever came down, actually.

She showed up at the dinner table one day...

just after she finished TCU.

She's joined the Army. She wants to fIy heIicopters.

- She was reaI stubborn about it, too. - That's our Karen, stubborn.

So's Anne Marie here.

Come here, honey. Excuse me.

The young men, the ones that came to teII us about Karen,

they were dressed just Iike you.

Oh, l see.

Major Teegarden, her commanding officer, he came, too,

when he came back from the Gulf.

Brought this photo back for Anne Marie.

Meant a Iot to us him coming to see us,

telling us in person how it was that Karen died.

l Iost men over there, too.

l spoke to the major.

Everybody thought the worId of your daughter.

So did Specialist Ilario.

It would sure help if I couId see her Ietter. l mean, if it's not too private.

- Letter? - From IIario?

l'll check my notes. Must be my mistake.

- This her husband here? - No. That's Karen's oIder brother Billy.

Her husband's up in Michigan.

He and Karen divorced after onIy a year or so.

He never... WeII...

It was no picnic. Karen raised Anne Marie on her own.

HeII, we wouId have been thriIIed to have Anne Marie with us all the time,

what with the Army and aII.

But Karen was a real good mom.

Never asked for heIp unIess she reaIIy needed it.

You can't imagine how hard it was for her to go off and Ieave that Iittle girl to fight in a war,

but it was important to Karen to do her duty, so she went.

You've been sitting out here 20 minutes since l spotted you. How much longer before that?

Fifteen.

l see you got the new refrigerator.

Do you think the kids are going to understand why their daddy is sitting out here

around the corner in a Chevy instead of pIaying with them in the front yard?

Or at Fort Hood, Iike you toId me you were?

Are you back?

l'm in transit.

You know, it took me a Iong time to figure out how to be an Army wife

without totaIIy obIiterating myseIf. It wasn't easy, but I did it.

l know you did, Mer.

So it wouIdn't be a hardship for me to learn how not to be an Army wife

if, say, my husband wasn't in the Army any more.

The Army's my Iife, Mer.

And so are we.

You don't have to figure it aII out, Nat. You just have to admit that you can't.

You have to want to be here with us, that's aII.

We'II be here.

For a whiIe.

Now go away.

lf you're not gonna stay, l don't want the kids to see you.

- This M-1 6, did it run out of ammo? - What did l say?

- CoIonel SerIing, you can go in now. - I don't remember.

- Hey, Nat, what's up? - GeneraI. lt's the WaIden file.

- One or two discrepancies. - Discrepancies?

l knew those cIowns at the White House were up to something.

- If she doesn't deserve it, she doesn't get it. - It's not Captain Walden.

It's some of the detaiIs of the stories that I'm getting from her crew.

- Now, I don't know how significant it is... - I'm drowning in paper here.

They're crawIing all over my ass for combat assessments, deposition reports...

l just wanted to let you know that this is not just a rubber-stamp situation.

This speciaIist... this lIario, there's something reaI funny about his story.

We're not giving the medaI to lIario. We're giving it to WaIden, right?

SpIendid. Move forward, CoIoneI.

OK, the discrepancies specifically reIate to use of an M-1 6 rifIe...

Come on, Nat. No two eyewitnesses ever agree about every detail.

You know that just as well as I do.

When do we get that report? l want the White House off my back.

A few days, sir.

You agree that this report should be as detaiIed and accurate as possibIe?

Which means exactIy what, CoIonel?

Which means exactIy what I said, sir.

Sorry, sir. This is the second copy of CoIoneI Serling's Al Bathra deposition.

The investigators seemed to have mispIaced the Iast one.

Rise above. This will aII be over soon.

WiII there be a pubIic statement of the facts when the AI Bathra investigation is over?

There's been a decision not to reIease any of these findings

untiI every case has been thoroughIy reviewed.

Well, how Iong do you imagine that wiII be, sir?

Next time l see Lieutenant BoyIar's parents, l'd Iike to be abIe to tell them the whoIe truth.

You know how many grieving parents l had to deaI with during Vietnam?

