Harmon 'Harm' Rabb, Jr. is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
and
lead role
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typic ...
in the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
television series ''
JAG''. The character was created by
Donald P. Bellisario
Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980), ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' (1982), ''Airwolf'' (1984), ''Quan ...
, as a
work for hire
A work made for hire (work for hire or WFH), in copyright law in the United States, is a work that is subject to copyright and is created by employees as part of their job or some limited types of works for which all parties agree in writing to the ...
for
Paramount Television
The original incarnation of Paramount Television was the name of the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, that was responsible for the production of Viacom television programs, until it changed its name ...
, in the script for the ''JAG''
pilot episode
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
, which was filmed and then aired by
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
on
September 23, 1995.
Harm is introduced as a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
serving as a
judge advocate
Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions.
Australia
The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that provi ...
, but it is revealed that he has a background as a
naval aviator
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
. The viewer follows his naval career and personal life from that point as the series progresses. With the longevity of ''JAG'', plenty of information on his past life and previous military service is given at various points in the series. ''JAG'' ended its ten-year run on
April 29, 2005.
Role in ''JAG''
Youth and family
Harmon Rabb, Jr. was born on October 25, 1963, in
La Jolla
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781.
La Jolla is surrounded on ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
to
naval aviator
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
Lieutenant Harmon Rabb, Sr.
USN
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
(played in flashbacks by
David James Elliott
David James Elliott (born September 21, 1960) is a Canadian actor who was the star of the series ''JAG (TV series), JAG'', playing lead character Harmon Rabb, Harmon Rabb Jr. from 1995 to 2005.
Early life
Elliott was born David William Smith on S ...
, with a moustache) and Patricia Reed (
Christina Pickles
Christina Pickles (born 17 February 1935) is a British-American actress. She is known for her role as Nurse Helen Rosenthal in the NBC medical drama '' St. Elsewhere'' (1982–1988), for which she received five nominations for the Primetime Em ...
).
Harm is a third generation aviator as his paternal grandfather was
killed in action flying off the
USS ''Hornet'' (CV-8) in 1942 during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, his father flew
F-4 Phantoms
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and B ...
off the
USS ''Ticonderoga'' and
USS ''Hornet'' (CV-12).
On
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...
1969, while flying an
Iron Hand mission, Harmon Rabb, Sr. was shot down over
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
and was considered
MIA
Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to:
Music Artists
* M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer
* M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California
* MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997
* Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...
.
Harm's mother went on to happily remarry Frank Burnett (
Jon Cypher
Jon Cypher (born January 13, 1932) is an American actor and singer. He is best known as playing Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels in ''Hill Street Blues'' throughout the series' run. He is also known for his work in ''Cinderella'', ''As the World Tu ...
), a senior VP of
Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
Corporation.
When he was 16, Harm went to
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
to look for his father together with
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
Francis Stryker.
Many years later, Harm was able to determine his father's fate: after he was shot down, Harmon Rabb, Sr. was taken to the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, escaped from his captors, was involved with a Russian woman, and was killed protecting her from Soviet soldiers attempting to rape her in 1980.
Later on, Harm met his half-brother,
Sergeant Sergei Zhukov (Jade Carter) a helicopter pilot in the
Russian Army
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...
, who was accused of selling weapons to
Chechen rebels. Sergei was later shot down and captured by
Chechen rebels.
Nearly every Christmas Eve, Harm is shown visiting the
Vietnam Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a List of national memorials of the United States, U.S. national memorial in Washington D.C., Washington, D.C., honoring service members of the Military of the United States, U.S. armed forces who served in the V ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to pay tribute to his father. In one episode, he met Jenny Lake (played by
Catherine Bell) who was present on the USS ''Ticonderoga'' when his father was shot down (and had been the fiancée of a Marine aviator who was
KIA
Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...
).
On another Christmas Eve, he invited one of his father's former squadron buddies
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
Thomas Boone (
Terry O'Quinn
Terrance Quinn (born July 15, 1952), known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He played John Locke on the TV series ''Lost'', the title role in '' The Stepfather'' and ''Stepfather II'', and Peter Watts in ''Millennium'', w ...
) to the Wall. Another year, Harm was surprised by
Clayton Webb (
Steven Culp
Steven Bradford Culp (born December 3, 1955) is an American actor. Culp appeared in films '' Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday'' (1993), ''James and the Giant Peach'' (1996), ''The Emperor's Club'' (2002), and most notably in the 2000 politica ...
