"Umbra" 9/? By Dawson E. Rambo Disclaimer : Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner and any other tangentially mentioned characters created by Chris Carter remain his copyrighted property, the property of 1013 Productions, and the property of Fox Television, a unit of 20th Century Fox, Inc. No infringement of any copyright is intended. Characters created by the author remain his property. Original Post : May 10, 1997 Archive Entry : Book I, Chapter 9 Classification : Action Adventure, Scully/Other, Scully/Mulder, Mythology Rating : R (Adult Themes, Violence, Adult Language) Enjoy! See the end for definitions of words that I use herein. ====================================================================== "It was an Oxford secret. The kind you can only tell one person at a time." - Anonymous -9- Patty's Pancakes Alexandria 0947 Hours Mulder shook his head slowly, not believing his ears. "That's not possible," he said. "There was never anything in the papers, on the news!" Commander King smiled the smile of those that have peered in the darkest recesses of another person's mind and returned to see the light of day, worse for the wear, but wiser. "Agent Mulder, if you had any inkling of the things that go on in the name of national security, in the name of furthering the foreign policy interests of this country and those that run it, you would probably go screaming into the night." Mulder felt a flash of irritation; if she had known the things he and Scully had seen, she wouldn't be so quick to condescend. Scully. Oh, my god...Scully was with Stone at this moment, heading over to DCSPERS or BUPERS! "Do you have any proof of this? Any at all?" Scully would require proof. Hell, anyone would require proof after hearing the incredible words that King had just spoken. Maggie shook her head. "Just his word. But let me tell you something, Mr. Mulder. I have no doubt that the mission took place as Stone described it to me." She paused, the blush slowly creeping up her face. "I heard him screaming in the night, Mr. Mulder. Nightmares. Bad, horrible dreams." Mulder snorted. "It sounds like he's due a few of them." Maggie nodded. "One part of me agrees with you, I will admit. To think that he killed children...it's abhorrent. But, on another front, please realize that Matt didn't send those children into battle. He was following the lawful orders of those above him, those that thought the mission as originally planned was worth the risk of life that Matt and the SEALs represented. It was someone else who sent those children to die in a ploy designed to do only one thing: Embarrass the United States and protect Libya's nuclear policy." Mulder hook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. There was just so much, so much information to wade through and dissect. He was no babe in the woods; he knew that sometimes horrible, sickening things had to be done to protect the security of his country. He had no problems with those that chose to make the profession of arms their life's work. Captain Bill Scully was a prime example, as was Walter Skinner. Honorable men who had gone in harm's way to protect those people that they loved, and a country they adored. What would Walter Skinner say if he knew what had transpired in the Libyan desert? What would have Scully's father thought? "Lawful orders?" Mulder whispered. "You can give a lawful order to kill a child?" King nodded. "The Rules of Engagement are pretty clear. They were operating under Executive Authority, signed by the President. Congress had been informed, and had given their permission. The children, sad as it was, were armed. They had AK's, and knew how to use them." "Tall enough to reach the trigger, tall enough to shoot, right?" King nodded slowly, accepting Mulder's rebuke. "Why weren't they taken prisoner? God, wouldn't that have been a better solution, politically? What would Qadaffi have been able to say when the world was presented with irrefutable proof that he was using children to fight his wars?" King sighed. "Iran and Iraq were doing the same thing at the same time, Mr. Mulder. And Qadaffi hardly worries about what the west thinks of him, only other Islamic countries. And the two largest Islamic countries in the region were doing the exact same thing. To be honest, Mr. Mulder, the military hadn't thought that far ahead. They had never expected any resistance to the mission, and so they had no backup in place. It was never expected that Matt would be shot down, that he would be forced to make the choice that he did." "Why?" Mulder wanted to know. "Why would he chose to murder those children?" "He didn't murder them, Mulder. He executed them. There is a slight difference. What he did was reprehensible, but it was not a crime, not in the eyes of the law." "But he was charged-" "Mr. Mulder, there are two things about those charges that you need to know. The first is that they were dropped. The Article 32 investigation was completed, as required under the UCMJ, and the charges were dropped." Mulder was surprised to find that he was gritting his teeth. "What's the other thing I should know?" Maggie sighed again, a deep, sad sound that made Mulder's stomach flop. "He wasn't under Article 32 investigation for