With all due respect, sir, this is not Vietnam.

Now, Lieutenant BoyIar's tank was hit by uranium-depIeted shells.

We're the onIy country in the worId that uses them.

We got these reporters sniffing around his parents Iooking for the truth,

and the onIy person that knows the truth is not aIIowed to say it,

because these investigators are dragging their backsides.

Someone has got to be accountabIe for this, sir.

Take a seat.

Nat, I'm gonna give you aII the rope in the worId.

First you impIy that l'm not interested in an accurate report on Captain WaIden.

Now you're suggesting that there must be some cover-up going on about AI Bathra.

So how do you want me to respond? As your commanding officer?

Or as your friend, who nursed you, patted your back, pushed promotions,

and fucking burped your kids at their baptisms?

Just how should l respond?

l'm sorry, sir.

l shouId hope by God you wouId be.

Now, Iosing a man Iike your friend Boylar...

l've been there.

And this whoIe mess...

It's my ass on the Iine right there beside yours.

l can feeI the chill in the air as well as you can.

Yes, sir.

And l know about the drinking.

And if I have to write you up, it's just going to be one more big bite out of your record.

CIean it up. Get yourseIf in a programme.

l'll be Iooking for that report. Soon.

- This is the Serling residence. - We're not in right now.

- But at the tone Ieave a message and... - We'll caII you when we get home.

You better get your head into this, or l'II drop you from this programme Iike a hot rock.

Morning, sir. Monfriez is right over there. l'll get him for you.

Thank you.

What the fuck do you think you're doing? Where are your men?

- Right there, sir. - Yeah? What do you caII that?

You and he are brothers. He depends on you. You depend on him.

You never Ieave a man behind.

- Yes, Drill Sergeant. - Now get the fuck outta here.

- You were in Panama? - Yes, sir.

- Were you there, sir? - Yes, I was.

- And you were aIso in Desert Storm? - Roger that, sir.

How'd you come to be on Captain WaIden's chopper?

- I used to hang around the medevac unit. - Wanted to be a medic?

Wanted to hump a nurse once. That count, sir?

l pIay poker.

These medevac foIks, between missions, they had a Iot of time on their hands.

- Want to know a poker secret, sir? - Always.

The peopIe you pIay against, find out what they're interested in.

Pretend you're interested.

They start running off at the mouth, don't pay no attention to their cards.

Medevac foIks, they Iove to taIk about their choppers.

Paid for this baby.

So, taIk to me about 25 February.

25 February? Yes, sir.

l had some phys rehab time. Got into boxing.

- Want a soda pop, son? - No, sir. No, l'm good.

- 25 February. - So, 25 February...

Major... What's his butt? Garden Party...

- Major Teegarden. - Right.

Asked me to go with Walden, said she might need some guns, so I said, why not?

Grabbed me a saw, bungeed one of the Huey doorways and away we went.

Yeah.

And the captain was a big hero.

She died tragicaIIy in the desert, and Major... Teegarden

wants her to get the MedaI of Honour, so she's gonna get it.

When did the M-1 6 ammo run out?

- What? - M-1 6 ammo?

BIackhawk crew said they heard M-1 6 fire during the rescue. When did it run out?

- I wouIdn't know anything about that, sir. - You wouIdn't?

As I recaII, and I'm not reaIIy sure, but the M-1 6 ammo ran out first thing in the morning.

First thing in the morning. But you're not reaIIy sure?

Now I'm confused. You were there, weren't you?

That's affirmative, sir. But l was on the saw.

- Altameyer would know, sir. - Altameyer?

- Yes, sir. He was manning the M-1 6. - Oh, I see. OK.

OK. Let's back up, then.

When that tank fired on your chopper, you said that...

"You shouId go for altitude and caII for support", right?

Sir?

You knew that men were going to die, so you wanted to get the heII outta there, right?

Who toId you that, sir? Tea Party? lIario?

It doesn't matter who toId me that. You teII me.

- You don't wanna know what happened there. - Yes, I do.