) bringing his half-brother Sergei to see him at the Wall, after Webb exchanged two boxcars of
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
for Sergei's freedom in
Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
.
Service (on ''JAG'')
Harmon Rabb, Jr. graduated from the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
at
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
;
and although never stated in canon, judging by his birth year and other dates made explicit, it must have been in the latter half of the 1980s. His service number is #989548301.
During his early naval career, Harm was a
naval aviator
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...
flying
F-14 Tomcats. On April 16, 1989, while flying an F-14 Tomcat to enforce a
no-fly zone
A no-fly zone, also known as a no-flight zone (NFZ), or air exclusion zone (AEZ), is a territory or area established by a military power over which certain aircraft are not permitted to fly. Such zones are usually set up in an enemy power's te ...
in the
Gulf of Sidra
The Gulf of Sidra ( ar, خليج السدرة, Khalij as-Sidra, also known as the Gulf of Sirte ( ar, خليج سرت, Khalij Surt, is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or ...
, after he and his
wingman
A wingman (or wingmate) is a pilot or UAV who supports another pilot in a potentially dangerous flying environment. ''Wingman'' was originally the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation.
According to th ...
were attacked, Harm shot down a
Libyan Air Force
The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
MiG-23
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-23; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generatio ...
, disabled another, and forced the third one to return to its base.
He served aboard the aircraft carrier
USS ''Midway'' at some point.
After an accident during a night landing on an
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
, in which his
RIO
Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or Río may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
(Radar Intercept Officer) dies, it is revealed Harm suffers from
night blindness
Nyctalopia (; ), also called night-blindness, is a condition making it difficult or impossible to see in relatively low light. It is a symptom of several eye diseases. Night blindness may exist from birth, or be caused by injury or malnutrition ( ...
, he recovered on his grandmother's farm in Pennsylvania, before returning to naval service. After graduating from law school at
Georgetown University Law Center
The Georgetown University Law Center (Georgetown Law) is the law school of Georgetown University, a private research university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law school in the United States by enrollment and ...
and passing his
bar exam
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
Australia
Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...
, he transferred to the
Judge Advocate General's Corps
The Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, is the military justice branch or specialty of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called judg ...
(JAG). During his time at JAG, he trained with
Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy, U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Wa ...
and
Marine Force Recon
Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) is one of the United States Marine Corps' special operations capable forces (SOC) which supplies military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Force Reconnaissance com ...
at
close-quarters combat
Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections officers ...
,
Halo jumps, and other
special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
tactics.
One of his most memorable moments was, in his zealous prosecution of a Navy SEAL
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.
Canada
"Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi ...
, he fired an automatic weapon into the courtroom ceiling.
Other notable cases Rabb was involved in include going undercover as a
Force Recon
Force Reconnaissance (FORECON) is one of the United States Marine Corps' special operations capable forces (SOC) which supplies military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). Force Reconnaissance compa ...
Gunnery Sergeant,
and investigating whether the actions of Navy SEAL
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
Curtis Rivers (
Montel Williams
Montel Brian Anthony Williams (born July 3, 1956) is an American television host, actor and motivational speaker. He is known for hosting the long-running daytime tabloid talk show ''The Montel Williams Show'', which ran in syndication from 1991 ...
) warrants the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
.
After a few years as a Judge Advocate, he had laser surgery to correct what was misdiagnosed as night blindness (actually blurred vision as a result of retinal scarring caused by service action
) and resumed his career as a naval aviator, flying F-14s off the USS ''Patrick Henry'' (CVN-74) as a member of VF-218 "Raptors".
However, because of the slim chance of career advancement as an aviator, Harm returned to JAG after six months of service aboard ''Patrick Henry''. While in the aviation squadron, his call sign was "Pappy" because he was older than the other aviators. Later, the other pilots renamed him "Hammer", his father's former call sign, believing Rabb's father would have been impressed by his son's bravery.
In 2002, Harm and Mac prosecutes a high-ranking
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
member captured by US Forces in Afghanistan in a
military tribunal
Military justice (also military law) is the legal system (bodies of law and procedure) that governs the conduct of the active-duty personnel of the armed forces of a country. In some nation-states, civil law and military law are distinct bodie ...
.