the execution of those children, Mulder." "What?!" "He killed a SEAL. Well, not exactly killed. Let me put it to you this way. There was a disagreement of some kind, and one of the ground forces members ended up dead under mysterious circumstances. The Commanding Officer of the ground forces filed the Article 32 complaint investigation form, but after review, the charges were dropped." Mulder's mind started racing. "The paperwork. Where's the Article 32 paperwork?" Maggie King shook her head. "It's sealed." She saw the look on his face, the look that said he had ways of finding things out. She could see his mind working, watch as he went through the list of his contacts throughout the government, Mulder's own personal fifth column of spies and informants. "Mulder, there's no one that you can ask to find the records, because the records don't exist. Not only was the Article 32 dropped, but the records were expunged. Actually physically destroyed. Put in a burn bag at NIS headquarters." "Shouldn't the Judge Advocate General have a copy?" "They might have some notes or something buried in a drawer, but when a record is expunged, it is expunged." Mulder took another tack. "Is there a list of officers that sat on the review board? The ones that made the original decision to drop the Article 32 investigation?" Maggie considered this, scratching her chin. "I'm sure there might be somewhere...I'd have to check." She looked up into the excited, wild eyes of Special Agent Fox Mulder and grinned. "Here, use my cellular," he said, offering his phone to her. She looked at it dubiously, wondering if the man actually expected her to put her career on the line right here, right now, for a man she had met only moments ago. Well, she thought, he does know LoneGunGuy. She took the phone and dialed. Her yeoman answered, and she started issuing instructions. He took notes, promised to call her back as soon as he found anything out, and disconnected the call. "I told him to look for anything that would like Stone to that Article 32 investigation and to get back to me. Your best bet-" "Is to find someone retired, someone who won't mind risking his pension." "Or her pension," King pointed out. "Or her pension," Mulder agreed. King stared at the young FBI agent for a few long, strained seconds. Now that the ball had started rolling, it was only a matter of time before it came back to bite her in the ass, she was sure. Commander King knew that there were forces at work at pay grades way, way above her own that made looking out for officers like Matt Stone their life's work. She had known other officers, men and women she considered unfit to command a platoon of mess-kit repair technicians who had been given commands of aircraft carriers, Spruance-class destroyers, even entire fleets of submarines and ships, all because they had a `hook,' a senior officer who looked out for classmates, the sons and daughters of friends, and every once and a while, those select few officers who were pinpointed and fast-tracked for promotion to Commander, Captain and above. Up until this breakfast meeting with Special Agent Mulder, Maggie would have bet a year's salary that there were Admiral's stars in Matt Stone's future. Now she wasn't so sure. Part of her was sad, because despite all her objections to the contrary, both internal and external, she still harbored feelings for Matt. He'd been an exciting, dangerous man, the kind of man that had brought all her `bad boy' fantasies to light. But part of her was glad, a much larger part, because she felt in her bones that men such as Commander Matthew Stone, USN, should not be placed in a position of authority over other lives. He was too dangerous, too unpredictable, too bloodthirsty. "So tell me what happened," she finally said. "What brought you to me, other than LoneGunGuy?" "I really can't go into it," Mulder demurred, holding up his hands to stop her protest, "not because I don't trust you." Although I don't, he thought. "But..it'd be safest for you. I'll make you a deal. If and when I can talk about this, you'll be the first to know. I'll tell you everything I know." He lifted his eyebrows. "Deal?" She reached over and shook his offered hand. "Deal, Mr. Mulder. Now, are you going to buy me breakfast, or was that just an empty promise to get information out of me?" *** Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel The Pentagon Alexandria, Virginia 1000 Hours Matt Stone entered the outer office of the DCSPERS and smiled down at Dana Scully, who was sitting in a chair waiting, her legs crossed primly at the thigh. She was flipping through an issue of Army Times. She tried to find it within herself to smile back at this man, but found that she could only manage to keep something just this side of a grimace on her face. Taking the seat next to hers, immediately moving into her space, violating that invisible, silent wall she kept up to ward off the world, Stone whispered in her ear, "What's wrong?" She moved away, using her eyes to force him back. He saw the look on her face, the same look that hundreds of suspects and other uncooperative individuals had seen on her face... And moved back. "Nothing," she said softly. "We'll talk later." Stone just nodded, trying