You just want me to sign off on the story, so you can finish your job and she gets a medaI.

Are you refusing to teII me, soIdier?

You know what to do when you puII the trigger and the round doesn't go off?

- Yes, I do. - You wait,

with your weapon pointed in a safe direction, because sometimes the primer burns sIow.

You open your weapon and take the round out, it blows up in your face.

Leave this round in the chamber, ColoneI.

l work at the Pentagon, Sergeant, so I admit l'm a IittIe sIow on the uptake.

Otherwise l'd say that you just threatened me.

Did you just threaten me, soldier?

Because, if you did, Iet me respond to you.

Let me respond to you this way.

l'm an officer, and therefore, by proclamation, a gentleman, but don't abuse that, son.

Don't get in my cross hairs, because l'll have no compunction whatsoever

about getting up to my neck in your ass. Do you understand me?

She was afraid, CoIonel.

That's the bottom Iine on your Captain Walden. She was a fucking coward, sir.

Get me around so l can fire.

- Go back. Let me have another shot. - I don't know.

- I'm going for aItitude, caII for support. - There's no time.

AII right, one more. But then l'm calling for support.

AItameyer, unhook the aux fueI ceIIs. Prepare to toss them overboard. Ilario, the flare gun.

- So it was your idea to use the fueI cell? - Yeah. Me, Rady, somebody.

The adrenaline was pumping. You can't expect me to remember everything.

Try .

Now.

So what happened during the night?

Walden and IIario wouIdn't shut up about being rescued.

Like the Army had nothing eIse to do, or something.

- Dust is bIowing pretty hard out there. - Think they'II find us tonight?

AWACS Iost us when the ADT got hit.

SOP is for search and rescue to begin looking...

- Christ, Captain, are you crying? - It's OK. It's just tension.

Hey, you're going to be OK. They'II find us. It'II be OK.

l can hear the ragheads moving out there, as soon as you girls stop gabbing.

They're going away. It was just a probe.

- Shit. - I'm OK.

- I took one. - How's Rady?

Hanging in. Captain?

So the rest of the night went without incident?

Yeah. What? Wasn't that enough for one night?

You want to continue this tomorrow?

l don't get emotionaI about this shit. l've been there, you know?

OK. Go on.

After the firefight, we argued mainly. Ilario was freaked out by the dark,

and WaIden wanted to surrender at first light.

She was a wreck. Kept asking about the ammo, worrying we didn't have enough.

l knew they'd attack at dawn.

So what happened during the evacuation?

The evacuation.

AII right, let's go. There's the rescue.

AItameyer, give me a hand with Rady.

- Come on, Captain. Suck it up. - Don't touch me.

l got you covered. Ready?

Go. Go. Go.

- Ilario, get a move on. - Not without the Captain.

l'll get her.

l'm not Ieaving. It's not safe.

They're taking fire. The choppers are waiting.

Get the fuck outta here.

- She fired at you? - Near us, yeah.

Well, then why did you lie to the investigators about how she performed?

They'd aIready put together their own buIIshit version of the story

before they ever bothered to taIk to me. l just toId them what they wanted to hear.

We aII did.

But that's way it went down, so just forget about the medaI, or leave it as it is.

l reaIIy don't give a fuck.

So nobody from your Huey crew fired an M-1 6 any time during the rescue?

- That's affirmative, sir. - Monfriez, you ready?

- You sure about that? - That's affirmative, sir. We had no ammo.

So how about it, CoIoneI? Want to go a few rounds?

- Are you threatening me, soIdier? - Where's your brain bucket?

- I don't need it. - You don't step into my ring without one.

l have to teII you again, you won't have a head to stick it on.

Come on, Jersey. Come on, man. Right here.

- Let's see what you got. - You got nothing, man.

- HeIIo. - HeIIo? Baby?

- How're you doing? - Hi.

- How's it going? - Outstanding.

Outstanding. l was calling, I wanted...

What size T-shirts do the kids wear? l want to get the kids some T-shirts.

You know their sizes as weII as l do.

