JAG LAWYERS

Chapter 14 - At The Front

Kate Beckett had been surprised with meeting Josh, her now ex, at the Andrew's AFB Terminal and even more stunned when she learned he had addu orders to the hospital ship Mercy. Although they had put a pause to their relationship, she did still have feelings for Josh, but Kate had bravely decided to end it. So, they had agreed, as they left each other at the air terminal, to remain friends. Now here she was heading also to the war front and Josh would be in the area on the hospital ship, Mercy, and away from actual combat. For that Kate was grateful. She had enough remaining affection for him that she wished him to be safe and away from the war and out of harm's way. Despite their ending it, Josh had left it open that if it did not work out with one Rick Rodgers, née Castle, she could come back to restart what they had for almost six months. For Kate, however, that boat had sailed.

Rick Castle on the other hand now had a chance to further his relationship with Kate, if he chose to make the move. Rick was starting to feel the whole issue of 'fraternization' had been an excuse for him to justify not getting more serious with Kate after their one night together. They had that one intimate night together in the past, after their commissioning, each hoping that the itch would be scratched. The truth was, it still was there, despite what both had done to deny it and keep their distance. Now however all the reasons for doing so seemed to have vanished but the future remained uncertain, the path forward uncharted. It would be new for both of them.

They had gotten to the front around mid-day and reported to the Commanding Officer of the expeditionary forward base, one LTCol Dan Newsome.

"Glad to have your team on board LCDR Rodgers."

"Yes sir, these are my team members, Maj. Beckett and LT. Olson."

"Pleased to see we have a grunt on the team. Despite her Wings, she is a riflemen by definition, as are all Marines", he says shaking all their hands. "This is my Executive Officer, Maj. Bill Russel. He will see you to your accommodations",says Newsome, making the introduction.

Maj. Russel shakes hands with all the team and then has them follow him.

The sleeping accommodations were essentially the portable units used by the U.S. Air Force for their frontline forward air bases. They resembled cargo containers but were bigger with windows, doors, and could be provided electrical power by hooking them up to the camp electric grid that is powered by mobile generators. Like cargo containers these living quarters units could be stacked and transported in large numbers via Military Sealift Command or a couple each in the huge C5 Galaxy Jet Cargo Aircraft of the Air Force. Once at the delivery site the units were carried forward to the front line camps by large cargo helicopters that could transport a container at a time.

For their camp, the units were stacked three high. The upper units accessed by using the scaffolding that made up the stairs and entryways to those units. Assigned to the unit for Camp Construction, Maintenance and Upgrades is a Navy Seabee Unit, Construction Battalion, Mobile Unit 302.

Their sleeping container was divided into two sleeping spaces with a wall down the middle of the unit. Two entry and exit doors allowed access to each section. Kate Beckett got the one section to herself, and Rick and Jim Olson were sharing the remaining section. Each section had two twin beds. The sections had a common wall with a separate door for access and exit to the other unit. That common door had to be unlocked on both sides to be used.

Separate bathroom facilities were provided by two stand alone units containing gang showers for six, with an equal number of toilets, and sinks. Like the sleeping quarters, these utility units also were housed in cargo-like containers. There was one bath unit for males, the other for females. Those units were open for use 24/7. The sleeping quarters were air conditioned with window units. Once settled in, the JAG team went to the Command Tent to get a brief from the XO on what they knew about the missing missile. In the event one needed to use the toilet facilities at night but did not want to make the trip, port-potty's were provided.

In reviewing the circumstances of their investigation, it seems the missile was taken by opposition forces while in transport to the launch site. The information on the delivery of the missile was only known to the CO, XO, and Weapons Officer. The transportation unit only knew this info on the day of their morning brief on the mission. It was clear there had been an Intelligence Breech despite the tight control of the operational information. So the person who gave the info had to have been someone on the Delivery Detail.

The Investigation

The team begins interviewing all the members of the delivery team. It was comprised mostly of U.S. Military augmented by host nation military. Fortunately, the team had capability of tapping on-line sources from their outpost thanks to modern day electronics present at the base camp. So all the U.S. military were checked for background information. They looked to see if an sign popped out that indicated one of them may have reasons to betray their country. They looked at the finances of all of them as most traitors selling out their country did it for money, but that yielded nothing. The host nation was contacted for intel on the few local national military serving. That too yielded nothing. Once all the background checks were done, the actual interviews began.