on a hurt-puppy expression. He had seen Mulder do the same thing to her, and its effect on Scully had not gone unnoticed. Scully had to fight to keep the look of disgust off her face. On this man that look was...disgusting. Revolting. With a start, Scully realized why Stone was such a good investigator, such a good intelligence agent. He had that unique ability to become a chameleon, to change himself to fit any situation, to give the target of his attentions (and probably his affections, too, she thought,) what he thought they wanted and needed. He was the candy man, offering up the treats that his...subjects, targets...lovers wanted. He's trying to make me react to him the way I react to Mulder, she thought. As if I would ever. The anger inside her notched up another level, and she wondered what it was that she had thought she'd seen in Commander Stone. Nothing could be further from the truth at this point. She could hardly stand to be in the same room with him, let alone have him actually touch her. "Special Agent Dana Scully?" Scully looked up at the mention of her name. A tall, distinguished, straight-backed US Army Major was standing in front of her, a bemused smile on his face. "Yes?" "I'm Major Donald Gates," he said, offering his hand. Scully stood, shaking it. "Commander Stone," Matt said. The major, although outranked by Matt, gave him a look that made shivers run up Scully's back. "Commander," he said softly, shaking Matt's hand. He released it just a little quickly, Scully thought. She found herself liking Major Gates rather easily. A enemy of my enemy is my friend, she thought, wondering why that had entered her mind. "If you'll come with me," Gates said, turning to lead them to his office. Stone started to follow along, and sensing this, Gates stopped. "I'm sorry, Commander, but this briefing is for Agent Scully only." Stone stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. "Excuse me, Major?" "I'm sure you heard me, Commander. DCSPERS got a call from Assistant Director Walter Skinner this morning asking for a classified briefing on one of our officers. He made no mention of any Naval personnel attending this briefing. Our regulations are quite clear on the matter. I'm sure you understand." Stone said nothing, but reached inside his jacket for his credentials. Gates waves them away. "I'm quite aware of who you are, Commander, and frankly, it doesn't matter to me that you're a Special Agent at NIS. Or that you're assigned to SLUDJ. The fact of the matter-" Stone held up his hand. "I don't care about your regulations, Major. I outrank you, and I am ordering you to allow me to attend this briefing." Scully looked up in surprise, her own eyes narrowing in anger. What did Matt think he was doing? Gates laughed, surprising both Stone and Scully. "Yes, you probably do, Commander. But since I am not in your chain of command, nor attached to a joint staff position, your relative rank means nothing to me, or to DCSPERS." Stone was fuming. "Listen to me, you little piss-ant, I can call my Admiral-" "Oh, yes, Admiral Karn. If I remember correctly, he is a Vice Admiral, is that correct?" Stone's jaw dropped open. Vice Admirals of the US Navy wear the three stars of a Lieutenant General of the US Army. DCSPERS, the man who was actually the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel was a four-star general. He had recently been promoted, and the rumor was that he was going to be given CINCTRACODC. For the time being, he outranked Admiral Karn. Which meant that Karn would have to go to his boss, the four-star Judge Advocate General himself. "I see your point," Stone said stiffly. "I'll wait out here for Special Agent Scully." Gates smiled thinly. "As you wish, Commander." He turned to continue leading Scully to his office, and then stopped. He turned back. "I am very sorry, sir." I just bet you are, Stone thought. He frowned and nodded, picking up the copy of Army Times that Scully had been reading. Scully looked at Stone again, saw the little-boy petulance on his face, and again wondered what she had ever seen in the man. Shaking her head, she turned and took a few long strides to catch up with Major Gates. *** Office of Commander Maggie King Navy Bureau of Personnel (BUPERS) 1002 Hours Yeoman Second Class Richie Pierce glanced around one last time before lifting the phone. It wouldn't do to have someone catch him at what he was about to do. But he had no choice. He dialed the ten numbers, reading them off the back of a business card that he kept hidden deep inside his desk. "What?" the voice answered. "It's me...Richie," Pierce said. "Richie who?" "Pierce. Richie Pierce, at BUPERS." The voice softened almost immediately. "Go ahead." "King called about twenty minutes ago. She wanted the whole package." There was a pause. "What are you going to do?" Richie knew the correct answer to that. "Whatever you want me to." "Good answer, Richie," the voice said. "Give her everything. Names, addresses, the whole deal." Richie couldn't believe his ears. "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure. That Mulder moron can't hurt the operation. As a matter of fact, having Mulder running around the country talking to old men with bitter memories will help this