Are you OK? Nat?

l got a pint of Scotch here in a paper bag.

l don't want to drink any of it.

Can you teII me why you need it?

Want me to prattIe on for a minute? l can do that.

- Please. - OK.

The new refrigerator doesn't work. The light doesn't come on when you open the door.

l had to drive aII the way over to Wagner, 1 2 bIocks,

just so that Brian couId practise riding his bike.

He's afraid of faIIing in front of his friends.

And he refuses to Iet anyone see him riding with training wheeIs.

They've both taken to sIeeping in our bed since you left.

- It's Iike sleeping between two tornadoes. - I better go, baby.

- Don Boylar caIIed. - Jesus.

- I better go. - Nat, talk to me.

- I can't. - Why not?

- I can't. - BuIIshit. BuII. TaIk to me.

Oh, Christ.

CoIoneI?

Can we get some coffee, pIease?

You're not a happy man.

Is it a woman? The Army?

AI Bathra?

Talk to me.

Off the record, if you want. Way, way off the record. Rangers' honour.

SerIing...

How Iong you been back?

- Six months. - And you've been in the service how Iong?

1 7 years.

They got me running this inquiry on this girl piIot.

Captain Karen WaIden.

She'll be the first woman to get the Medal of Honour for combat.

Oh, boy.

And everybody in the beItway wants a piece of this one, right?

l just want to get something cIear. This time, just want somebody to be a hero.

l want to get something right.

Cos Al Bathra...

AI Bathra. You taIked to Boylar's parents?

Yeah.

- Do they know? - They heard from a few of his friends.

Jesus...

The Army, they...

They toId BoyIar's parents he died from enemy fire. l toId them that.

l carried the message, went to the funeral, watched his mother cry her eyes out.

l stood there and Iooked his father in the eye and toId him his son died brave under fire.

And l was the one who gave the order to fire. I did it.

Then the Army gave me a medaI for bravery and vaIour.

Then they buried me...

in medaIs.

Got a sense of humour, don't they?

Can't remember anything else except being in the Army.

Either being in it or wanting to be in it.

It's aII I know.

Look, you need to sIeep.

You caII me any time. Anything you want to say about anything, on or off the record.

l'm going to Ieave you aIone for a while.

Ilario. Are you saying that you can't find him or that he's absent without Ieave?

- That's an I-L... - That's right, specialist Ilario.

- WeII, we contacted the MPs. - Roger.

An apprehension team's out there Iooking for him now.

Roger that.

Thank you.

Did she display any fear when she had to make these life-and-death decisions?

No. No, never.

Karen... the captain, she had this quality. The heavier the pressure, the caImer she got.

And she put up with a Iot of shit to become an officer.

You know, had to work twice as hard as everybody eIse, be twice as good.

She'd never Iet her guard down, show any sign of weakness.

But she was tough. She couId handIe it.

And so, Iadies and gentIemen, what I have to say to you in cIosing

is to go forth, to command wiseIy, to advise prudentIy,

to protect with vigiIance and to judge with care.

And above aII,

to defend with all your heart, aII your souI and aII your courage

the Iives of the men and women under your command, and the United States of America.

Are you now telling me you gonna report against her getting the medaI?

As I tried to explain to the White House,

there should be a further investigation before we move forward. The discrepancies...

Another matter compIetely. Write up a second report. We'll investigate.

That's my point, sir. Ilario's disappeared.

- Altameyer's missing. - Who?

AItameyer, sir. Walden's crew chief.

VA hospitaI's transferred him out three weeks ago. Paperwork's missing, the computers...

- Doesn't he have any famiIy? - Negative.

Fucking VA. We can't wait, Nat.

You cannot imagine the kind of heat I'm getting on this.

Everybody wants it. Senators, congressmen...

One littIe shiny piece of something for peopIe to beIieve in.

- Whole episode. - WaIden or AI Bathra?

Both, damn it, both.

- Submit your report today. - I'm sorry, sir.

l won't put my name on an incomplete report.

Should l remind you who recommended you for this when no-one eIse'd touch you?

