Rod Brogan

When political tensions mount in a small Central American country with the threat of a military coup, the Major and Lt. Holowachuk are put on stand-by for a top-secret military mission that would ship them out at a moment's notice. At home, his family is puzzled by his strange and overly attentive behavior. Unaware that Mac must stay close to the base, Polly cannot understand why he refuses to go to their friends' going-away-party.

Mac is more than pleased to introduce Chip, the son of an old Marine buddy, to Elizabeth. He is thrilled when Elizabeth and Chip instantly like each other...that is until Mac comes downstairs to find Elizabeth and Chip kissing. Elizabeth feels that Mac was unfair when he threw Chip out of the house, and Polly is caught in the crossfire. Mac argues that teenage boys have only one thing on their mind, and he ends the discussion by forbidding Elizabeth to see Chip.

Mac asks Lt. Holowachuk to take over teaching an Ambush class, the same day that the lieutenant is secretly putting together the Major's first surprise birthday party. Sgt. James agrees to teach the class, enabling Holowachuk to get the cake and decorate the gym for the evening's festivities. Unfortunately, Mac finds out that Holowachuk passed off his assignment to Sgt. James, forcing him to take disciplinary action against the lieutenant. Holowachuk is assigned to be Officer of the Day, which confines him to the office for 24 hours and forces him to miss the party.

The Major bids a fond farewell to his friends at the base -- and to his military career -- when he accepts a position as Vice President of Product Relations for Intellitech Defense, acting as liaison between the company and the U.S. Defense Dept. in Washington, D.C. The Major and his new superior Tom Eagleton, give a presentation to Congressman Rodman on the new amphibious assault vehicle. Unknown to Eagleton, Mac has put together his own presentation wherein he has made the vehicle safer by installing special windshield wipers. When Rodman steps out to take a telephone call, Eagleton admonishes Mac to keep quiet and simply to push the product. Mac realizes that Intellitech does not want his knowledge and expertise -- but an image and a "yes" man.

The Major asks Elizabeth to accompany him to the Marine Corps' annual father-daughter dance and is thrilled when she accepts. However, later that day, Mac is visited by his old friend Major "Buddy" Hargrove; who explains that due to cutbacks, if Mac wants to stay in the Corps, he has to get promoted. And if Mac wants a promotion, he must accept either Officer in Charge of Bushmasters' School in Okinawa or instructor at the Command and Staff College in Quantico, Virginia. The job in the Bushmasters' School has been Mac's lifelong dream, yet he agrees to take the job in Quantico because it would be easier on Polly and the girls.

The Major is basking in his hero's welcome home until Merilee warns him that the royal treatment at home may be an elaborate cover-up. She is telling him that if the niceties that Polly and the girls are exhibiting escalate, it may be a sign they are harboring hidden resentment toward the mission, and it could even lead to divorce. While Mac tries to get them to open up about what may be an unspoken resentment from being left behind, Polly and the girls work even harder to keep their real feelings from him. Mac's concern deepens when Polly makes reservations for a night at the Playa Del Sol Hotel for them.