In the season 8 episodes "
Ice Queen" and "Meltdown"—the
backdoor pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
for ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to:
Law enforcement
* National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
''—Rabb is accused of killing Lieutenant
Loren Singer
Loren Adelson Singer (March 5, 1923, – December 19, 2009) was an American novelist, known best for his 1970 political thriller ''The Parallax View'', which was made as a successful 1974 movie, of the same name.Grimes, William"Loren Singer ...
(
Nanci Chambers
Nanci Chambers is a Canadian-born American actress.
Biography
Chambers is perhaps best known for her role as the ambitious Lieutenant Loren Singer on the television series '' JAG''. Chambers has been a board member of the organisation "A Bette ...
). He was defended by
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
Faith Coleman (
Alicia Coppola
Alicia Coppola is an American actress. She became known for playing Lorna Devon in the soap opera '' Another World'' from 1991 to 1994. Afterwards, she made regular and guest star appearances in various television series, notably ''Jericho'' an ...
). Though NCIS Special Agent
Leroy Jethro Gibbs
Leroy Jethro Gibbs is a fictional character and the original protagonist of the CBS TV series '' NCIS'', portrayed by Mark Harmon. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper turned special agent who commands a team for the Naval Criminal I ...
(
Mark Harmon
Thomas Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor. He is most famous for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs in '' NCIS''. He also appeared in a wide variety of roles since the early 1970s. After spending the majority of ...
) initially thinks he is the culprit, Gibbs later becomes convinced of his innocence, but it is Special Agent
DiNozzo (
Michael Weatherly
Michael Manning Weatherly Jr. (born July 8, 1968) is an American actor, producer, director, and musician, known for playing the roles of Anthony DiNozzo in the television series '' NCIS'' (2003–2016) and Logan Cale in '' Dark Angel'' (2000–20 ...
) who finds the proof exonerating him.
While serving at JAG, Rabb still kept his flight status current. At one point, after being denied leave by his commanding officer, Rear Admiral
Chegwidden, to rescue Mac, Rabb resigned his commission from the Navy. He had a short stint working as an employee for the
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
. While flying for the CIA, Harm landed a
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
aboard the
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
''USS Seahawk''. While working for the CIA, Rabb was certified in several different types of aircraft including the
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
and the classified
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
;
however he was fired from CIA because his landing of a C-130 on an aircraft carrier was filmed by a
ZNN crew.
Rabb was subsequently reinstated into the Navy by SECNAV and once again served at JAG Headquarters.
After being fired from the CIA and before being reinstated into the Navy, Harm worked as a crop-duster for Grace Aviation in
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 44,826 at the 2020 census. Blacksburg, as well as the surrounding county, is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of V ...
.
He became friends with and eventually took in Grace Avionics' owner, 14-year-old
Mattie Grace Johnson (
Hallee Hirsh
Hallee Leah Hirsh (born 1987/1988) is an American actress perhaps best known for her roles as Mattie Grace Johnson on '' JAG'', Daley in the children's series ''Flight 29 Down'', and as the adolescent and young adult Rachel Greene on '' ER''.
...
). She lived with him for almost a year while her father, Tom Johnson, sobered up. In 2005, Harm was devastated when Mattie was critically injured in a plane crash.
In the final episode, Harm and Mac decided to get married; also, each was offered a career promotion, but to different locations; Harm was offered the position of Force Judge Advocate at
Naval Forces Europe and to be stationed in London, while Mac was to lead the Joint Legal Services Center Southwest out of
Naval Base San Diego
Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, cons ...
. They decided to leave to fate which one of them would retire from the service and had Bud flip a coin. The outcome was never shown,
and the career status of either remained unknown until 2019.
Post ''JAG'' activities
During the
fourteenth season premiere episode of ''
NCIS NCIS or N.C.I.S. may refer to:
Law enforcement
* National Criminal Intelligence Service, the predecessor to the Serious Organised Crime Agency of the United Kingdom
* Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a United States law enforcement and intelli ...
'', Special Agent
Timothy McGee
Timothy Farragut "Tim" McGee () is a fictional character from the CBS television series '' NCIS''. He is portrayed by Sean Murray. McGee specializes in cybersecurity and computer crime, and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and MIT.
Mur ...
(
Sean Murray Sean Murray may refer to:
* Sean Murray (field hockey) (born 1997), Lisnagarvey player and senior Ireland international
* Sean Murray (footballer, born 1993), Dundalk FC player and Irish youth international
* Sean Murray (Gaelic footballer), Dubli ...