Are you saying that you chose me because l wouldn't rock the boat?

Dereliction of duty, drunk and disorderIy, conduct unbecoming.

At best, a dishonourabIe discharge.

At worst, AI Bathra aIone gives us pIenty of grounds if we want.

At least somebody is finaIIy wiIIing to come out and say it.

Nat, don't do this. I couId give you a direct order to submit your report.

Yes, you couId.

Put HiIIerman back on the WaIden file.

l handed this to you, Nat, as a way back. You couId've had one heII of a career.

And you give Meredith my best. Tell her I didn't have any choice.

l'm going to finish this report.

On my own, if I have to.

l'm going to get this one right.

- You want one? - No, thank you.

Why is it peopIe never want to eat when they got something important to say?

l aIways want to eat.

Need you to help me find somebody.

- You want my heIp? - Name's AItameyer. Steven Altameyer.

He was the crew chief on the medevac chopper that was piloted by Karen Walden.

- One supposed to get a MedaI of Honour? - The very one.

The Army's usually very tidy about its peopIe.

Yeah, usually, but not this time.

First he demobbed.

Then they had him in a VA hospital, they transferred him, now no-one can find him.

Why do you need me? Can't someone in the Pentagon heIp?

l'm out of the loop.

Somebody pissed at you?

- I'm out of the Ioop. - Somebody important?

- Hey, Iook. You want to heIp me or not? - Hey, who caIIed who here?

Yeah, sure, l'II help. Just teII me why l'm doing it.

When you go after stories, you want them to be right, yes?

Yeah.

- So do l. - OK.

So, I help you find this AItameyer, and in return...?

There's a tape.

- Sweet Jesus. There's aIways a tape. - D'you want to hear this?

Yeah, go on.

There's a tape of aII communications between our tanks that night in AI Bathra.

Are they trying to make this tape disappear?

l don't think so, but they're not advertising its existence either.

The Army and its image.

Where do I reach you when I find this AItameyer?

- The Bethesda Arms. - A moteI?

- Bet everything's great in your life, right? - Outstanding.

SerIing, eat something.

You Iook awfuI.

Make me an angeI

FIies from Montgomery

Make me a poster

From an oId rodeo

Just give me one thing

That I can hoId on to

To beIieve in this Iivin'

It's just a hard way to go

To beIieve in this Iivin'

It's just a...

Hard way to go

- HeIIo. - Found AItameyer.

- Got any compIaints? - Excuse me?

Rashes, fatigue, diarrhoea, bIeeding gums, muscIe and joint pain,

Ioss of weight, Ioss of appetite, insomnia, reactions to bright sunIight.

- You name it, we're seeing it. - I drink too much. Does that count?

HeII, we aII drink too much. Here he is.

AItameyer, you want a shave?

A gentIeman here to see you. You want a shave?

What's wrong with him?

Abdominal cancer. At least, that's what's kiIIing him.

There's aII kinds of things wrong with him.

He's never awake very Iong with aII the pain.

- I'II Ieave you two, then. - Thank you.

How you doing, Steven?

l'm CoIoneI Nat SerIing.

l want to taIk to you about Captain Karen WaIden.

They want to give her the Medal of Honour,

and l know that you were there in AI Kufan with her. Roger?

l was... hit.

In the back. Roger.

But you were stiII abIe to get Rady out.

- Rady. - Yeah.

Good man Rady.

l was afraid.

l understand, son.

- That's OK. Take your time. - She was afraid.

She was afraid.

The Captain was afraid?

Not the Captain.

Who then? Was it Rady or lIario? Was lIario afraid?

Me.

Didn't teII.

You didn't teII what, son?

The major...

Monfriez...

You didn't teII the major...

- You and Monfriez didn't teII the major? - He...

and then they...

- You and Monfriez didn't teII the major. - Then they...

You and Monfriez what, Steven?

- Oh, Jesus. - What is it? TeII me, son. Please.

- What? - The fire.

- What fire? - Oh, Jesus, the fire.

What fire? The napaIm fire?

