History ArtisticLicenseMilitary / MASH

* The Points system was discontinued for personnel rotation by the late '40s, and was never used for rotation of doctors.
** According the [[http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/kw-stale/stale.htm U.S. Army Center of Military History]] “…a soldier earned four points for every month he served in close combat, two points per month for rear-echelon duty in Korea, and one point for duty elsewhere in the Far East…The Army initially stated that enlisted men needed to earn forty-three points to be eligible for rotation back to the States, while officers required fifty-five points. In June 1952 the Army reduced these requirements to thirty-six points for enlisted men and thirty-seven points for officers.”

** What makes this stranger is that he tells Radar about it. Radar, being an enlisted man, should be aware of it already and should have been awarded one by this point (the pilot is date-stamped as 1950 and this episode, "Change of Command", has a voice-over identifying it as September 1950, meaning Radar would have more than one year service during war; in 1943, eligibility was changed from three years service to one year in war, or three years otherwise).

* Frank demands and receives a Purple Heart for getting an eggshell in his eye during an artillery barrage. In real life, he would have been denied as the injury wasn't directly caused by enemy action.
** If the egg shell ended up injuring him as a result of the artillery attack, he would be eligible for the Purple Heart. The injury was superficial and didn't require medical attention. If it had, he would get a Purple Heart. I knew a guy who got a Purple Heart for having been hit in the head with a typewriter as a result of a mortar shell hitting when he was under his desk.
** Earlier, he demanded a Purple Heart for "falling" while running to the shower (actually a back spasm from bending too far dancing with Margret), and Henry approves the application. Hawkeye stole it before he could receive it to give to a Marine who lied about his age to impress his girlfriend before he was sent home. The Marine private (Walter/Wendall) would be as ineligible for the Purple Heart as Frank was. Despite having the actual medal, Walter/Wendall would have no paperwork for the medal, but Frank would, so stealing the medal and giving it to Walter/Wendall would give him possession of the medal, which may impress the girl back home, but little more.

* B.J. receives the Bronze Star for helping a chopper escape while under fire, which he hands off to another soldier for "getting out in one piece". This has the same problem as above: the soldier may have possession of B.J.'s Bronze Star, but B.J. has the paperwork and the decoration on his record and his name would be engraved on the back.

*** B.J. receives the Bronze Star for helping a chopper escape while under fire, which he hands off to another soldier for "getting out in one piece". This has the same problem as above: the soldier may have possession of B.J.'s Bronze Star, but B.J. has the paperwork and the decoration on his record and his name would be engraved on the back.

** Likewise, doctors were not automatically accepted as Captains. There were many instinces of surgeons with the rank of Lieutenant.

*** BJ receives the Bronze Star for helping a chopper escape while under fire, which he hands off to another soldier for "getting out in one piece". This has the same problem as above: the soldier may have possession of BJ's Bronze Star, but BJ has the paperwork and the decoration on his record and his name would be engraved on the back.

*** Conduct unbecoming of an officer, which covers: knowingly making a false official statement (Frank in 'The Novacaine Mutiny", Trapper in "House Arrest"); dishonorable failure to pay a debt; cheating on an exam (Radar when taking a high school-equivilency exam); opening and reading a letter of another without authority (Radar numerous times, Frank, Hawkeye); using insulting or defamatory language to another officer in that officer’s presence or about that officer to other military persons (Hawkeye and Trapper to Margret, [[WorldOfSnark everyone to everyone]]); being drunk and disorderly in a public place (Hawkeye, Trapper, BJ); public association with known prostitutes; committing or attempting to commit a crime involving moral turpitude; failing without good cause to support the officer’s family; and enlisted personnel gambling with commissioned officers.\\

** Hawkeye and BJ refuse to bathe for several days to annoy Charles, and characters suggest they would go several days between showers. Medical personnel and cooks are required by regulations to bathe daily. Given Potter's frustration over Hawkeye and BJ not showering, this is likely something even he would not ignore as both regular Army and a doctor.

* In "Bombshells", when BJ receives his Bronze Star, Potter dismisses the formation with "At Ease. Dismissed." This is illegal, as the only legal commands that can be given at ease are "Stand Easy" and "Attention", the latter being required to dismiss a formation. This is especially glaring as, unlike Henry, COL Potter was regular Army and should have at least some familiarity with drill commands.

* In "OR", Trapper narrowly prevents Frank from removing a patient's kidney, saving the soldier's life since he only has one. But a man with only one kidney would have been declared 4F and would have been denied a chance to serve in the Army. ALthough it is conceivable that he lost the other kidney as a result of a previous wound, he would have been medically discharged, not sent back to the front.

* In "Bombshells", when BJ receives his Bronze Star, Potter dismisses the formation with "At Ease. Dismissed." This is illegal, as the only legal commands that can be given at ease are "Stand Easy" and "Attention", the latter being required to dismiss a formation.

