clouding his tactical judgement. She is instrumental in helping Colonel Ryan recruit and train more women into the Unit. In the mid-season, she would be mortally wounded on a mission, her dying words forgiving Sam for the fake rape, her death in turn aggravating Jonas' combat stress. One of her brothers would refuse to accept the cover story surrounding her death and ally himself with the human rights group attempting to expose and prosecute the Unit. Sam McBride Staff Sergeant Sam McBride (United States Army, call sign "Whiplash") joins the Unit in the middle of the fourth season and is put through a nerve-shredding final test of loyalty where he is apparently arrested by the ATF who hold him responsible for the death of a judge during a training exercise. We later learn this is due to him having a reputation among his peers as being something of a loner. He passes the test and takes part in five operations as part of the Unit's Alpha Team with great success, including helping to kill the sniper who shot dead his predecessor. However he appears to develop an obsession with fellow Unit member Bridget Sullivan, which takes a serious turn. Little is known about his background, as only one ex-girlfriend has resurfaced and he appears to have a very casual, shallow relationship with her. He uses a Glock 9mm pistol, despite Mack Gerhardt trying to persuade him to switch to a Colt 45. He appears to be very skilled in the art of 'free running,' jumping from object to object without ever touching the ground. He is very resourceful and technically adroit, especially in terms of escape. He is also extremely ruthless when he needs to be." According to the writers; in season 5, it was planned that Bridget Sullivan would discover that Sam is actually gay, hence his reputation as a loner and his lack of long term relationships with women. He agonizes over whether or not to come out to his macho colleagues, allowing the series to tackle the controversy over the US military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on homosexuality. Ironically given their history Bridget would become his trusted confidant and when she is mortally wounded on a mission her dying words are to forgive him for the fake rape he made her endure. At the end of the season Sam would have been promoted to assistant team