- Jesus. - You see the napaIm fire.

Tell me what you see. Tell me about the fire, Steven.

You and Monfriez didn't teII the major what about the fire?

- Please, Jesus. - Steven?

Is it napaIm fire?

- What's he doing? - He's upping his meds. Self-medication.

Can you get him to stop? l need to taIk to him.

Give him a break, man. He's feeling no pain now.

Get off my car, sir.

Think you got something to teII me, Sergeant.

l caIIed around. You're off this inquiry, so what are you doing here, SerIing?

Karen Walden sent me.

l just Ieft AItameyer.

What happened out there that was so bad

that it would have AItameyer laying up in a hospital praying to die,

that's got lIario on the run?

That's right, he went AWOL.

What do you think he's gonna tell them about you when they catch him?

Now, you can tell them, or you can teII me.

- What happened out there? - Nothing happened.

Nothing happened, sir. It was a war.

Don't lie to me, soIdier.

Don't lie to me.

Now, it doesn't matter whether she gets this award or not.

It doesn't matter whether I'm on this inquiry, or whether l'm in this Army or not.

l'm going to find out the truth. l guarantee you that.

You said you were a good poker player. Well, look me in the eye.

You think l'm bIuffing?

No, thank you.

You want it. I can smeII how much you want it. lt's coming out of your pores.

Tell me about the fire.

l Iike trains.

Since I was a kid.

Big... Tough... lron.

Used to be iron, anyway.

When I got to boxing pro, I was gonna caII myseIf Johnny "Night Train" Monfriez.

- Don't that have a nice ring to it? - Very nice.

- Don't humour me, man. - Don't humour me, either.

Tell me about the fire.

Where's my other bottIe?

You ever kiII anyone at cIose range with a smaII arm, sir?

It's messy.

No. We're not taIking one of your great big tank guns here.

Oh, that's OK. l know what you did.

Your own men. Guys under your command.

How'd it feel?

- Bad, right? - Very bad, son.

Very bad.

And you didn't even mean to kiII them.

l've been a good soIdier. A good soIdier.

Listen to that whistle.

Johnny "Night Train" Monfriez.

Say it.

Johnny "Night Train" Monfriez.

- Now get out. - You don't want to do this. Let me heIp you.

- It's too Iate. - It's never too late. Look at me.

Things get fucked up in war. l don't give a damn what happened to you over there.

- You can't do this. - Wrong.

- I can't do anything eIse. - Yes, you can.

You can put the car in reverse. Put the gun down. We can heIp each other.

l don't want to lose another good soIdier.

l strongIy urge you to dismount the vehicIe, sir.

Monfriez.

Imagine going through Iife without thinking about the consequences.

It's not the doing shit that gets to you, it's the consequences.

My foIks used to have this pIace out on CaIaveras Lake.

l stiII go out there sometimes.

Guess you toId me about this pIace so I'd know where to find you.

It's beautiful.

The MPs at Fort Stewart found your stash in your Iocker.

Pretty ingenious pIace to keep it, huh?

Not if you wanted it to be found.

- Where'd you hide the needle tracks? - I shoot up between my toes.

Monfriez is dead. He kiIIed himseIf.

AItameyer is dying.

Aren't we aII?

Mayday, Mayday. Dustoff-3. We're going down...

And the chopper went down. What happened next?

What happened next isn't important. It's what happened that night.

Monfriez wanted to make a run for it.

You know at dawn we're dead. They'II have reinforcements.

Escape and evasion, Captain.

Now's the time to do it. Maybe we slip by them in the dark.

l toId you, Rady can't be moved. Right, lIario?

That lung - any movement might kiII him. Then again, he may die just Iying here.

You see? Rady wiII never make it. I say we go.

Oh, great. The Captain's crying.

It's just tension, asshoIe.

It doesn't mean shit.

Come on, Captain. l don't want to wait here to die.

Ilario?

- I don't know. - Come on. It's a majority.

Well, that'd be great if this was a democracy, but it isn't.

We stay with Rady. l wouIdn't risk your Iife. l won't risk his.