* In "Bombshells", when BJ receives his Bronze Star, Potter dismisses the formation with "At Ease. Dismissed." This is illegal, as the only legal command that can be given at ease is "Attention".
** Technically, other orders can be given from At Ease, but only ones that are less formal, such as Rest. To dismiss the formation, however, it is required to call said formation to Attention.

* In Mail Call", Hawkeye says this is his second war. But then mentions that he was drafted. If he had served in WW ll he would have had a 4A classification for prior service, making him exempt.

* In "OR", Trapper narrowly prevents Frank from removing a patient's kidney, saving the soldier's life since he only has one. But a man with only one kidney would have been declared 4F and would have been denied a chance to serve in the Army.
** It is conceivable that he lost the other kidney as a result of a previous wound, but again, he would not have been sent back up to the front and would instead have gotten medically discharged.

*** Conduct unbecoming of an officer, which covers: knowingly making a false official statement (Frank in 'The Novacaine Mutiny", Trapper in "House Arrest"); dishonorable failure to pay a debt; cheating on an exam (Radar when taking a high school-equivilency exam); opening and reading a letter of another without authority (Radar numerous times, Frank, Hawkeye); using insulting or defamatory language to another officer in that officer’s presence or about that officer to other military persons (Hawkeye and Trapper to Margret); being drunk and disorderly in a public place (Hawkeye, Trapper, BJ); public association with known prostitutes; committing or attempting to commit a crime involving moral turpitude; failing without good cause to support the officer’s family; and enlisted personnel gambling with commissioned officers.\\

*** Purjury (Frank, Trapper). Maximum punishment: Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 5 years.

*** Conduct unbecoming of an officer, which covers: knowingly making a false official statement (Frank in 'The Novacaine Mutiny"); dishonorable failure to pay a debt; cheating on an exam (Radar when taking a high school-equivilency exam); opening and reading a letter of another without authority (Radar numerous times, Frank, Hawkeye); using insulting or defamatory language to another officer in that officer’s presence or about that officer to other military persons (Hawkeye and Trapper to Margret); being drunk and disorderly in a public place (Hawkeye, Trapper, BJ); public association with known prostitutes; committing or attempting to commit a crime involving moral turpitude; failing without good cause to support the officer’s family; and enlisted personnel gambling with commissioned officers.\\

*** Purjury (Frank). Maximum punishment: Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 5 years.

*** Conduct unbecoming of an officer, which covers: knowingly making a false official statement (Frank in 'The Novacaine Mutiny"); dishonorable failure to pay a debt; cheating on an exam (Radar when taking a high school-equivilency exam); opening and reading a letter of another without authority (Radar numerous times); using insulting or defamatory language to another officer in that officer’s presence or about that officer to other military persons (Hawkeye and Trapper to Margret); being drunk and disorderly in a public place (Hawkeye, Trapper, BJ); public association with known prostitutes; committing or attempting to commit a crime involving moral turpitude; failing without good cause to support the officer’s family; and enlisted personnel gambling with commissioned officers.\\

*** Opening another's mail (Radar, Frank on occasion, even Hawkeyeopens the other Captain Pierce's mail, knowing it isn't his). Maximum punishment: Dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 5 years.

** When talking to a USN Commander, Henry addresses him as "Sir". Commander is OR-5, equivalent to Lt. Colonel and thus improper to address as superior.

* In "The Army-Navy Game", the Army wins the game and the score is announced. During the Korean war, the Navy won all the Army-Navy games and the score that was reported was never a final score in any Army-Navy game.

** Hawkeye and BJ refuse to bathe for several days to annoy Charles, and characters suggest they would go several days between showers. Medical personnel and cooks are required to bathe daily. Given Potter's frustration over Hawkeye and BJ not showering, this is likely something even he would not ignore as both regular Army and a doctor.

*** Not only would Frank have been denied as the injury was not caused by enemy action, he would have been discharged for throwing out his back. Back problems were an automatic discharge.

*** BJ receives the Bronze Star for helping a chopper escape while under fire, which he hands off to another soldier for "getting out in one piece". This has the same problem as above: the soldier may have possession of BJ's Bronze Star, but BJ has the decoration on his record and his name would be engraved on the back.

** Earlier, he demanded a Purple Heart for "falling" while running to the shower (actually a back spasm from bending too far dancing with Margret), but Henry refuses to approve his application.
** Actually, Frank was awarded the purple heart on that occasion. Hawkeye stole it before he could receive it to give to a marine who lied about his age to impress his girlfriend before he was sent home.
** The Marine private (Walter/Wendall) would be as ineligible for the Purple Heart as Frank was. Despite having the actual medal, Walter/Wendall would have no paperwork for the medal, but Frank would, so stealing the medal and giving it to Walter/Wendall would give him possession of the medal, which may impress the girl back home, but little more.