) asks Captain
Bud Roberts
Bud J. Roberts Jr. is a fictional character in the '' JAG'' TV series (played by Patrick Labyorteaux), created by Donald P. Bellisario as a work-for-hire for Paramount Television.
Bud Roberts made two appearances in the first season of ''JAG'' ...
(
Patrick Labyorteaux
Patrick Francis Labyorteaux (born July 22, 1965) is an American actor, television producer and television writer. In many of his earlier credits, his last name is spelled as "Laborteaux". He is best known for his roles of Andrew "Andy" Garvey on ...
) about Harm and Mac, but Bud is interrupted before he can answer the question.
Harm appears in the final two episodes of the
tenth season of ''
NCIS: Los Angeles'' as the
executive officer (XO) of the aircraft carrier, USS ''Allegiance'' (CVN-84).
Mac also made a guest appearance in the season 10 finale of ''NCIS: Los Angeles''.
While Harm left the Navy and followed Mac to San Diego after losing the coin flip, he ended up being drawn back into service sometime later, and they mutually ended their relationship. They had not seen each other for nine years until video conferencing with each other in their new roles.
Harm and Mac then met in person in the
season 11 premiere, where they shared an embrace and later renewed discussion of their relationship, once again without reaching any conclusions.
Awards and decorations
Rabb was awarded a
Silver Star
The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...
for leading a
nuclear missile
Nuclear weapons delivery is the technology and systems used to place a nuclear weapon at the position of detonation, on or near its target. Several methods have been developed to carry out this task.
''Strategic'' nuclear weapons are used primari ...
, launched from an
Iranian
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran
* Iranian lan ...
diesel submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
used by
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
and with a
mercenary
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
Russian submarine crew, away from the USS ''Seahawk'' in an
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic aircraft, supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experi ...
at the end of the seventh season.
He was given the decoration in a ceremony taking place at JAG HQ in the middle of the eighth season.
Rabb received his first
Distinguished Flying Cross at the start of the second season in a ceremony at the
White House Rose Garden
The White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., United States. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide ( by , or about 684m²). It balances the Jacquel ...
by President
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
for saving the injured
CAG, Captain Thomas Boone (
Terry O'Quinn
Terrance Quinn (born July 15, 1952), known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He played John Locke on the TV series ''Lost'', the title role in '' The Stepfather'' and ''Stepfather II'', and Peter Watts in ''Millennium'', w ...
), of the USS ''Seahawk'' after the modified F-14 Tomcat they were flying was damaged by
flak
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
during an
ATARS
Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) is a system for image acquisition, data storage, and data link used by the United States Marine Corps on its F/A-18D Hornet aircraft. It consists of the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaiss ...
run prior to an
alpha strike in the pilot episode.
This incident also earned Rabb the respect of a former shipmate and prompted him to start wearing his wings again.
He received his second Distinguished Flying Cross in the fifth season for pushing his
wingman
A wingman (or wingmate) is a pilot or UAV who supports another pilot in a potentially dangerous flying environment. ''Wingman'' was originally the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation.
According to th ...
to safety by using his wingman's
tailhook
A tailhook, arresting hook, or arrester hook is a device attached to the empennage (rear) of some military fixed-wing aircraft. The hook is used to achieve rapid deceleration during routine landings aboard aircraft carrier flight decks at sea ...
and his F-14's windscreen while flying over
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
.
Rabb was awarded the
Order of the Crown by
King Josif of Romania (
Michael Des Barres
Michael Philip Des Barres (born 24 January 1948), the 26th Marquis Des Barres, is an English actor and rock singer. He appeared as Murdoc in the original ''MacGyver'', Nicholas Helman, Murdoc's mentor, on the new reboot of ''MacGyver'' (2016) ...
) in the second season for saving the King and his daughter Princess Alexandra (
Kiersten Warren
Kiersten Nicolla Dale Warren is an American actress. Her best known roles include Alex Tabor on '' Saved by the Bell: The College Years'' and Nora Huntington on ''Desperate Housewives''.
Life and career
Warren is the mother of actress Misti T ...
) from an assassin (
Nanci Chambers
Nanci Chambers is a Canadian-born American actress.
Biography
Chambers is perhaps best known for her role as the ambitious Lieutenant Loren Singer on the television series '' JAG''. Chambers has been a board member of the organisation "A Bette ...
