A Few Good Men

About the show

Private William Santiago, a United States Marine at the United States Navy's Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, on the south shore of the island of Cuba is a weak Marine who has a hard time physically keeping up and gets along poorly with his fellow Marines and has gone outside the chain of command to the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS) to request a transfer. Although Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Markinson requests that Santiago be transferred, his senior Base Commander Colonel Nathan Jessep instructs Lieutenant Jonathan James Kendrick, Private Santiago's platoon commander, to "train" Santiago. Soon afterward, Santiago dies. He was murdered, and the two Marines Lance Corporal Harold Dawson and Private First Class Louden Downey who broke into Santiago's dorm room and attacked him and stuffed a rag into his mouth / throat, will stand trial. United States Navy's United States Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG Corps) investigator and lawyer Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway believes Dawson and Downey may have carried out an illegal "code red" order: a brutal extrajudicial punishment that in recent years has been outlawed by military regulations. Santiago was ostensibly killed in retaliation for naming Cpl. Dawson in a fenceline shooting into adjacent Cuban sovereign territory, but Lt. Cmdr. Galloway believes Santiago was killed as part of a premeditated plan or even conspiracy. Galloway wants to represent them, but the case is assigned to fellow Navy officer and lawyer Lieutenant (junior grade) Daniel Kaffee, a bumbling attorney who enjoys accepting plea bargain deals and avoiding drawn-out trials / courts martial. Lt. Kaffee's casual attitude bothers the intense, driven Galloway, while Galloway annoys Kaffee with her meddling and her overbearingness. At Guantanamo Bay, Kaffee and Galloway interrogate base commander Marine Corps Colonel Nathan Jessep and others. Jessep asserts that Santiago was supposed to be transferred off the base and sent back to America the following day. Marines Dawson and Downey reject their lawyer Lt. Kaffee's offer to enter into a plea agreement and receive a short six months sentence with government prosecutor U.S. Marine Captain Jack Ross, claiming that Kendrick gave them the "code red" order, that they never intended for Santiago to die and did nothing wrong. Cpl. Dawson thinks it is dishonorable and a violation of the Marines' strict code of honor for Kaffee to opt for a plea agreement rather than stand their ground in court. Kaffee in disgust and unable to understand their sense of morals, wants to be terminated from his position as counsel because he believes the case is worthless, that if they're found guilty, that they'll both be sentenced to long prison terms. Kaffee suddenly submits a not guilty plea on behalf of the accused at the arraignment. He explains to Galloway that the reason he was selected to handle the case was because of his reputation for quickly settling cases out of court with as little fuss as possible, that it was anticipated that he would take a fast plea deal and the case would then be closed, and swept away under the rug. Lt. Col. Markinson tells Kaffee, during their secretive covert meeting in Kaffee's car, that the code red order was actually given, then hidden, and that Col. Jessep never requested Santiago be transferred. According to the defense, Cpl. Dawson was passed up for promotion because he had given food secretly to another Marine who had been on punishment and ordered to go without meals. The defense Kaffee now presents is a favorable picture of Dawson and shows that "code reds" had previously been authorized through Pvt. Downey. On the other hand, Downey claims under oath and cross-examination that he was not present when Dawson allegedly received the "code red" instructions. Lt. Col. Markinson then kills himself before he can testify because he feels guilty about not protecting a fellow Marine under his charge and being an informer / whistle-blower. Kaffee thinks the case has been lost without Markinson's testimony. He complains that he fought the case rather than accepting a settlement as he returns home drunk. Galloway urges Kaffee to summon and get Jessep to testify on the stand under oath despite the possibility of facing court-martial for defying a superior officer. When Kaffee brings up a discrepancy in Col. Jessep's testimony in court at the court-martial at the Washington Navy Yard—that his Marines never disobey orders and that Santiago was to be relocated for his own safety—he is disturbed. Jessep spars under Kaffee's interrogation. Considering that Jessep had told his men to leave Santiago alone, Kaffee wonders why he was still in danger. Jessep, disgusted by Kaffee's behavior, praises the military's contribution to national security as well as his own. Finally, Jessep admits with disdain and intense anger that he really did give the "code red" command. Then while attempting to leave the courtroom thinking he's above reproach or questioned, Jessep is then arrested by order of the observing military judges. The murder and conspiracy charges against Dawson and Downey are dropped, but they are found guilty of lesser offenses of "conduct unbecoming" and will be dishonorably discharged. Dawson explains to his confused and non-comprehending friend that they failed to stand up for people who were too helpless to defend themselves, like Pvt. Santiago, while Downey is unsure what they did wrong. Lt. Kaffee tells Dawson that having honor does not require wearing a patch on one's arm. Dawson then snaps to attention, barking "there's an officer on deck" and smartly snaps off a salute to Lieutenant Kaffee and recognizes him as an officer to be respected (unlike his earlier contempt). Before prosecutor Ross leaves to arrest Kendrick, Kaffee and Ross give each other compliments as friends.