So maybe if we surrender, the lraqis wouId doctor him up.

No surrender.

- I hear something moving out there. - I say we make for the chopper now.

And l say I heard enough of that shit.

You don't have to go with us. We don't even need your permission.

l am in command here.

Well, maybe not any more.

Give me the saw, Monfriez.

l can't stop you from running, but you're not taking our fire power with you.

You're not taking away my weapon.

Yes, l am.

Hey, I can make a white fIag, aII right?

There's no way you're taking away my weapon, cunt.

Section 28-J, code of military justice.

Mutiny, an offence punishable by death.

- Jesus, Monfriez. - Shut up. She's trying to get us kiIIed.

Ilario, who you with?

Come on, shithead. Do you want to die?

PIease, Captain.

They're going away. It was just a probe.

Shit.

- Are you aII right? - Shit.

Oh, my God.

Shit. l don't fucking beIieve it.

- Give me your weapon. - Christ, l thought you were firing at me.

You're wounded, ma'am. Let me see.

You're with him.

You got to let me Iook at it.

Jesus Christ, Iet him look at it.

l gave birth to a nine-pound baby, asshoIe. l think l can handIe it.

Cap, we got to get you out of here.

We stay with Rady.

- And then? - And then...

Incoming.

1 50 metres and cIosing.

140.

- 1 30. - Give me my weapon.

- Ilario, how's Rady? - He's dead.

- No, he's aIive. - 1 00 metres. Captain, give him his weapon.

- This is insane. Give me my weapon. - Shut up.

90 metres and closing. 80...

l'm sorry.

OK. We'II get you out of here, Captain. It's aII over.

No, Monfriez, it's not over.

There wiII be a reckoning. Count on it.

What's that?

There's the rescue.

Let's move it. Move it.

No. Wait.

HeIp Rady.

We're pinned down here.

Ilario, give me the M-1 6.

Give me the goddamn M-1 6.

l'll cover you.

Go.

- I'II cover you. - Negative, ma'am.

Come back for me with a stretcher and more guns.

- Karen, pIease. - Go. It's an order.

- Karen, pIease. - Go.

Wait.

Wait.

Where's WaIden?

She's dead.

No.

Monfriez said she wouId have court-martialled us.

AItameyer was too fucked up to say anything.

She was probabIy kiIIed by smaII arms before the napaIm ever hit.

Either way, she never couId have survived that stomach wound.

You think that matters?

No.

No.

l couldn't bear to send this.

l didn't even want to touch it.

Can you get it to her parents for me?

Can you...? PIease?

- Listen, l'm going to have to call you back. - You got off the phone for me?

- You're gonna want me there for this. - Meaning?

Remember that stereo system you toId me not to buy cos who needs a dual cassette deck?

When does anyone ever have a reason to copy a tape?

Nat, just the man I wanted to see. Do you know CoIonel SerIing?

This is Tony Gartner of The Washington Post. He was with the 9th in Vietnam.

- Mr Gartner. - CoIonel.

Take a seat, Nat.

He's foIIowing up our investigation of Al Bathra,

and it seems that he has a few questions that he'd Iike to ask us.

- Let's give him every facility. - I appreciate that, GeneraI.

Some ground ruIes though. l insist that we be aIIowed to scheduIe

the release of aII information to the public regarding casualties.

l reaIIy wish l couId accommodate you, sir, but, unfortunately,

we'II be going with a story based on a tape that I've acquired

of aII radio communications that night.

So, I'd like you to Iisten and then comment for the record.

l can't comment for the record. This is an ongoing investigation.

Reverse right.

Sabre-6, this is Bobcat-5. Enemy tangos. Enemy tanks in our Iines. Over.

Sabre,-6, this is Cougar-6. Confirm that l have enemy tangos at phase line delta...

- I don't think any more of this... - This is what happened, GeneraI.

Liberty-6, this is Sabre-6. We got enemy tanks in our fIank. Out.

- PateIIa, find me a target. - I think I got one, sir.

- Do you or do you not have a target? - It must be. They're firing at us.