operation. It'll keep him out of the loop. So do what I tell you, Richie. Give King everything that she wants." "Aye, Aye," Richie said. "Do you want me to-" "No, son. Just do what I tell you." The voice paused again. "Or you know what will happen." Richie tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, but found that his mouth was too dry. "Aye, aye," he said again, and hung up the phone. *** Patty's Pancakes Alexandria 1012 Hours Mulder's cellphone chirped. "Mulder." "Uh..." "Are you looking for Commander King?" "Yes...yes, sir." "Just a moment." Mulder handed his phone to Maggie. She had just forked a huge wad of syrup-covered blueberry pancakes into her mouth. Chewing mightily, she took the phone with one hand and made a writing motion with the other, asking Mulder for a pen. He reached inside his jacket and found his notebook and Mont Blanc. Unscrewing the cap, he assembled the pen and handed it all to King. "Uh huh...Florida. Got it. Ft. Pierce. Got it. Texas? Where in Texas? Dallas? Ok..." she wrote quickly, neatly, adding a series of names, addresses, ranks and telephone numbers to the pad. "How many left on active duty?" She wrote names, ranks. "How many in the MDW?" She shook her head at Mulder, who swore softly under his breath. "Thanks, Richie." She disconnected the call and handed Mulder back the phone, sliding the notepad across the table. "This is what I could find." Mulder studied the list she'd given him. Six names. Four members of the Article 32 panel, and two members of the SEAL team that had been in the Ground Element during JOVIAL CLOWN. "Thanks," he said softly. "I know that this might come back at you, and if it does, and there's anything I can do-" She waved a hand, dismissing his offer. "Listen to me, Agent Mulder. Matt Stone may be gorgeous to look at, and great in bed, but he's an asshole, pure and simple. He used me, used me to get a peek at records he had no business looking at. I thought he loved me, and I let him use me. I'll be honest here -- most informants, in my opinion, do what they do out of revenge. I like LoneGunGuy, and I'd like to meet him someday. But I'm giving him -- and you -- the information because I feel it's the right thing to do. Idiots like Commander Matthew Stone have no business being in MY Navy." Finished, she looked down at her plate. "I need more syrup," she said, lifting an arm and calling, "Excuse me, waitress?" *** Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel (DCSPERS) Office of Major Donald Gates, Junior aide-de-camp The Pentagon Alexandria 1003 Hours "Please, Special Agent Scully, have a seat," Major Gates said, offering her one of the two comfortable-looking leather wing chairs that faced his desk. Scully settled herself and took out a notebook. "That won't be necessary," he said. "Excuse me?" "You'll be provided with copies of all the information that we're about to go over. And frankly, I'd rather appreciate it if you wouldn't take notes about the things we will be discussing that aren't in the files." Scully slowly put the notebook away. She had the distinct impression that her strings were being pulled, that someone or a group of someone's were making sure that only certain, specific information reached hers' and Mulder's ears. And Scully didn't like it one bit. "So tell me about Major Heather Haynes." Gates nodded, obviously the type that liked to get right to the point. He pulled a thick folder out of his IN box and opened it on his blotter. "Major Heather NMI Haynes," he began. "Born in White Plains, New York. Father was Major General Peter Haynes, deceased. Mother was Elaine Haynes, also deceased. Graduated from White Plains High School and applied for admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point, 1982. She graduated in 1986, 121st in her class, awarded a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. "Attended US Army Jump School, Ft. Benning, Georgia, during the 1983 summer, and Advanced Infantry Training, also at Ft. Benning, during the 1984 summer." Gates looked up at Scully with a totally unreadable expression, and then returned his gaze to the file. "Selected for a special project for TRADOC, named FANCIFUL DARING." He paused again and then closed the file. "Special Agent Scully, I've been instructed to give you one-hundred percent cooperation, and I plan to do that...and more. But I want to take this opportunity to impress upon you the importance of keeping certain...elements about Major Haynes career as confidential as possible. Heather was a very special person, a special woman and a special Army officer. I would hate to see her memory tarnished as a result of some FBI witch hunt." Scully felt her left eyebrow arching and tried to restrain it. "Major Gates, I appreciate your candor. All I can say at this point is that I'm looking for a clearer picture of Major Haynes' career, including any information you can give me about the assignments she had and the other officers and enlisted personnel she came into contact with. I have no desire to besmirch Major Haynes' record in any way, and of course all concerns regarding disclosure of classified information should have already been answered by AD Skinner." Gates nodded rather primly and re-opened Heather's folder. "FANCIFUL