Pensacola: Wings of Gold

Kelly returns to his hometown, Marfa, Texas, to be honored. He discovers two bodies. Back at the base Capone and Spoon talk to recruiters. Spoilers Kelly's estranged brother was the good friend of one and turns out to be involved in murder and drug smuggling. He used the money to save the family farm/ranch. An allegedly crooked cop killed one smuggler to steal the drugs and money and was shot and killed by another friend. The friend who shot the crooked cop commits suicide but makes it look like a plane accident.

Burner returns, attached to the ""Special Operations Training Group,"" to prepare the 18th M.E.U. for a mission. spoilers Hammer and Kelly talk. Kelly is starting to come under scrutiny for a promotion. He has been passed over for promotion twice must either be promoted this time or retire. Burner, who grounded himself, returns attached to special ops training. Burner stays with Ice and Capone, clashes with Capone, and shares a kiss with Megan. While training for a mission, Capone is involved in a crash. He walks away but his co-pilot/gunner is on life support. The injured man, who just got engaged, dies. Capone considers quitting but, after talking to Burner, he decides to stay.

It's Blaze vs Ice in the Pensacola Shootout where the Marines, Air Force, Navy and RAF all send two of their best pilots to compete. Spoon is Ice's wingman. Also there is an opening for a female astronaut; Hammer worries that Megan has a drinking problem.

When Spoon's plane malfunctions, counterfeit parts are discovered to be the cause and an investigation begins. Hammer meets a lawyer who feigns interest in him but is actually questioning him. Kate's niece, Megan, is running the Bucket in her absence. Meanwhile Teri handles the estate of Spoon's father and as a result, receives a lucrative job offer.

After a helo pilot fails a training test, he gets himself killed, and Kelly is accused in an Article 32 hearing. The deceased marine wrote letters to his mother, a congresswoman, which contradict the truth and seemingly prove Kelly's guilt. Spoon, Mad Dog and Capone testify. Hammer and Col. Drayton offer moral support.

A reckless private collects some ordinance after an exercise instead of calling EOD. While doing an inventory, Spoon and Abby/Mad Dog are caught in an explosion and Capone is hit by the edge. Spoon starts hallucinating (with the hallucinations often referencing a canceled golf game) as he drifts in and out of consciousness, but rescuers can not get to them until unexploded ordinance is dealt with. Kelly and Hammer try to determine what happened.

Johnny Terelli (Capone's brother) comes to visit but doesn't tell Eddie that he is being pursued by both an FBI agent and a murderous Russian mobster. (Endangering his room mates, Spoon and Ice.) Country musician Gary Allan gives Kate and Mad Dog backstage passes and sings Smoke Rings in the Dark. And the saga of the toy animal mascot continues.

The unit will be learning Burke's Breach a combined attack strategem or set of tactics. General Burke, a former mentor of Kelly's, visits the unit, but his strange behavior endangers men during an exercise and Capone's career is threatened. Kelly discovers Burke's behavior may be caused by exposure to chemicals during the Gulf War. Also, Mad Dog makes a video letter, Teri gets a job at the Bucket, Ice is still wistful and Spoon is tricked by a pretty girl and his keys and the unit's mascot (a stuffed animal) are stolen.

Spoon and Ice look for a new roommate who can serve as a buffer between them. They and Capone undergo survival training. Kate goes out with their training officer, Capt. Ray Hartley, and becomes a victim of date rape.

Burner, Hammer and Kelly are on a carrier. Burner's plane loses radio reception and navigation after possibly being struck by lightning during a storm. Because of heavy rain he cannot see the carrier and he may run out of fuel and crash. Back on shore Spoon and Ice nearly become romantic before Capone alerts them about the danger Burner is in, whereupon they rush to base.

Jack Hightower is talking to Kelly when his car is blown up in Cairo. Kelly reevaluates and decides he wants to be in a combat unit. Another class of nuggets is graduating. Hammer, Major Lewis is applying for a staff position with the 18th M.E.U., with Kelly's encouragement. Kelly talks with Col. Doug Drayton and he asks to be ""the ace"" of the 18th M.E.U. Spoon and Ice, on the same carrier, the ""Connie"", get orders to return to Pensacola. On the way back they meet, Burner, who was based in Turkey. Kelly observes a helicopter pilot flying an attack helicopter, the Cobra. He asks Edward Turelli (cc), call sign Capone to join his unit. At a meeting, Kelly talks to many pilots. The team, the Aviation Combat Element (Ace?) of the 18th M.E.U. is called the Fighting Bandits. Spoon says Flying Bandits although the patch says Fighting Bandits. Hogs, Frogs, Hueys, (types of helicopters?/pilots) Cobras, and jet pilots (jet jockeys) comprise the unit. At the bucket Kate hugs Spoon, Ice