- Loader. - Up, sir.

- Fire. - On the way.

Target. We got that sucker.

Sabre-6, we just Iost Cougar-6. Repeat, we just lost BoyIar.

- Roger that. We got him. - Say again, you just Iit up a friendly.

- Roger that. We... what? - You just Iit up a friendIy, goddamn it.

Cougar-6 was one of your own Abrams, CoIoneI SerIing. ls that correct?

Yes, that's correct.

Sabre-6, Nat, what's happening out there? Sabre-6, report.

- PateIIa, was that one of our tanks? - They fired.

- At us or at the T-72s? - I don't know.

- At us or at the T-72s, PateIIa? - I don't know.

CoIoneI SerIing, report status now.

- They have range on us. - All Sabre eIements, this is Sabre-6.

Stop aII tanks, turn on your Iights. l say again, stop aII tanks and turn on your Iights.

Sabre-6, Nat, what's happening out there?

Load us up.

PateIIa, find me a target. Snap out of it. Find me a target.

PateIIa, come on.

- Target. - We're up.

- Lights on or off? - Off.

- Fire. - On the way.

- Sir? - Fire.

CoIoneI SerIing, report status now.

Sabre-6. Situation under controI, GeneraI.

GeneraI, CoIoneI Serling's order to activate Iights,

was that a standard response to enemy infiItration of the Iines?

At the criticaI moment, in spite of terribIe Iosses,

CoIoneI SerIing didn't hesitate to act.

Ordering those tanks to turn on their lights

saved the lives of God knows how many of our men.

Heroic acts arise out of desperate circumstances.

l have no troubIe at aII beIieving that CoIoneI SerIing is a hero.

Like Captain Karen WaIden.

Did you know that for the first time a woman is being considered

for the MedaI of Honour for her performance under fire? And...

CoIoneI SerIing is just finishing up the inquiry.

How's that going, Nat?

l think...

in order to honour a soldier like Karen WaIden,

we have to teII the truth, GeneraI, about what happened over there.

The whoIe, hard, coId truth.

And until we do that, we dishonour her...

and every soIdier who died, who gave their Iife for their country.

My fuII report, GeneraI.

Few of us are given the opportunity, even fewer the courage,

to sacrifice ourselves for the lives of our comrades.

In daiIy life, even as in battIe,

each one of us is mysteriousIy and irrevocabIy bound to our feIIow man.

And yet, it is onIy in death that the power of this bond

is finally tested and proven.

And who among us really knows how he might respond when that moment comes?

l guess we've been expecting you.

First of aII, Iet me...

Let me just say that there was nothing that...

Tom and l wouIdn't do for each other. Nothing.

He was a good soIdier.

He was Iike a brother to me.

That night, 25 February...

there were enemy tanks in our Iines.

We thought...

l thought that...

Tom's tank was an enemy tank.

And...

l gave the order to fire.

God heIp me. l...

Yeah, I kiIIed him.

As for the funeraI...

the Iies the Army toId...

and the lies that I toId...

to you, l can only...

beg for your forgiveness.

As far as the...

As far as that night...

l guess there's no way that l can even begin to ask you to forgive me.

l know that, but it's a burden you're going to have to put down sometime.

Thank you, sir.

Mr President.

Dear Mom and Dad,

weII, this is it - the big push.

Looks Iike it's gonna reaIIy happen.

And l'm afraid,

not of being hurt or kiIIed, weII, kind of, but not much.

My only regret wiII be to never see you two again,

or not see Anne Marie grow up.

But l know she's in good hands, the best.

What I'm reaIIy afraid of is that I might Iet my peopIe down, my crew.

These peopIe depend on me. They put their Iives in my hands.

l just can't faiI 'em.

Now, I know if you get this letter it means l'm dead.

l onIy hope that I've made you proud, that I did my job,

and l didn't Iet down my country, my crew, my feIIow soIdiers.

l Iove you guys.

Never stop teIIing Anne Marie how much I love her.

Your daughter, Karen.

- Got it? - Yeah.