DARING was a very...well, not exactly classified project, although it was. It just wasn't the normal type of project that we would classify. Major Haynes, then a Second Lieutenant fresh from her commissioning ceremony, was selected to attend the Infantry Officer's Basic course at Ft. Benning in preparation for taking command of her own infantry platoon, one of the very first women so selected. It was ahead of its time by almost a decade. But for circumstances that are still unclear to this office, she never completed the IOB school, and instead requested a transfer to Military Intelligence. After careful and due consideration, her request was granted. "After completion of Military Intelligence school, she attended two courses at the Presidio Language School in San Francisco, one in Farsi and one in Arabic." "This was 1988?" Scully asked. "Yes." "Rather...eclectic choice for a former Infantry officer, wouldn't you say?" "Military Intelligence or her choice of languages?" "Either. Both." Gates nodded, frowning. "It almost seems as if she knew what was coming, didn't it? Hmmm. Well, anyway, after completion of her two language courses, she was assigned to the 12th Military Intelligence Corps, Korea as a field translator/interrogator." "I thought Korea was considered a hazardous duty station, a forward-deployed area?" "Yes, it is." "Major Haynes, pardon my pointing it out, is female. The MOS you just described is considered combat duty, is it not?" Gates shifted in his chair. "Yes, it is, Special Agent Scully. I had no idea that you were as...up to speed...as you are on Army MOS and policy." "My father was Captain Bill Scully, USN." "Oh, yes. Of course. I should have realized." He frowned again, and then continued reading from Heather's file. "She completed her tour of Korea, reaching the rank of Captain, in Command of Baker Company, 12th Military Intelligence Corps. She requested and was transferred to the Army Intelligence School at Ft. Boliver for post-graduate training." Major Gates closed the folder again. "I'm sorry, but the majority of the coursework at the Army Intelligence School is classified, Agent Scully." "I understand, Major. Please continue, if you would." "Very well." He opened the folder for a third time. "Captain Haynes graduated sixth in her class of sixty, putting her in the top tenth percentile. She was allowed to choose her next duty station. She chose CENTCOM." "This was when?" "Late 1989." "I see. Wasn't CENTCOM a paper command at that time, sir?" "Yes, Agent Scully. She transferred to Headquarters Company, US Central Command, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida." "I see. In what capacity?" "Military Intelligence Aide to the CINC, CENTCOM." "She worked for General-" "Yes. But not directly. She was the most junior member on the staff. To my knowledge, she was never...she did not know The General." "I see. Can you tell me how Major Haynes might have been assigned to a behind-the-lines mission in Iraq during the Gulf War?" Gates laughed, a dry, impersonal sound. "I can assure you, Special Agent Scully, that no such mission ever took place. At least, not to my knowledge." Scully felt her ire rising. "Major, I spoke with Major Haynes the day of her death, and she informed me that she was in Iraq during the air offensive, and that she was covered as a journalist, and that she had a specific mission to-- well, sir, I might assume that you are not cleared for the scope and profile of that mission. I was just wondering if you could give me any information as to why the US military would send a woman in behind the lines on a classified mission, against their publicly stated policy?" Gates shifted in his chair, shut the folder and slid it across the desk. "Special Agent Scully, I'm on the selection list for Lieutenant Colonel. I have been in the Army for close to fifteen years. I have no desire to either rock the boat, by which I mean bring unwanted attention to myself, or to hinder your investigation in any way. You have the official, classified personnel file of Major Heather Haynes, United States Army on the desk in front of you. That is your copy. Please follow standard US Government policies and procedures for handling classified information, and don't forget to have a nice day." Gates stood, obviously dismissing her. "Sir, may I use your phone?" she asked. Gates nodded. "Of course. I assume it's a local call?" Scully smirked. "Of course, Major." Scully picked up the phone and punched out Mulder's number. "Mulder, it's me. I'm just about finished at DCSPERS, and I want to know..." She listened. "Ok. I'll take Stone back to the Hoover building so we can...discuss the file." She hung up the phone and turned to Major Gates, who had been waiting rather impatiently for her to finish. "Sir, I have one more question, and then I will thank you for your time and get out of your office." At the promise of having the inquisitive FBI agent out of his hair, Major Gates' mood visibly improved. "Yes, what is it?" "Would you explain your reaction to Commander Stone, please? I know all about your regulations and policies and procedures, but you took a lot of pleasure out of denying that man access to this meeting." Gates moved back to his chair slowly, his