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Harmon Rabb, Junior   Service Record    
Harmon Rabb, Junior
Harmon Rabb
First
appearance

A New Life (September 23, 1995)
Last
appearance

Fair Winds and Following Seas (April 29, 2005)
Portrayed by

David James Elliott
Information
Rank Captain
Gender Male
Occupation Naval aviator, JAG lawyer

Captain Harmon "Harm" Rabb, Junior, JAGC, USN, was a naval aviator and is a lawyer in the US Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps.

Service History[]

Harmon Rabb, Junior. was born on October 25, 1963 in La Jolla, California to naval aviator, Lieutenant Harmon Rabb, Sr., USN and Patricia Reed. Rabb was a third generation aviator. His grandfather was killed flying off the USS Hornet in 1942 during the Second World War.

During the Vietnam War, his father flew F-4 Phantoms off the USS Ticonderoga, the successor to the Second World War carrier. On Christmas Eve 1969 while flying an Iron Hand mission, Harmon Rabb, Sr. was shot down over North Vietnam and was considered MIA. Harm's mother went on to happily remarry to Frank Burnett, a senior VP of Chrysler Corporation.

When he was 16, Harm went to Laos to look for his father together with Colonel Francis Stryker. Years later, Harm was able to trace his father's fate. After he was shot down, Harmon Rabb, Sr. was taken to Russia, escaped from his captors, was involved with a Russian woman (producing one son), and was killed protecting her from Russian soldiers in 1980. Harm met his half-brother, Sergei Zhukov a helicopter pilot of the Russian Army (played by Jade Carter), who was accused of selling weapons to Chechen rebels. Sergei was later shot down and captured by Chechnya rebels.

Nearly every Christmas, Harm visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Christmas Eve to pay tribute to his father. Once, he met a Jenny Lake who was present on the USS Ticonderoga when his father was shot down. In another Christmas, he invited one of his father's former squadron buddy Rear Admiral Thomas Boone to the wall. Another year, Harm was surprised by Clayton Webb bringing his half-brother Sergei to see him at the wall, after Webb exchanged two trucks of wheat for Sergei's freedom from Chechnya.

His service number is #989548301. ("The Prisoner" airdate May 8, 1996) During his early naval career, Harm flew F-14 Tomcat fighters. After an accident during a night landing on an aircraft carrier, in which his Radar Intercept Officer dies, it is discovered that Harm suffers from night blindness (although in this is later proved to be a mis-diagnosis). After graduating from law school at Georgetown University and passing his bar exam, he was transferred to JAG. After a few years as a Judge Advocate, he goes through laser photoablation surgery to correct what was misdiagnosed as night blindness (actually Blurred Vision as a result of retinal scarring caused by toxoplasmosis) and resumes his career as a naval aviator. Because of the low chance of him ever progressing further in his career as an aviator, Harm returned to JAG Headquarters after six months of service aboard the USS Patrick Henry. While on the USS Patrick Henry his call sign was "Pappy" because he was older than the other aviators. Later the other pilots re-named him "Hammer", because that was his father's call sign and that they thought that Rabb's father would have been impressed by his son's bravery. This was after he and Lieutenant Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes pushed an F-14 out of hostile territory.

In 2003 Rabb was accused of killing Lieutenant Loren Singer whose body was found by a young boy scout. After being charged with her death, Rabb wound up in the brig and was defended by Lieutenant Commander Faith Coleman.

Though NCIS Agent Gibbs initially thought Rabb was the culprit, his opinion changed over the course of the investigation after NCIS Agent Anthony DiNozzo found the proof that exonerated the Commander.

While serving at JAG, Harm still kept up to date with his flight status. At one point, after being denied leave from his commanding officer, Rear Admiral A. J. Chegwidden, to rescue Mac, Harm resigned his commission from the Navy. He had a short stint working for the CIA before being fired.

While flying for the CIA, Harm landed a C-130 Hercules on the aircraft carrier USS Seahawk. Additionally, while working for this other branch of the government, Harm was certified in several different types of aircraft including the F/A 18 and C-130 among others. Harm was subsequently reinstated into the Navy and once again served at JAG Headquarters.

In 2005, after he was promoted to the rank of Captain, he and his longtime partner, Sarah MacKenzie were each assigned to new posts, London and San Diego, respectively. The two became engaged, and both decided to be fair on who would remain with their career in service and who would retire. A coin tosss was made and Harm lost the coin toss. After living completely separate lives for to long they broke up. He hasn’t seen her in nine years. He became the Executive officer (XO) of the USS Allegiance an aircraft carrier.

Dates of Promotion[]

  • Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in episode 1.13 Defensive Action (original air date, March 20, 1996)
  • Promoted to Commander in episode 5.9 Contemptuous Words (original air date, November 23, 1999)
  • Promoted to Captain in episode 10.21 Dream Team (original air date, April 22, 2005) and authorized under United States Code to assume the rank before official "pay grade" promotion by Major General Gordon Cresswell.

Partners[]

  • Lieutenant, Junior Grade / Commander Caitlin Pike, USN (Andrea Parker) - left during the first season, she returned to guest in season 6 episode "Touch and Go".
  • Lieutenant, Junior Grade Meg Austin, USN (Tracey Needham) - Partnered with Harm for the entire Season 1, left after 1st season when JAG was first canceled by NBC.
  • Lieutenant Commander Tracy Manetti, USN (Tamlyn Tomita) - Harm's partner for seven episodes in season 8.
  • Lieutenant Elizabeth "Skates" Hawkes (who served as his RIO) in Season 5 and Season 7.
  • Major/Lieutenant Colonel Sarah 'Mac' MacKenzie, USMC (Catherine Bell) - Harm's long-time partner, best friend, and later on fiancée.

Awards and decorations[]

  • Naval Aviator insignia
  • Silver Star
  • Distinguished Flying Cross with one service star
  • Combat Action Ribbon
  • Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
  • National Defense Service Medal with one service star
  • Southwest Asia Service Medal with one service star
  • Kosovo Campaign with one service star
  • Distinguished Flying Cross with one service star (second)
  • Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
  • Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
  • Order of the Crown, 5th Class (Romania)


Note: In Season 1, Harm was given the Southwest Asia Service Medal which later included Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).

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