"The Presidential Medal of Freedom?" Jack asked in surprise.
He wasn't surprised to see Rossi in Dana Moger's office again after four weeks, but he wasn't sure what the medal he was talking about was.
Rossi corrected him with a smile, "It's the Distinguished Presidential Medal of Freedom, with an additional blue ribbon, but medals of this rank only account for approximately 4% of all Presidential Medals of Freedom awarded.
The last recipient was Pope John Paul II, and that was nearly 20 years ago."
Jack raised his hand to signal him to wait, then pulled out his phone and Googled it, only to learn that the medal Rossi was referring to is considered one of the highest honors a civilian (non-military) can receive.
The only medal comparable to the Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Congressional Gold Medal, but the latter's process is extremely complex, requiring a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to initiate and submit to the relevant committees for review.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom's process is relatively simple, and the President can make the final decision.
Over a month had passed since the VX missile crisis at Alcatraz Island, and the aftermath had gradually subsided.
General Hammer was court-martialed. Perhaps to calm the troops, or for other reasons, or perhaps even because of Jack's testimony,
the veteran was ultimately sentenced to only 20 years in prison. The "wronged" Congress chose to keep the matter quiet.
The conflict between the military and Congress was long-standing, and Jack, now well-connected, no longer needed to be a sycophant to the Congress.
On the contrary, a newly elected female senator frequently rushed to warm his bed, and such servitude was considered a form of boudoir pleasure.
Therefore, Jack ultimately chose to tell the truth, submitting as testimony the conversation he overheard outside the guardhouse. General Hammer's explicit refusal to launch the VX missile played a crucial role in the final verdict.
After all, the general was a Marine Corps officer, and as everyone knows, the Marines were the only military unit that the president could deploy without congressional approval, making them crucial in the war on terrorism, which could be deployed at any time and anywhere.
While this claim isn't entirely accurate, historically, there's never been a president who's bypassed Congress and privately mobilized troops.
After all, the US isn't a makeshift government like the Great Universe, prone to incidents like "airlifting" troops into a mutiny or the president rebelling.
Unlike Jack's previous life, before someone traveled through time, the US had shifted its strategy from post-Cold War counterterrorism to traditional great power competition, engaging in fierce conflict with a major Eastern power in various fields. First-, second-, and third-class individuals were once again valued and their status was quite solid.
However, the international situation in this converged world continued to operate according to the same old rules, and the war on terror raged on, seemingly with no end in sight.
Therefore, the Marine Corps, with its flexible deployment and ease of use, remained highly valued, subtly challenging the "third-class" Army.
General Hammer had caused a major setback for "Marun," but the cause was a long-standing issue within the military, which could also be considered a case of cause and effect.
While the military was cracking down on the "fourth-class" individuals, it also seized the opportunity to antagonize Congress. The military tribunal's lenient sentence was a disguised demonstration.
Jack was somewhat bewildered by the complex web of relationships involved, but thankfully, none of it concerned him. After all, as an FBI agent, he had played a crucial role in turning the tide in this incident, and Congress wouldn't take its anger out on him personally.
If San Francisco were bombed by a VX missile, causing massive civilian casualties, not only would the military and the "Marine" be in tatters, but even the senators who convened the hearing and rejected General Hammer's plea for his fallen soldiers would be equally culpable.
Some events, only after they occur, will the high-ranking officials be moved to make small changes, and this is true everywhere.
Goolsby, fresh off his honeymoon, had also received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Unlike Jack's, his medal lacked the word "distinguished," but its value was no less significant.
It's likely that every SEAL will have a Navy Cross, and Jason might even receive the Navy Medal of Honor from Congress. The military will only be more generous to its own people.
"So you flew all the way from Los Angeles to New York just to inform me that I received a medal?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"Of course, it's a great honor." Rossi winked cunningly.
Jack thought he was talking nonsense, "Come on, let's get down to business."
Rossi knew that his beloved disciple didn't care about such things, so he smiled and talked about the real purpose of his trip.
"The Department of the Navy hopes to get assistance from the FBI. Their Criminal Investigation Bureau has been overloaded for a long time, and the field agents haven't had a vacation in a long time."
"NCIS is too busy?" Jack expressed his disbelief. Jethro Gibbs was not the kind of person who would easily ask for help.
"Yesterday, a car bomb exploded outside an office building in the Navy compound. The news is still under lockdown, but NCIS is currently struggling to cope."
Rossi's words startled Jack. "The NCIS office was bombed? Who did it? Was anyone injured?"
The smile faded from Rossi's face, and the old man nodded solemnly. "The exterior wall of the building was severely damaged. There were many casualties in the Navy Department, including some minor injuries in Gibbs' field team.
However, their crime lab was less damaged, and your goth lover was not injured."
"Abby was just my high school classmate. I remained a virgin until I was 20."
Jack's words, which were desperate to defend himself, made Rossi suddenly realize. "So, Ms. Anderson or Hannah, who is the lucky one?"
"Of course," Jack braked in time, almost being tricked by this old man.
"So, what did you sell our team for this time?" Jack forced a change of subject.
"It's just a collaboration," Rossi said, his face scornful of someone's excessive materialism. "The Navy hopes your team will accept cases with ambiguous jurisdictions for a longer period of time.
In exchange, the Most Wanted team won't have to worry about fuel costs for your Bombardier business jet for a few years."
"If I remember correctly, we agreed that the crew and maintenance of that business jet would be covered by the agency, so we took on the International Division cases," Jack said angrily.
"But now the International Division is officially under the jurisdiction of the New York office. In other words, your budget and theirs are now counted under the New York office's name."
Rossi looked worried about his old lover. "Just consider it a favor. It's already been negotiated. Even if you don't take them, these cases will be assigned to other teams within the agency, but NCIS would prefer you take them."
Well, their previous help had gotten them into trouble. Jack could probably guess that this request was most likely made by Gibbs, who was really calculating.
"Alright, let's just consider it as the Navy has helped us a lot before." Jack finally agreed reluctantly.
(End of this chapter)