eyes focused on Scully. His gaze never left her face, and she had the feeling that he was studying her, trying to see inside her soul, trying to determine what kind of woman she actually was. "Commander Stone...in certain circles...is well known inside the military establishment. He has a ... reputation, I guess you could say. There are some that feel he should not be an officer, let alone one trusted with as much responsibility and authority as he has been trusted with. There are those of us who believe that the nation would be better off had Commander Stone never worn our uniform." Scully said nothing. She stood and gathered the folder on Gates' desk and turned on her heel. "Agent Scully, are you upset about something?" Scully stopped with one hand on the doorknob. She turned back to face Gates. "Sir, I'm only angry at myself." Opening the door, she left Gates sitting behind his desk, staring after her. Way to go, Dana, she thought. First man you've had any feelings for in months, no...years, and you have to pick a sociopath. Every single person that had ever known Matt, had ever worked with or for him, with the possible exception of Admiral Karn, that Scully had run into had nothing nice to say about the man. And yet... She shook that feeling off, choosing instead to remember the feel of Mulder's lips on hers that morning. That soft, gentle, chaste kiss that had ignited something inside of her, had brought to life a feeling inside of her that Scully had almost forgotten about. Mulder reached a part of her, a portion of her soul that Stone never would. A part that Stone was probably unaware that even existed. Too bad he's my partner, she thought, rounding the corner and heading back towards the reception room where Matt was waiting. Too bad we can't do anything about it. The temptation to use Mulder to forget all about Commander Matt Stone was overwhelming. But that's what it would be, Scully thought. Using him. Stone stood as Scully approached. "All done?" he asked lightly. "Because if we hurry, we can get to BUPERS before they go to lunch." Scully shook her head, holding up Heather's thick personnel file. "I want to get back to the Hoover building and go over this." Stone eyed the file warily. "That's her file? Her entire file?" "Yes, or so I've been told." Stone couldn't take his eyes off the file. Scully watched as his fingers clenched and unclenched. "May I?" he asked. Scully thought about it, thought about denying him access to it, only because she could. Pretty damn petty, Scully, she thought. "Of course. Back at the Hoover building. We'll both go over it," she said, stepping around him. He reached for her, catching her by the elbow, stopping her. "Will we talk about...what's bothering you?" he asked softly, his voice quiet and dark. She looked over her shoulder at him- And was afraid. Something evil and hot and moist uncoiled in Scully's belly, and she suddenly wanted to be as far away from Matt Stone as possible. There was something behind his eyes, something in the way the light caught the reflections in his irises that made Scully nervous and scared. "Sure, Matt," she said, trying to make her voice light. "Good," he said, releasing her arm. He moved inside her space again, looking down at her. "Because I don't like being kept in the dark." Scully just nodded and opened the door leading out of DCSPERS. She wanted to call Mulder. She desperately wanted to hear his calm, comforting voice. And she really wanted him to hold her again. "I'll see you there," she called over her shoulder. Stone just nodded and turned and walked away in the other direction. Scully was going to be a problem, he thought. That's ok...his mind answered...you're good at solving problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- END CHAPTER 9 Werdz -n- Stuff Article 32 - Much the same thing as a grand jury investigation under civilian criminal law; military prosecutors present evidence of what they believe to be a crime, and a military panel decides whether to file formal courts-martial charges. See also UCMJ. BUPERS - US Navy Bureau of Personnel. The "Human Resources" department of the US Navy. CINCTRACDOC - Commander in Chief, Training & Doctrine Command, US Army. Army command responsible for...duh...all training and doctrine. ;) DCSPERS - Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel - The US Army version of BUPERs. (qv) MOS - Military Occupational Specialty MDW - Military District of Washington. The official military designation for Washington, DC, it also covers the Pentagon, and Fort Monroe, VA, headquarters of FORCECOM (Forces Command.) NMI - No Middle Initial NIS - Naval Investigative Service - The Criminal Investigation Division of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) office of the Department of the Navy. SEAL - Sea, Air, Land Teams. Navy commando unit. SLUDJ (`sludge') Sensitive Legal (Upper Deck) Jurisdiction - Unit at NIS that deals with `special' investigations. Called the "Terminators" because once they sink their teeth into a case, they don't let go until they get a conviction. UCMJ - Uniform Code of Military Justice - The laws of the military, which supersede civilian law when a member of the US military is involved, especially in a war zone.