) while the King was in Washington, D.C. to announce Romania's application for
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
membership.
Personal life
Harmon Rabb, Jr. lives in a small
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
loft apartment north of
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
that he renovated himself.
During the first few seasons of ''JAG'', he smokes
Cuban cigars
Cuban cigars are cigars manufactured in Cuba from tobacco grown within that island nation. Historically regarded as among the world's “finest”, they are synonymous with the island's culture and contribute nearly one quarter of the value of al ...
occasionally but then later quit as he did not like being addicted to them. He owned a classic red 1969
Corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
, but it was stolen; he would later recover the car frame. He later "rebuilt" it (the steering wheel was all he had left from his original car) with help from his friend Commander
Sturgis Turner
Commander Peter Ulysses "Sturgis" Turner JAGC, USN, played by Scott Lawrence, is a fictional character in the American Television series '' JAG''.
Biography
Sturgis is a good friend and former Naval Academy classmate of Harm. He served on subma ...
, whom he met during their academy days, Harm once thought the car had been stolen, but Sturgis had taken it from his garage to get a new top placed onto it. Later, it suffered damage from a collision with an old woman attempting insurance fraud.
Harm owns a vintage
Boeing-Stearman Model 75
The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known ...
plane that he named "Sarah" after his paternal grandmother.
He likes to take friends up flying when he's not working.
Rabb likes
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
s,
organic
Organic may refer to:
* Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity
* Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ
Chemistry
* Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
noodle
Noodles are a type of food made from unleavened dough which is either rolled flat and cut, stretched, or extruded, into long strips or strings. Noodles are a staple food in many cultures (for example, Chinese noodles, Filipino noodles, Indo ...
s (he eats at Ho's Organic Noodles) and
Thai food
Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand.
Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Thai ...
. Rabb does not own a television and plays
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
to relax at home.
Rabb has several girlfriends throughout the series, but by the end of the final season, he and Mac finally confront their feelings for one another.
It is later revealed in 2019 that they mutually ended their relationship, but that neither had moved on.
Conceptual history
Creator
Donald P. Bellisario
Donald Paul Bellisario (born August 8, 1935) is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series '' Magnum, P.I.'' (1980), ''Tales of the Gold Monkey'' (1982), ''Airwolf'' (1984), ''Quan ...
wanted an actor for the part of Harmon Rabb similar in the vein to that of
Tom Selleck
Thomas William Selleck (; born January 29, 1945) is an American actor. His breakout role was playing private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series ''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980–1988), for which he received five Emmy Award nominations f ...
and
Scott Bakula
Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on ''Quantum Leap'' and as Captain Jonathan Archer on ''Star Trek: Enterprise''. For ''Quantum L ...
(which he had a hand in casting for ''
Magnum, P.I.
''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...
'' and ''
Quantum Leap
''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physi ...
'', respectively).
[ Karlen, Neal.]
COVER STORY;From the Man Behind 'Magnum, P.I.,' 'Top Gun' Meets 'A Few Good Men'
", ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (November 5, 1995) For the character's nickname, and shortened form of the first name, Bellisario got it from a famous quote written by 18th century US naval hero
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
, "Give me a fast ship for I intend to go into harm's way”, which Bellisario believed befitted the man of action his male lead would become.
For the surname he got the inspiration from
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
history professor Theodore Rabb
Theodore K. Rabb (March 5, 1937 – January 7, 2019) was an American historian specializing in the early modern period of European history. He was a Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Princeton University. He was one of the lea ...
, whom he had met on a
cruise
A cruise is any travel on a cruise ship.
Cruise or Cruises may also refer to:
Tourism
* Booze cruise
* Music cruise
* River cruise
Aeronautics and aircraft
* Cruise (aeronautics), a distinct stage of an aircraft's flight
* Aviasouz Cruise, a R ...
in the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
while he wrote the pilot.
Paramount Television Group chairman
Kerry McCluggage
Kerry McCluggage (born November 29, 1954) is an American television and film production executive who developed and produced such iconic shows as ''Miami Vice'', '' Cheers '', and '' Law & Order''. He served as President of Universal Television f ...
, who knew of
David James Elliott
David James Elliott (born September 21, 1960) is a Canadian actor who was the star of the series ''JAG (TV series), JAG'', playing lead character Harmon Rabb, Harmon Rabb Jr. from 1995 to 2005.
