Home Front

A captain assigns Jolene and her crew to rescue two Army Rangers. They fly into a sandstorm, which affects Jolene’s visibility and ability to control the helicopter. They find a spot to land near the Rangers, who are taking heavy enemy fire. Another helicopter returns fire as Jolene’s crew rescues the Rangers and gets them safely in the aircraft. They return to the base and hear that another helicopter crew just died near Baghdad.

In August, Lulu turns five. One morning, Michael wakes the girls and goes downstairs to watch the news. He and Betsy watch a story about a female killed in action. Betsy realizes Jolene has been lying about her situation to prevent her family from worrying. Michael then decides to take the day off and take his daughters to the beach. His decision leaves the girls speechless. They spend the whole day on the beach together. Mila arrives to join them, and Betsy is so happy she acts like a child again. In the evening, Lulu says she is scared to start kindergarten. Michael comforts her, finally realizing how much his words matter and how much he let Jolene down.

September is particularly bloody in Iraq. Jolene and Tami receive orders to rescue a Marine unit trapped by enemy fire. As Jolene begins searching for the Marines, an RPG hits her helicopter, setting it on fire. Jolene calls Mayday over the radio just before the aircraft crashes.

Michael returns home from work exhausted. After making dinner and putting the kids to bed, he realizes how lonely he feels. He watches a video Jolene made in Iraq and sees she is scared and lonely, too. He decides to write her a letter. He tried previously but was too ashamed of his behavior. In his letter, Michael admits that his father’s death has had a big impact on him and apologizes for his selfishness. He sends the letter in an email, hoping Jolene will forgive him.

Jolene wakes and calls to her crew with no answer. She sees her right arm is badly injured. The rest of her body does not respond well, but she hears gunfire and approaching footsteps. Jolene unbuckles Tami, who is unconscious and sees her friend has a serious head wound. Jolene also sees that Smitty is dead from a gaping hole in his chest. She tries to get Tami and Jamie out of the helicopter, but the pain from her right leg causes her to vomit. She drags Tami outside, and the helicopter explodes. Something hits Jolene as she lies across Tami, and she thinks about her family as she passes out.

As Michael stands at his kitchen window, an official-looking vehicle turns into his driveway and approaches his house. He answers the door and immediately asks Captain Lomand if Jolene is dead. Lomand explains that Jolene’s helicopter crashed a few hours ago and that she is on her way to an American hospital in Germany. He does not know anything about Tami other than that she is alive.

Lomand leaves, and Michael thinks about Jolene’s condition and the possibility of living without her. He goes to Betsy’s room, where she and Lulu watch a video of Jolene reading a story. Michael holds his daughters and tells them of Jolene’s accident. The girls cry for some time but then talk about Jolene’s strength. Mila arrives two hours later to help comfort her family. Someone from the Red Cross calls and tells Michael that Jolene is alive and stable. When Michael hangs up, he sees Carl standing on the dock. He walks out to him, and Carl says Tami is in critical condition. Michael returns to his house and sees an email from Jolene. He reads it and notices Jolene only references their daughters. Michael tells Mila that he told Jolene he did not love her before she left. Mila then shares a challenging experience from her marriage and reassures him that they can be happy again.

The next morning, Michael wakes to the doorbell. Three of Jolene’s coworkers offer their service and support. He takes them to the living room, and the doorbell rings again. Four military wives give Michael a casserole and a bag of groceries. They then enter the house and make breakfast. Later, a news station arrives, but Michael refuses to speak to the reporter.

As Jolene regains consciousness, she thinks she is in Seattle. She quickly realizes she is intubated and cannot speak. Her panic rises as she remembers the crash. A doctor administers more sedatives into her IV, and Jolene goes unconscious again.

When Jolene wakes again, she is no longer intubated but does not know where she is. Her right arm is in a cast, and her right leg is swollen, black, and shattered. A machine works constantly to pull the infection out of her leg. Captain Sands enters the room, and Jolene immediately asks him about her crew. He says Tami is upstairs in the ICU. Jamie is also alive, but Smitty died in the crash. Sands tells Jolene that they are concerned about gangrene in her leg and that she will go into surgery for her hand later that day.

Carl and Michael arrive in Frankfurt, Germany, and a soldier escorts them to the hospital. When no one will tell Michael where Jolene is, he finds her room number himself. Michael watches Jolene wake from a nightmare. She feels guilty for what happened to her crew, and as she falls asleep again, she sees Michael watching her. The smell from Jolene’s leg almost makes Michael sick, but he regains control. He apologizes for bursting in on her, and Jolene says that he was right about it being too late to save their relationship. She increases her morphine and falls asleep.

Captain Sands tells Michael that Jolene might lose her leg and some function in her hand. Michael goes to the ICU, and Carl explains that Tami is in a coma from a severe head injury and might not wake up. He goes to a house for the families of wounded soldiers, where he calls home and updates Betsy without sharing how bad the situation is. After talking briefly to Lulu and Mila, Michael falls asleep. The next morning, when Jolene starts to wake, Michael feels her forehead and calls for a nurse, telling her that Jolene has a fever. The room explodes with activity, and Sands takes Jolene immediately into surgery.

Jolene dreams of the helicopter crash and wakes up screaming. She looks down and sees her damaged leg is gone from the knee down. She screams into her pillow in grief. Michael touches her face, and she reminds him that he wanted a divorce. He says he loves her and was stupid before. Michael’s words mean nothing to Jolene. She tells him to go home and get the house ready to accommodate the loss of her leg. When he kisses her cheek, she tells him to go away.

Twenty-four hours later, Jolene is in a wheelchair on her way to the ICU to visit Tami. A nurse pushes her into Tami’s room, leaving her with Carl. He tells Jolene that it is impossible to know what will happen to Tami. Jolene looks at her friend’s bruised and swollen face and apologizes to her, telling her about Jamie and Smitty, her injuries, and her home. Jolene tells Carl she is going home soon, and he says Tami would want her to.

Jolene returns to her room. Michael arrives and reasserts that he loves her, but Jolene no longer cares. She insists he goes home to care for Betsy and Lulu, who need him. Michael reluctantly agrees.

On the plane, Michael admits that he is running away, just as he did after his father’s death. He also feels guilty, wondering if he was the cause of Jolene’s injuries. As he drives home from the airport, Michael sees yellow ribbons honoring Jolene and Tami. He enters his house and embraces Mila, admitting that Jolene asked him to go home. She tells him he made a mistake by leaving but encourages him to do all he can to prepare for his wife’s homecoming. Michael then goes upstairs to tell the girls about Jolene’s amputation and recovery. Betsy becomes angry, calling her parents liars before storming out of the room.

Jamie visits Jolene in her room. He tells her the crash was not her fault and commends her for getting Tami out of the helicopter. Jamie says he is returning to Iraq and that Jolene is a hero.

Jolene wakes in her room and sees a woman named Leah sitting in a chair. Leah explains she is a morale officer who lost both legs working with a Marine combat unit. She promises Jolene that she will be herself again, but Jolene refuses to believe it.