It turned out that one of the local nationals assigned to the delivery detail had his family captured by the terrorists and they were under threat of death. So he had been coerced to disclose the classified information secretly passing it to the enemy on a radio frequency known only to him. His saving grace was that he told this to the JAG team when questioned. The soldier, one Achmed Saldin, was broken easily. At the start he appeared nervous, and the team saw this. When he finally did crack, he apologized profusely and then revealed his situation with his family and that they were being held by the terrorists at the enemy camp. At that point the JAG team paused the interview and discussed the matter with the Commanding Officer.

"Achmed has a good record with us and what he did was under duress. But maybe this gives us leverage. Propose to him we will rescue his family if he serves as a double agent for us", the Colonel says.

The get back to Saldin and give him the proposal. He agrees to work as a double agent for the rescue, protection, and asylum of his family from those terrorist forces. A trap is set to capture the terrorist unit, free Saldin's family, and recover the missile. It would be a two purpose op, an attack and recovery mission.

The plan was to set up a fake delivery of stinger missiles to a unit on the battle line. They would have the double agent reveal this info to the terrorists with the purpose of baiting these same terrorists to attack once again the transport unit for the Stingers. During that attack the terrorists would then be vanquished and captured. Concurrently, the JAG team would lead another recovery detail to rescue the Saldin family and regain the stolen missile at the main opposition camp site. The opposition main camp would now have less security personnel due to many of them being used for the attack on the ruse delivery detail.

The double agent conveyed the info on the delivery to these opposition forces and they took the bait. Saldin informs them that the delivery will be in two weeks. The agent is then told the terriorists will the attack the transportation convoy on the day of the delivery.

The two week time before the delivery of the fake stingers allowed for training and rehearsing for the operation. The intel on the enemy provided by Saldin, the local national double agent, was key in planning and executing the ruse and recovery missions. Saldin was assigned to the JAG team as he knew the layout of the enemy base camp, the location of his family and the stolen missile at that enemy location. Achmed would serve as both scout and point-man for the JAG recovery team.

For this field action, Castle ceded lead to Beckett and he would act as second in command. This because Kate as a Marine had the better infantry training and experience. Once again Rick served as Kate's second, just like it had been during their NROTC days. The team trained hard every day for two weeks, often returning to their sleeping quarters fully exhausted. They knew that the operation they were practicing for had to be executed precisely with all actions coordinated.

A mock up model of the enemy camp site was constructed by the Seabees, thanks to Saldin's knowledge of the enemy. The team reviewed this to familiarize them selves with the camp lay out. Satellite photos of the enemy camp provide actual footage on the camp. Kate worked with the XO, Maj. Bill Russel, to develop the plan of attack on the terrorist camp site. This was where Marines excelled and both Rick and Jim saw what the Marine Corps did to improve the U.S. Navy fleet ops. It was this collaboration during WWII that allowed the U.S. to recapture all the Japanese-held Atolls and Islands they had invaded and captured during that major conflict.

Marines were often the preferred force in many a conflict as a Marine would put his life on the line at the cost of that Marine's life if it meant the mission was successful. All military had this one attribute, but it came out in numbers when the military is a Marine Unit. During WWII, those lives were indeed given up as the Marines took back the Japanese seized atolls and islands in the Pacific Theatre, one atoll and island at a time. It turned out to be a long and difficult military campaign. Each one of those small patches of land were recaptured with the sacrifices of thousand of Marines. That sacrifice and endeavor built the U.S. Marine Corps the reputation of being a force to be reckoned with and taken seriously in any combat action.

As the final week of their two week training was drawing to a close, Rick and Kate were alone one night in the Mess Tent that served as the Galley for the Marine Outpost. The cooks and mess crew were all gone, they had cleaned up all the kitchen equipment and had left after setting up for the next morning's breakfast. Kate and Rick had finished their evening meal and were ending it with a final coffee before going to their sleeping quarters.

"Did you ever think during NROTC days it would come to something like this with us?", asks Rick.

"No Castle, back then it was just trying to complete our training and get to commissioning day. There was no thought of what a future could be after being commissioned."

There is a little bit of a pause as each ponders Kate's response. Then another thought comes to Rick's mind and he asks, "Do you ever think of the one night we had together Kate, after commissioning?"

"Always."

"Same here, so what now, where do we go with this? With us?", Castle asks in a tone so serious that even Kate catches it.

Kate lowers her voice softly and then in an almost whisper replies, "Let's get pass this current operation first. Then we can find time and a more private place to discuss this thing we have going. Just know that I want you in my life Rick, we've denied each other too long. I can't deny it any longer."

"Neither can I, so yours sounds like a plan, I will look forward to it", Rick replies in a voice as soft and low as Kate's had been.

"Well, then let's get to sleep for the present, we need it", Kate says ending the discussion.

They head out to their sleeping unit for a good night's rest.