Early life
Elliott was born David William Smith on S ...
from his earlier starring role on Paramount's ''
The Untouchables
Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to:
American history
* Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness
* ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley
* ''The Un ...
'' (and a recent recurring role on ''
Melrose Place
''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
'' and a guest role on ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...
''), suggested him to Bellisario as a possible lead for ''JAG'', and Bellisario (who was under contract to Paramount) made sure he was one of the actors he wanted to meet and ultimately became Elliott's champion for the part.
In February 2005, during the
tenth season series co-star David James Elliott announced his departure from the series,
[Why JAG Came to](_blank)
/ref> with Bellisario noting that "his contract was up, and we never expected it to go on. We had to cut costs. owe started doing episodes with less of David, and it became obvious to him that we were not going to renegotiate."[JAG's Star: Why He's Out](_blank)
''TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
'' (February 25, 2005) Both Catherine Bell and Chris Beetem
Chris Beetem (born Christopher Lapinski; August 8, 1969) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in films such as '' Black Hawk Down'', '' Every Day'' and '' Mr. Popper's Penguins''. Beetem is also known for his role ...
had signed on for a potential eleventh season. "'It was always intended that Catherine would be nthe show next season but lliottwould not,' says Bellisario." In April 2005, despite CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
informing Donald P. Bellisario that the series "may get picked up," ''JAG'' was cancelled. Bellisario stated that "the reason 'JAG' is not coming back is purely demographic. Nothing more," adding "it's wrong to say the show was canceled because eries co-star David James Elliottsaid he was leaving."
Reception
''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' noted in its review of the pilot episode in 1995 that "Elliott looks great in dress whites, but should display more personality if he's to be a sympathetic continuing lead" and that ''JAG'' "borrows from recent features '' Crimson Tide'' and ''Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...
'' in being jargon-heavy to help generate atmosphere but as Rabb’s character is allowed to develop, ''JAG'' could become one of the season's highlights". In its review at the start of the first season of ''JAG'', ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' noted in its review that the male lead "radiates the sort of easy, low-key confidence that makes an actor watchable week after week" and " th his square jaw, flinty eyes, and fluffy hair, David James Elliott is so gosh-darn good-looking, it's a wonder he's not just another bland pretty-boy".
The similarities in the relationship between Rabb and Mac and that of Mulder Mulder is a surname of two possible origins: Dutch and German.
It may be Dutch language occupational surname. It is an archaic Dutch word for "miller" (modern Dutch: ''molenaar''). With 38,207 people in the Netherlands named Mulder, it was the 12t ...
and Scully on ''The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' has been noted by many. ''Entertainment Weekly'' elaborated further on it: in each case it is a "hunky loner", partnered with "attractive women with whom they have a charged yet ultimately platonic relationship", each working for the U.S. Government
The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
and based in the DC metropolitan area, with seemingly "unlimited travel budgets": with the key thematic difference being that in ''JAG'' with its "red-white-and-blue patriotism" the "U.S. military is seen as a force fighting for good around the world" while the other series displays "antiauthoritarian cynicism" towards ditto.
''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' described the character of Rabb in 2001 as a "buff-bodied flying ace who packed a gun, a straight-arrow defense lawyer without the moral ambiguity of his counterparts on ''The Practice
''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in 1 ...
''". Slate characterized David James Elliott's performance during the 7th season (2001–02) as being "erratic, evasive, and wooden." Elliott won the TV Guide Award
The ''TV Guide'' Award was an annual award created by the editors of ''TV Guide'' magazine, as a readers poll to honor outstanding programs and performers in the American television industry. The awards were presented until 1964. The ''TV Guide'' A ...
in 2000 for "Favorite Male Actor in a Drama" for playing Rabb on ''JAG''.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabb, Harmon
JAG (TV series) characters
NCIS: Los Angeles characters
Fictional American lawyers
Fictional Judge Advocate General's Corps (United States) personnel
Fictional naval aviators
Fictional United States Navy officers
Fictional Central Intelligence Agency personnel
Fictional lieutenants
Fictional lieutenant commanders
Fictional commanders
Fictional military captains
Television characters introduced in 1995
Fictional Silver Star recipients
Fictional Gulf War veterans
Fictional Yugoslav War veterans
Fictional War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) veterans
Fictional Iraq War veterans
Fictional characters from San Diego
Crossover characters in television