Tip of the Spear

Colonel Kelly muss am Telefon den Tod seines Freundes Hightower miterleben. Da nun die MEU ohne Anführer ist, soll Kelly diesen Posten in Zukunft bekleiden. Ein neues Sondercorps wird zusammengestellt, und wie es der Zufall so will, treffen Ice, Spoon, Burner und Hammer wieder auf ihren alten Bekannten Kelly. Neu dazu kommen der gut aussehende Capone und die Britin Cricket. Leider wird Spoon von privaten Problemen gequält, was seine Leistungen stark beeinflusst und für Streitigkeiten in der Truppe sorgt.

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